“It’s hard to always show compassion — even to the people we love, but Robert Thurman asks that we develop compassion for our enemies. He prescribes a seven-step meditation exercise to extend compassion beyond our inner circle.”

“Tenzin Robert Thurman became a Tibetan monk at age 24. He’s a professor of Indo-Tibetan Buddhist studies at Columbia University, and co-founder of Tibet House US, a nonprofit dedicated to the preservation and promotion of Tibetan civilization.

Thurman’s focus is on the balance between inner insight and cultural harmony. In interpreting the teachings of Buddha, he argues that happiness can be reliable and satisfying in an enduring way without depriving others.

He has translated many Buddhist Sutras, or teachings, and written many books, recently taking on the topic of Anger for the recent Oxford series on the seven deadly sins. He maintains a podcast on Buddhist topics. And yes, he is Uma’s dad.”

Personal statement:

My first time being introduced to the writings of Robert Thurman was his book Infinite Life, which is listed in my recommended books page. One thing that really struck me was how elegantly he drew an analogy between the scientific theory of evolution and the Buddhist concept of karma, past lives, and reincarnation. Since then I have been convinced that Buddha was truly one of the first believers in evolutionary theory.

Also, over last summer I stumbled across an interesting video of Deepak Chopra engaging in a dialogue with Thurman at the Tibet House in New York City. The topic centers around the philosophy behind God and Buddha.

Related Posts

• The Need For A Spiritual Backbone
• How To Do A True Act Of Kindness
• Writing As Meditation
• Business-Minded Spirituality
• Grudges And Forgiveness
• Feel Better Through Ten Acts Of Loving-Kindness
• Deepak Chopra: A New Self