Bob Thurman Podcast:
381 episodes — Page 8 of 8
Heart Sutra Part 1 : Buddhism 101 – Ep. 31
The Heart Sutra is one of the most profound and widely studied texts in the Buddhist canon. In this episode, Professor Thurman reads the Heart Sutra, and explains the meaning […]
Vimalakīrti’s Verses : Deconstructing the Self – Ep. 30
In this episode, Professor Thurman explains how to use analysis to realize non-duality. Deconstructing our habitual understanding of body, mind- everything you think of as solid and real dissolves under […]
Meeting Vimalakīrti : Buddhism 101 – Ep. 29
In this episode, Professor Thurman reads the first chapter of Vimalakirti, which he translated and has been teaching for nearly forty years. Thurman illuminates the meaning of the text, the […]
All Beings Are My Mother : Buddhism 101 – Ep. 28
In this podcast Robert A.F. Thurman discussed the Buddhist perspective on the health and happiness of all beings. One of the unique aspects of Tibetan culture is that for hundreds […]
Bliss is Legal : Buddhism 101 – Ep. 27
In this episode, Professor Thurman points out the unspoken rule in our culture that it isn’t OK to be happy for no apparent reason. He explains that in fact, reality […]
S1 Ep 26Flowing Through the Knots : Buddha & The Yogis – Ep. 26
All of us have knots in our energetic system from our conditioning and emotional trauma that need to be uncoiled through spiritual practice. However, if we try to pierce them […]
Buddhist Inner Sciences : Revealing Your Rainbow Body – Ep. 25
Yuthok Nyingthig is the most important practice for Tibetan medicine healing practitioners. The practice of Yuthok Nyingthig helps reveal the rainbow body that is each person’s natural state. Professor Thurman […]
The Ethics of Enlightened Self-Interest – Ep. 24
In this episode, Professor Thurman discusses Buddhist ethics, which he translates as the ten-fold path of skillful and unskillful action. Instead of right and wrong, Professor Thurman urges us to […]
Buddhism 101 : Transforming Anger to Compassion – Ep. 23
One of the Dalai Lama’s slogans is: “If you want to be happy, be compassionate.” In this lecture, Professor Thurman discusses how to do this by opening our hearts to […]
Buddhist Inner Sciences : Mis-knowing – Ep. 22
The Buddha’s Wheel of Dependent Origination describes the cycle of existence—the endless wheel of samsara and suffering. The first link on this wheel is ignorance, or mis-knowing. Specifically, the idea […]
Pilgrimage : Buddhist Soul – Ep. 21
In this episode, Professor Robert A.F. Thurman responds to the question: “Does Buddhism believe in a soul?” Buddhism teaches that we have no inherent self, so how can there be […]
Uncreated Mind : Buddhist Inner Sciences – Ep. 20
In this lecture, Professor Thurman explains the concept of non-duality, and that emptiness doesn’t mean we don’t have a mind. Emptiness means we have an uncreated mind—it has always been […]
The Danger of “Just Meditate!” – Ep. 19
Professor Thurman discusses the potential dangers of cultivating an empty mind without also developing proper understanding of what emptiness is. Just meditating with our default understanding of reality can temporarily […]
S1 Ep 18Mahamudra Meditation : Buddhist Inner Sciences – Ep. 18
Robert A.F. Thurman gives advice to a group of students who have been learning the Mahamudra (great seal) meditation. This episode is an extract from a lecture given to students […]
Buddha and Yoga : Buddhist Yoga – Ep. 17
In this episode Professor Thurman, Richard Freeman, and John Campbell compare and contrast the Hatha Yoga Pradipika and the Brilliant Illumination of the Lamp of the Five Stages. Bob and Richard […]
Talking to Those Who Depart Through Death – Ep. 16
Robert A.F. Thurman leads a prayer for those who died in the Nepal earthquakes from The Tibetan Book of the Dead. In the Tibetan view of the dying process, death […]
Tsongkhapa : Father Philo & Mother Sophia – Ep. 15
