Robert 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.
Robert Thurman , a distinguished scholar of Tibetan Buddhism and the father of actress Uma Thurman , has passed away at the age of 84. His death was announced by Tibet House US, the nonprofit organization he co-founded at the urging of the Dalai Lama .
Thurman made history as the first Westerner to be ordained as a Tibetan Buddhist monk by the Dalai Lama himself, a landmark event that underscored his lifelong commitment to bridging Eastern spirituality and Western thought. For three decades, until his retirement in 2019, he held the Je Tsongkhapa professorship of Indo-Tibetan Buddhist Studies at Columbia University, shaping countless lives through his teaching and scholarship.
His passing marks the end of an era for the dissemination of Tibetan Buddhist philosophy in the West, a mission he pursued with scholarly rigor and charismatic advocacy. Thurman's personal journey was as transformative as his academic career. Born in New York in 1941 to a stage actress and a news editor, his life took a dramatic turn in his twenties. After a grisly tire-changing accident that resulted in a glass eye, he experienced a spiritual awakening.
He divorced his heiress wife, left Harvard, and traveled overland through Turkey and Iran to India. There, under the tutelage of the 14th Dalai Lama, who was living in exile following the Chinese crackdown on Tibet, he converted to Buddhism and spent three years as a monk. This ascetic period was followed by his return to lay life, marriage to Swedish-German model Nena von Schlebrügge, and the raising of four children, including Uma.
His religious practice remained central, directly influencing his daughter's upbringing. Uma Thurman's childhood was notably shaped by her father's Buddhist faith. She spent two years in Almora, a town in the North Indian state of Uttarakhand that was a popular destination for Western Buddhists. The area, known for landmarks like Hippie Hill, offered a unique cultural milieu.
Despite frequent media portrayals of a 'hippie-dippy' childhood, Uma has consistently pushed back against such simplifications. She described her upbringing as 'extremely normal,' noting they lived in academic housing, she attended regular school, and her father was a professor. She also revealed that Robert did not impose his religion on his children to an excessive degree, quipping that it might have been nice to have 'something to rebel against.
' This nuanced portrayal highlights the balance between spiritual exposure and ordinary family life. Beyond his familial role, Thurman was a formidable intellectual and activist. He authored numerous books and produced a significant English translation of the classic Mahayana Buddhist text, the Vimalakirti Sutra. His charisma and dedication made him a leading promoter of Tibetan Buddhism and the cause of Tibetan autonomy in America.
In 1987, alongside figures like actor Richard Gere and composer Philip Glass, he established Tibet House US to preserve Tibetan culture. As Uma's film career soared in the 1990s, his public profile rose correspondingly. In 1997, Time magazine named him one of the 25 most influential Americans, dubbing him a 'larger than life scholar-activist' destined to convey the Dharma to the West.
His contributions were later recognized by the Indian government with the Padma Shri award in 2020, one of the nation's highest civilian honors, for his work in literature and education. His legacy is that of a bridge-builder who made ancient wisdom accessible to modern audiences
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