Guwahati: Renowned American scholar of Tibetan Buddhism, Padma Shri awardee and longtime associate of the Dalai Lama, Professor Robert A.F. Thurman, died at the age of 84 in New York, United States, Tibet House US announced on Wednesday.
In a statement posted on social media, Tibet House US said Thurman, a Buddhist scholar, author, translator and co-founder of the institution, died on Tuesday morning. The organisation said his teachings and writings had influenced generations of students and practitioners around the world.
The Consulate General of India in New York described Thurman as one of the world’s foremost scholars of Buddhism and a close friend of India.
In a post on X, the Consulate General said Thurman’s lifelong work in Indo-Tibetan Buddhist studies helped bring Buddhist teachings to audiences worldwide and deepened appreciation of India’s spiritual heritage.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had met Thurman in New York in June 2023, when the two discussed the role of Buddhist values in addressing contemporary global challenges as well as efforts to preserve and promote India’s Buddhist heritage.
According to the Central Tibetan Administration, Thurman made significant contributions to the study and dissemination of Tibetan Buddhism through his writings, translations and academic work.
He served as the Jey Tsong Khapa Professor of Indo-Tibetan Buddhist Studies in Columbia University’s Department of Religion and was president of Tibet House US and the American Institute of Buddhist Studies.
Thurman was widely known for translating and interpreting Tibetan Buddhist texts for international audiences. Among his notable works was an English translation of the Vimalakirti Sutra from the Tibetan Kagyur.
The father of Hollywood actor Uma Thurman, he was recognised as one of the most influential voices in Buddhist scholarship. In 1997, he was named among the 25 most influential Americans, while New York Magazine included him among its influential figures in religion in 2006.