Robert A. F. Thurman has made the teachings of the Buddha more meaningful and interesting to Americans than any other Westerner. In doing so, he has become one of America's leading voices of sanity and peace in the new millennium.

TIME magazine, which chose him as one of its 25 most influential Americans in 1997, described him as a "larger than life scholar-activist destined to convey the dharma, the precious teachings of Siddhartha, from Asia to America." The New York Times recently said Thurman “is considered the leading American expert on Tibetan Buddhism." But it's Thurman's unique take on the relevance of Buddhism to American culture and politics, his wit and creativity in weaving ancient Buddhist wisdom and popular Western ideals, that make his knowledge entertaining and useful as well as informative.

This is evident in his most recent book, Infinite Life: Seven Virtues for Living Well, as well as his Inner Revolution: Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Real Happiness, which Publisher’s Weekly chose as one of the Best Books of 1998. Thurman makes a case that America is uniquely poised to realize the Buddha's vision of individualism and cultural harmony, that the happiness guaranteed by America's founders "should be ours and that there are methods for discovering which happiness is really reliable and satisfying, and then securing that in an enduring way without depriving others."

Popularizing the Buddha's teachings is just one of Thurman's creative talents. He is a riveting speaker whose insights stimulate and inspire; charismatic is the description most frequently given by people who know him. He is a brilliant author of books and articles about Tibet, Buddhism, art, politics and culture, including Essential Tibetan Buddhism, The Tibetan Book of the Dead and Wisdom and Compassion: The Sacred Art of Tibet. He is credited with being at the forefront of making Tibetan art accessible and understandable in the West and he co-curated with distinguished art historians several important traveling exhibits, including Wisdom and Compassion, which set a standard in the art world.

Thurman's work and insights are grounded in more than 35 years of serious academic scholarship. He has B.A., A.M. and Ph.D. degrees from Harvard and studied in Tibetan Buddhist monasteries in India and the United States. A long-time advocate of Buddhist monasticism, Thurman was the first American to be ordained as a Tibetan Buddhist monk in 1962. He gave up his robes after several years, however, when he discovered he could be most effective in the American equivalent of the monastery, the university. He is a popular professor in the Religion Department of Columbia University where he holds the Jey Tsong Khapa chair in Indo-tibetan Studies. Students have described his classes as “life changing” and a college president recently said, “If I could be a student again, I’d want to be in his class at Columbia.”

Thurman’s knowledge of Tibetan history and culture is often sought by policy makers. He has testified before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and a plan he authored, which appeared in The Wall Street Journal in 1998 as an op-ed piece entitled “Freeing Tibet Is in China’s Interest,” is regarded by many as a practical, plausible blue print for peacefully ending the human rights violations and cultural destruction in Tibet.

Ten years ago, Thurman co-founded Tibet House New York, an educational non-profit dedicated to the preservation of Tibetan culture on behalf of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, who calls Thurman, “a good friend.” Thurman serves as president of Tibet House, which offers a lively mix of lectures, events and art exhibits as well as archives, library and shrine room. Tibet House attracts visitors from around the world from school children who make field trips to its cultural center in Manhattan to the celebrities who headline its popular events.

Thurman’s charisma, wit, unique life story, long-time activism on behalf of Tibet, proximity to Hollywood and optimistic messages about “real happiness” for everyone have also placed him front and center with the news media. He is regularly interviewed by newspapers and magazines throughout the world and has been profiled in the New York Times Sunday Magazine, People and TIME. He has appeared on CNN, Good Morning America, The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer, and Oprah to name a few.

Whether he is using his obvious talents to educate and inspire or to speak out for the oppressed, what really sets Thurman apart is his dedication to the well being of others, his understanding of the impact of actions on the world, and his example as a man who lives the values he so brilliantly discusses and describes. Thurman’s life is a celebration of meaning, teaching and learning to cultivate wisdom and compassion, which Buddhism tells us is the source of true happiness and the highest value to which men and women can aspire.