New Delhi, June 18 (IANS). Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday honored Padma Shri awardee Robert A. F. Condoled the demise of Tharman and said that Tharman was a renowned scholar of Buddhism, a renowned teacher and a lifelong friend of India.
“Through his works, Tharman popularized Buddhist ideas around the world and also established strong bridges of understanding and dialogue between different cultures around the world,” the prime minister wrote in a post on social media platform X.
PM Modi wrote, “Deeply saddened by the demise of Robert A.F. Thurman, a renowned scholar of Buddhism, a renowned teacher and a lifelong friend of India. Through his works, he popularized Buddhist ideas across the world and also established strong bridges of understanding and dialogue between different cultures around the world. I vividly remember our meeting in New York City a few years ago, where we had a very good conversation. My condolences to him in this hour of grief.” With family, friends and loved ones.”
One of the best-known international scholars of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, Professor Robert Thurman was awarded the Padma Shri, India’s highest civilian honour, and was a longtime friend of the Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama. Tibet House US informed on Wednesday that he died at the age of 84.
“We are saddened to announce that Robert A.F. Thurman, the renowned American Buddhist scholar, co-founder of Tibet House US, author and translator whose teachings shaped countless lives, passed away on Tuesday morning, June 16, in Woodstock, New York. The Thurman family asks for privacy at this time,” a post said.
PM Narendra Modi met Professor Thurman in New York on June 21, 2023. At the meeting, Prime Minister Modi and Professor Thurman shared their views on how Buddhist values can be a guide in finding solutions to challenges around the world.
They also discussed India’s Buddhist connection and India’s efforts to preserve Buddhist heritage, an Indian government statement said.
“Deeply saddened by the passing of Professor Robert Thurman, one of the world’s foremost scholars of Buddhism and a great friend of India,” the Consulate General of India in New York said in a post on Twitter.
The Consulate General further said, “Professor Tharman’s lifelong dedication to Indo-Tibetan Buddhist studies helped transmit the eternal wisdom of Lord Buddha to generations around the world and enhanced the deeper understanding of India’s rich spiritual heritage. We extend our deepest condolences to Nena Tharman and her bereaved family.”
According to the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), headquartered in this hill station in Himachal Pradesh, Professor Tharman has written, edited and translated several books on Tibetan Buddhism.
Actress Uma Thurman’s father, Professor Thurman, was the Jay Tsong Khapa Professor of Indo-Tibetan Buddhist Studies in the Department of Religion at Columbia University. He was also president of Tibet House US and the American Institute of Buddhist Studies. He translated the Vimalakirti Sutra from the Tibetan Kagyur into English.
Professor Thurman is renowned for his translation and interpretation of Tibetan Buddhist religious and philosophical material. He was named one of the 25 Most Influential Americans of 1997. In 2006, New York Magazine named him one of the “Influential People” in religion.
–IANS
KK/AS