Robert A.F. Thurman, the first Westerner ordained as a Tibetan Buddhist monk by the Dalai Lama and a renowned academic, has died. A co-founder of Tibet House US and father to actress Uma Thurman, he was a leading figure in bringing Tibetan Buddhism to the West.
Robert A.F. Thurman, a pioneering Western Buddhist monk and acclaimed scholar, passed away at the age of 84. His death was announced by Tibet House US, the organization he co-founded.
Thurman made history as the first Westerner to be ordained as a Tibetan Buddhist monk by the Dalai Lama. For three decades until his retirement in 2019, he held the Je Tsongkhapa professorship of Indo-Tibetan Buddhist Studies at Columbia University. His life's work centered on translating, teaching, and promoting Tibetan Buddhism in the West. He was a prolific author and translator, notably producing an English version of the Vimalakirti Sutra.
In recognition of his contributions, he was awarded India's Padma Shri in 2020. His influence extended into popular culture, partly through his daughter, actress Uma Thurman, whose upbringing was shaped by his faith. While Uma spent two years of her childhood in Almora, India, a town known as a hub for Western Buddhists, she later clarified that her childhood was far from the stereotypical 'hippie-dippy' narrative.
She described it as extremely normal, with her father as a professor and the family living in academic housing. Uma noted that her father did not impose his religion on his children, suggesting she even wished for more to rebel against. Robert Thurman's journey into Buddhism began after a life-altering car accident involving a tire change left him with a glass eye at 20.
This event prompted him to divorce his heiress wife, drop out of Harvard, and travel through Turkey and Iran to India. There, he converted to Buddhism and trained under the Dalai Lama, who was in exile. After three years as a monk, he left monastic life, married Nena von Schlebrügge, and fathered four children, including Uma. Yet his commitment to Buddhism remained steadfast.
In 1987, alongside figures like Richard Gere and Philip Glass, he established Tibet House US at the Dalai Lama's urging to preserve Tibetan culture. His growing public profile coincided with Uma's rise to film stardom. In 1997, Time magazine named him one of the 25 most influential Americans, hailing him as a 'larger than life scholar-activist' destined to convey the Dharma to America. The family has requested privacy as they honor his legacy, invoking the mantra 'Om Mani Padme Hum.
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Robert Thurman, Renowned Tibetan Buddhist Scholar and Father of Uma Thurman, Dies at 84Robert Thurman, a leading Western scholar of Tibetan Buddhism who was ordained by the Dalai Lama and co-founded Tibet House US, has died. He was 84. The professor emeritus at Columbia University was also the father of actress Uma Thurman, whose upbringing was influenced by his faith. His life's work focused on translating and promoting Buddhist teachings in the West.
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