Robert Thurman: Why the Dalai Lama Matters

Top 25 Influential Americans (TIME), Dalai Lama’s righthand man, Co-Founder with Richard Gere of The Tibet House (and Father of Uma) at elephantjournal.com’s elevision talk show at the historic Boulder Theater.

Technorati Tags: Robert Thurman, Tibet

15 Comment(s)

There is a new blog about the Western Shugden Society’s challenge for Robert Thurman online:

http://robertthurman.wordpress.com/

Losang Yeshe | Sep 24, 2008 | Reply
Sure. No problem.

Dharmakara | Sep 19, 2008 | Reply
Not yet. Want to write something? Write it up, email me at editorial@elephantjournal.com, we’ll post it in your name if you like? Can be brief.

admin | Sep 19, 2008 | Reply
I know what you mean… my use of “hack” was more out of sarcasm than harshness.

Although it’s off topic, has there been any comments on the Elephant Journal about monks in Myanmar stockpiling firearms?

I haven’t noticed anything yet.

Dharmakara | Sep 19, 2008 | Reply
It’s not you, it’s the impersonal nature of the web. We want to fight that, here, make this a community. It’s like people in cars…studies have shown that they do things they wouldn’t if folks could see them, like honking etc…the web encourages all of us to be speedy and harsh, I’m much more guilty of that than you.

admin | Sep 19, 2008 | Reply
As for the passion… again, sorry. I got my robes in an uproar (LOL) because of a quote from Robert Thurman published today on Belief Net:

“Certainly exclusiveness, violence against others, callous disregard of the poor and downtrodden, intolerance of those of other faiths and ideologies, and so forth should find no place in the hearts and behaviors of followers of Jesus or Buddha or any of the other great spiritual teachers of humanity.”

This from the man who referred to the Shugden community as Tibetan Taliban.

I’m not a Shugden practitioner myself, just a bit tired of the behavior within institutionalized Buddhism in general, not particularily that of the Tibetan community. if history has taught us anything, there is always two sides to any given story.

Dharmakara | Sep 19, 2008 | Reply
Sorry, I could have stated in more mindfully.

Dharmakara | Sep 19, 2008 | Reply
Academic hack? Let’s keep it thoughtful, Dharmakara. Less name-calling, more information would be lovely. Thank you for your comment, and for the passion behind it.

admin | Sep 19, 2008 | Reply
Unfortunately, Thurman has become nothing more than an academic hack, as well as a mouth piece for the Dalai Lama. In education one must separate academic excellence from indoctrination, a fact which seems lost to him and quite a few others.

Not too long ago he gave an interview where he made no distinction between Inner and Outer Mongolia, but made the following statement:

“…since the Soviet Union deconstructed, the Chinese have become more frightened, more determined to hold on to real estate that is not theirs. Not just Tibet, but also Mongolia, Xinjiang, even Manchuria.”

The last time I checked, Mongolia had a peaceful Democratic revolution and was still a parliamentary republic with free elections held every four years, but I’m sure Thurman’s statement was well received by those who now wish to make Buddhism the state religion of Mongolia, the Tibetan variety.

Then we also have the Dalai Lama himself and his recognition of a supposed incarnation of Bogdo Khan, even though the eighth and last Bogdo Khan died in 1924, but not before making it clear that he would be the last of his incarnation line and intended to pass the leadership of Mongolia to his son.

Apparently Thurman sees no problem with this either, but on the other hand he doesn’t believe that historical fact takes precedence over the revision of sectarian tradition, even if it destroys the Buddhist heritage of another country.

Dharmakara | Sep 19, 2008 | Reply
I think Robert Thurman’s unwavering devotion to the Dalai Lama is on the one hand commendable, but it does make him blind to the Dalai Lama’s faults. And more and more evidence is coming to light that the Dalai Lama is not practicing what he preaches at home in his exile community.

Check out http://citybeat.com/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid:146102

for one recent news article about him.

Lyara Atkins | Sep 17, 2008 | Reply
Have you seen this Open Letter to Robert Thurman?

http://www.westernshugdensociety.org/en/reports/open-letter-from-western-shugden-society

Did you know that the same year Bob Thurman was said to be among the top 25 most influential Americans (1997) he said the Shugden practitioners are the Taliban of Tibetan Buddhism.

Do you think he’ll look silly for calling red blue when he can’t provide any evidence of Shugden practitioner engaging in acts of terrorism?

Losang Yeshe | Sep 11, 2008 | Reply
Dear Losang Yeshe, I’m sure your concerns are valid, I checked out your video, but I think it’s clear the Dalai Lama has worked long and hard for peace. No one can please everyone–but anyone trying to paint him as a Devil, as the Chinese do, just ends up looking mean and silly. It’s like seeing “red” and calling it “blue.”

admin | Aug 6, 2008 | Reply
Is the Dalai Lama really a man of peace and nonviolence?

This documentary seems to confirm otherwise:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n5sOm-uQH9Y

Losang Yeshe | Aug 4, 2008 | Reply
I woke up this morning, took my lil’pup for a walk, and some people came up to me in the park. “Robert Thurman’s amaaazing,” they said, having just seen him headline our recent talk show in Boulder. And they said, “what was it like sharing a stage with him? Humbling?” I said, “like getting in a race car with a pro, and just hanging on.”
A great, funny, charming man, doing good work for a people in need—and a cause more important than any other if our fragile civilization’s gonna make it: non-violence must win out!

admin | Aug 3, 2008 | Reply
This was such a great interview. I really like listening to Prof. Thurman (sorry, Way!)… he’s an amazing individual.

Todd | Aug 2, 2008 | Reply