Robert Thurman discusses non-dual Tantric philosophy vs. dualism in the context of Hindu-Buddhist India. Of particular interest is his reference to dualism as chauvinistic, a desire of men to disassociate themselves with prakriti, the practical matters of the material world, in favor of purusha, the spiritual world. Thurman also has a great deal of reverence for our ancestors. He says that they had it right, and that we need to navigate back to their ways of thinking if we want to live happily and for many years to come on this planet. He says Americans are depressed due to their lack of connection to anything but themselves, and a persistent thought that when we die, we return to nothingness, a black void. By seeing interconnectedness in all our actions, Americans would be happier and in a better position to save the planet.
Thurman’s tone is light-hearted, but his message is impactful and significant.
Yoga Journal NYC Conference 2009, Keynote Address by Robert Thurman: “Yoga and Tantra: Out of Body or Magic Body”
Robert Thurman is Professor of Indo-Tibetan Buddhist Studies in the Department of Religion at Columbia University, President of Tibet House US, a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation and promotion of Tibetan civilization, and President of the American Institute of Buddhist Studies. The New York Times recently hailed him as “the leading American expert on Tibetan Buddhism.”
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