Professor Thurman introduces the Essence of True Eloquence (drang nges legs bshad snying po), discussing his own personal experience encountering and translating the Tsongkhapa’s great work, and also Tsongkhapa’s own […]
S1 Ep 14Buddhism 101: How Vajrayana & Tantra Works – Ep. 14
Professor Robert A,F, Thurman draws from his book, Brilliant Illumination of the Lamp of the Five Stages for a discussion on the distinctions between Theravada, Mahayana and Vajrayana, delving into a […]
Meditation & Mistaken Guru Yoga with Gelek Rimpoche – Ep. 13
Introducing the Vimalakīrti Nirdeśha Sūtra, Gelek Rimpoche and Professor Thurman discuss mistaken relationships with Buddhist gurus and books, particularly in the West. They offer guidance for identifying a good guru […]
Buddhism 101: Reciting the Heart Sutra – Ep. 12
Buddhism’s Heart Sutra is recited at the start of teachings, events & as a blessing. In this podcast Robert AF Thurman leads a recitation of The Heart Sutra and gives […]
Buddhism 101 : Meditation + Realization – Ep. 11
Professor Thurman speaks one on one to a student about meditation practices, quiescence (pali: samatha, sanskrit: śhamatha), insight (pali: vipassanā, sanskrit: vipaśhyanā) and meditative realization (bhāvanā). Includes a discussion of […]
S1 Ep 10Freedom of Asceticism: Buddha’s Free Lunch – Ep. 10
Introduction to the asceticism as created by the historical Buddha in the original mendicant community of male & female followers of his teachings. Robert A.F. Thurman discusses the difference between […]
S1 Ep 9Lucid Dying: Buddhist Inner Sciences 101 – Ep. 9
Professor Thurman discusses the experiential and physical parallels between the process of sleep and the process of dying. He explains also the similarity between this experience and enlightenment, and how […]
S1 Ep 8Rebirth & Reincarnation Stories : Buddhism 101 – Ep. 8
In this podcast Robert Thurman discusses the motivational and inspirational value of examining rebirth stories first hand on the spiritual path no matter what one’s background is. Providing examples from […]
S1 Ep 7Tibetan Uprising Day March 10th: My Appeal to the World – Ep. 7
In this podcast Robert A.F. Thurman discusses the significance of March 10th in Tibetan history & in the context of the English translation of Sofia Stril-Rever’s book, “My Appeal to […]
S1 Ep 6Universal Vehicle : Buddha, Einstein & Wittgenstein – Ep. 6
In this podcast Professor Thurman discusses the role of the Buddha, Einstein & Wittgenstein in modern philosophic perspectives & scientific methods. Using humorous stories & close translation of Tibetan Buddhist […]
S1 Ep 5Royal Reason of Relativity: Buddha, Einstein & Wittgenstein – Ep. 5
Professor Thurman discusses the progression in theories of relativity in the west from Einstein to Wittgenstein, and shows how the Buddha set forth a perhaps more complete version of the […]
S1 Ep 4Nāgārjuna’s Teaching of Evolutionary Skill & Biology – Ep. 4
In a reading of Nāgārjuna’s Jewel Rosary (Ratnāvalī), Professor Thurman discusses the skillful paths of evolutionary action performed by body, speech, and mind, presenting that these paths of evolutionary actions […]
S1 Ep 3The Truth of Bliss: No Genesis Nor Final Destination – Ep. 3
In this podcast Professor Thurman discusses the Buddhist Twelve Links of Relativistic Origination it’s perspectives on Bliss, Causation, Theism, Kingship, Ignorance, Emptiness & nirvana. Includes an introduction to David B. […]
S1 Ep 2Buddhism 101: Buddhist Belief in Past & Future Life – Ep. 2
In this podcast Professor Thurman examines the modern scientific perspective on reincarnation (the Buddhist Belief in Past & Future Life), the work of Hermann von Helmholtz on the vital principle […]
S1 Ep 1Podcast Debut : My Early Years – Ep. 1
In the debut episode of the Bob Thurman Podcast Professor Thurman talks about his formative years & his own introduction to Buddhism. Includes personal stories about meeting Geshe Ngawang Wangyal […]