Customer Reviews

Robert A.F. Thurman on Buddhism

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This was essential to learing the real thoughts regarding buddism. Books I had read in the past were difficult to comprehend the actual meaning of the teachings of the buddah. Thurman is a great teacher and makes it easy and enjoyable to learn about this way of life. Also makes reading other books on the subject much easier.

This series consists of three videotapes that cover three aspects of Buddhism: the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha. Each tape is a lecture given by Robert A. F. Thurman at the Tibet House in New York. Excepting the occasional shot of the audience, each video is 70 minutes of his lecturing.

This is not necessarily a bad thing. Thurman is an entertaining speaker and does a great job in explaining some of the mystical aspects and philosophy. He is very good at relating to the audience. After viewing them, I do feel that I have a better grasp of main tenets.

This does not appear to be scripted. For instance, in tape two, he mentions that he will discuss the Four Noble Truths, the three wheels, and the three vehicles. He goes in depth on the truths and the first two wheels, but then seems to realize that he is running out of time so rushes through the last four. There is still good information, but I wished that these last ideas had the same kind of detailed explanation.

I would recommend this to anyone wanting to understand more about Buddhism.

Thurman presents a rambling and scholarly and dense overview of some of the key precepts of Buddhism, and does so in such a way that he essentially deflates America's "delusions" about Buddhism and helps the viewer come to a closer understanding of what Buddhism really is.

Although others reviewers seem upset that Thurman didn't pretend to be anything other than who he is, I found this made his discussion that much more insightful. He IS a scholar and a university professor --- so why should he pretend to be anything else?

Yes, he was once a Buddhist monk --- but he didn't continue on that path. He's a Western scholar and a university professor, and denies that he's enlightened. I appreciate such honesty.

His refusal to show up in robes and sit cross legged on the floor looking "enlightened" also underscores the vast gulf between American interpretations of Buddhism and Buddhist interpretations --- which might be the most important aspect of this DVD.

This is a valuable work for anyone trying to wrap their minds around Tibetan Buddhism. Yes, it is basic and anything but trendy --- there are no bells, buzzers and whistles, and Thurman is about as far from a movie star sitting around looking enlightened as you can get --- but for someone interested in the nuts and bolts, it gets the job done.

I would recommend it to anyone seriously interested in Buddhism.

Robert Thurman, the renowned professor of Indo-Tibetan studies from Columbia presents popular lectures on the basic concepts of "The Three Jewels" of Buddhism - The Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha. Thurman's style of teaching is light, sometimes humorous and entertaining enough to capture interest in the before mentioned topics. The video quality and sound are adequate - the lectures were recorded at Tibet House, New York, and the set of tapes provides a good introduction to Buddhist thought - great for the inquiring newcomer and a nice refresher for those who have studied this philosophy.

Have watched it several times and will watch it again....very informative and Thurman is a wonderful lecturer!!!!!!

With a broad subject like "Buddhism", it helps to get information from a variety of sources. The Thurman DVD lectures gave me an understanding of Buddhism that I was unable to get from books. Thurman provided an enthusiasm and transmitted a personal involvement by his tone of voice and mannerisms. These sorts of things aren't easily communicated by books.

I agree with many of the complaints others have cited. (I especially enjoyed the "Thinking of Taking a Class with Thurman?" review.) Why, for example, was there no onscreen text? It appears that not much effort went into producing the video.

Nonetheless I'm grateful for the warmth of Thurman's presentation and for the new perspective that I gained from viewing the lecture - a perspective that I had missed in my readings.

I did like the very start of the first lecture on the Buddha, but the lecture over all seemed to ramble. I thought there might be some insight about the story of the Buddha, but there was not even the story. The second lecture was the same seemingly ramble. For example, the discription of mindfulness was not much more than "this kind of awareness of what's around you". I would suggest that any book by Thich Nhat Hanh, Old Path White Clouds for example, would be worlds better than these lectures. If you want a video or audio, then Hanh offers those too.

This isn't a multimedia presentation. There isn't even a whiteboard. There is some Tibetan art on the walls which are referred to quite infrequently. What you get here is Thurman lecturing, with lots of focus on him. Now and then the audience is shown. At times, the camera lingers on an audience member, usually female, usually young, usually attractive.

Thurman talks with his hands, almost always at least one, often both. Once in a while, a hand slips into a pocket, then comes out within ten seconds. Thurman unmistakeably signals in advance (e.g. with a change into a "silly" voice) his jokes and some young women respond with giggles. This reminds me a lot of graduate school.

So what are you getting with the tapes that a transcript wouldn't give? Well, a chance to see Thurman lecturing, if you've wondered what he's like. He seemed quite agitated, rather absorbed, somewhat of a character. The contents seemed rather elementary, with the emphasis on the teaching regarding the problems of the self and the related emphasis on reaching out to others, all of course in Buddhist terms.

The presentation is not limited to Tibetan Buddhism, which, at any rate, embraces earlier Buddhist teachings. But Thurman appeals to the magic that has been associated with Tibetan Buddhism. One extreme but not isolated example is that, in order to emphasize the power of a Buddha, he claims that if 11 people were locked in a room with only enough air for 10, it would be no problem if one of those people were a Buddha because a Buddha don't need air. Remarkable. I'm not sure what he's aiming at with such statements. Perhaps he feels it is necessary to shake people up a bit to the great potential he believes people have. Hopefully no one suffocates.

Science fiction. Virtual reality. Buddhaverses. Infinite this and that. Food fights among enlightened beings each so generous he/she gives away his/her food. Buddhas said to create acres of land frequently. Somehow the theist "Big Daddy" is a projection of self-centered people, but unlimited reincarnation is an evolutionary opportunity and doesn't reflect our fear about death. It becomes something of a sermon. In graduate school, the control of grades by professors acted to reduce negative feedback from students and I wonder if Thurman isn't victim of similar conditions. No one in the audience in these tapes asks a questions, so the giggles and attentive smiles are the key feedback.

I wondered whether Thurman is used to dealing only with advanced topics at school and not experienced at giving elementary lectures such as these. Unless watching Thurman is your aim, you may get a great deal more for your money by reading one of Thurman's books - or a book by some other Buddhist writer, many of whom cover key Buddhist themes quite well.

This is something you should rent first, before you waste your money.

I want to see exemples of the budhisme religion