Dharamshala — Robert A. F. Thurman, the first American Buddhist monk in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, a prominent American Buddhist scholar, author, translator, human rights advocate, and recipient of the Adma Shri Award and the Human Rights Award. A close friend of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama and a staunch advocate for the Tibetan cause, he passed away in New York on June 16, 2026. Tibetans and people around the world mourned this great loss.
Robert A. F. Thurman was named by TIME magazine as one of the 25 most influential Americans of 1997. In 2003, he received the “Light of Truth Award,” a "human rights award" presented by the International Campaign for Tibet. In 2006, The New York Magazine ranked him among the most influential figures in the field of religion. In 2020, he received the prestigious Indian Padma Shri Award for literature and education.
Robert A. F. Thurman has authored, edited, and translated more than 20 major books on Tibetan Buddhism, philosophy, and culture including "The Tibetan Book of the Dead", "The Life and Teachings of Tsongkhapa", "Wisdom Is Bliss: Four Friendly Fun Facts That Can Change Your Life", and "Why the Dalai Lama Matters: His Act of Truth as the Solution for China, Tibet, and the World".
Thurman was born on August 4, 1941, in New York City. He attended Phillips Exeter Academy from 1954 to 1958, then went to Harvard University, where he obtained his B.A. in 1962. He later returned to Harvard for graduate study in Sanskrit, receiving an M.A. in 1969 and a Ph.D. in 1972.
In 1961, Thurman lost his left eye in an accident "involving a racecar and a car jack", and the eye was replaced with a glass eye. After the accident, Thurman said that he decided to refocus his life, travelled to India. In India he taught English to exiled Tulkus (Tibetan lamas). After his father's death in 1962, Thurman came back to the United States and in New Jersey met Geshe Wangyal, a Kalmyk Buddhist monk from Mongolia who became his first guru. Thurman became a Buddhist and went back to India where, due to Wangyal's advice, Thurman studied with His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama. Thurman was also ordained by the Dalai Lama in 1965, the first American Buddhist monk of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition,and the two became close friends.
In 1967, Thurman returned to the United States and renounced his monk status and married to psychotherapist Nena von Schlebrügge. Thurman then worked towards his Ph.D. in Sanskrit Indian Studies from Harvard, which he obtained in 1972. He went on to become professor of religion at Amherst College from 1973 to 1988, then the Jey Tsong Khapa Professor of Indo-Tibetan Buddhist Studies at Columbia University, retiring in 2020.
In 1986, at the request of the Dalai Lama, Thurman created Tibet House US along with his wife Nena, Richard Gere and Philip Glass. Tibet House US is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to help preserve Tibetan Culture in exile. In 2001, the Pathwork Center, a 320-acre (1.3 km2) retreat center on Panther Mountain in Phoenicia, New York, was donated to Tibet House US.
His Eminence the 7th Kyabjé Yongzin Ling Rinpoche wrote,"It is with profound sadness that I learned of the passing of Professor Bob Thurman. His departure is a great loss not only to the Buddhist community, but especially to the Tibetan Buddhist world, where he was widely respected and deeply cherished.
"Throughout his life, Professor Thurman worked tirelessly to introduce the profound teachings of Tibetan Buddhism to countless people around the world. Through his scholarship, teaching, writing, and public engagement, he played a pivotal role in fostering a deeper understanding and appreciation of the Buddha Dharma in the West. His efforts helped build bridges between cultures and traditions, benefiting innumerable students and seekers and contributing greatly to the flourishing of Tibetan Buddhism internationally.
"I offer my heartfelt condolences to his family, students, friends, and all those whose lives he touched. May you find comfort in the extraordinary legacy he leaves behind—a legacy of learning, compassion, and dedicated service to the Buddha Dharma.
"I offer my sincere prayers for Professor Thurman’s swift and auspicious rebirth, and may the merits of his life’s work continue to benefit sentient beings for generations to come," Rinpoche concluded.
Tenzin Bhuchung wrote, ''Professor Robert Thurman, a prominent Tibetologist and a lifelong friend of Tibet and His Holiness the Dalai Lama, has passed away. His extraordinary scholarship, unwavering dedication, and decades of service to Tibet and the preservation of Tibetan Buddhism have touched countless lives around the world. His passing is a great loss, and he will be deeply missed by all who were inspired by his life and work."
