Bob Thurman: Becoming Buddha -- on the Web

[joelet123]

i got two words for this

excellent and inspirational

[jeffdkillman]

This guy really does speak just plain truth

[crudhousefull]

The comments are so impressive btw. Who knew so many people understood the connection between all religions and the core precepts. Wow

[crudhousefull]

I love to see what Buddha explained re-explained, but it's a little disappointing that this guy has a pretty sizeable ego and doesn't really reflect the real teaching of Buddha. Meditation is the key to understanding any of Buddha's teaching. If someone hasn't meditated they only understand a small percentage of what was taught, and there is considerable doubt, which shows when he or she speaks.

[andyrooney12]

I watched a film called Kundun, which is loosely based on the life the current Dalai Lama, and I enjoyed it. The only thing I didn't like was the supposed supernatural element behind him being chosen. It just reminded me of the magical stories that are told about Kim Il Sung & Kim Jung Il in North Korea as part of their brainwashing methods.

[integraleric]

Going to meditate now :-)

[JamesonMary]

On the look for real spiritual guidance?Need to go a little deeper?Wake up the dormant power within your spirit.This is the time to lift the veil THE-HIDDEN-SPIRITdotCOM .

[HIHIMIII56]

@JamesonMary "In order to truly find the truth behind all of this information, energy talk and meditation, first you have to totally change the way you look at life in general, you have to change your preconceived idea of reality, if you don't do that, no matter how much you know about chakras, kundalini and energy matrices you won't really feel any significant change."

TheHiddenSpirit

[ekanipata]

@outerspaceym, Miracles and supernatural can be found in Buddhist scriptures like any other religions. But they were often brought out to get the message of the Buddha easier to most of the people. My point is that they could be left out, for beliefs in miracles and supernaturals are not required in Buddhism. In fact, the only miracle or supernatural power the Buddha did approved is human wills power to be better, to conquest ourselves, and to be free through our wisdom, not something else.

[jhlandis]

This man is unbelievably intelligent which to me, is sexy!!!

[DEadJACK4090]

I think i should comment on this video in a mature reserved admiring way but all i really want to do is !!!!ONE OF THE BEST TED TAL;KS OF ALL TIME XD !!! suspending the normal preagreed pirmate online comment /convorsational conduct.......................­...yeah im not online very often

[HIHIMIII56]

Buddha´s teachings are the opposit of religions: Religion is about believing, believing is not knowing, not knowing is ignorance. And all Siddharta, and the Sramans and Jahinists before him, we´re concerned about was to wipe out ignorance and raise their consciousness to a much higher and wider lewel.

[crudhousefull]

@HIHIMIII56 Faith is also a part of it. Not many people say this, but it's important. I meditate regularly and each time I do I observe and continue to observe, which is Vipassana meditation. Each time I sit down to meditate though, there is doubt whether there is progress. Knowledge, insight, concentration, loving-kindness, wisdom and faith are all part of achieving Nirvana. Faith keeps you on the path when your understanding is diluted. Some religions take it to extremes though

[HIHIMIII56]

@crudhousefull Thanks for your respons. I was surprised to read Sota-Zen master Yasutani-Roshi say faith is necessary to reach Enlightment since in Zen"-meditation" you should empty your mind completely free from any presumption. Also when learning you should approach without any preconception.

But I understand your & Yasutani-Roshi´s point of view; since the way to Satori and understanding Dhamma can be so long & strenuous; without belief you won´t stand the long journey if not making progress.

[crudhousefull]

@HIHIMIII56 Also, if you're interested, emptying your mind is necessary for reaching enlightenment. But even this to an extreme is harmful. I remember in my younger days I abused my thought strains to such a degree through meditating in the wrong manner that my thoughts became very limited, and circulated around ideas that were very dull and unenlightened. From then on I emphasize observation of all phenomena with the intent of understanding.

[HIHIMIII56]

@crudhousefull Sounds like you were forcing yourself into something very unnatural. For me, I found that it´s when I go quite far on doing something, live your life in a pushing myself, that´s when things starts to happen. If you live your life in a route nothing will happen to yo, nothing will change.

In meditation, the more I let go the thinking, the more awere I get.

Also, I´m of the opposite procedée; I try to not believe in anything and thereby precondition la destination.

[occultpriestess]

Compassion- Empathy- what a lovely talk. I too know in my heart that the dalai lama Feels every sorrow of his brothers and sisters. I pray for them all, as well as for you and myself. LOVE!

[amaprana]

And i like what Bob says.

[amaprana]

Buddhism is not better than any other religion.

[DerrenBrown100]

@amaprana Buddhism is barely a religion. It's a philosophy, and it's far superior to the abrahamic religions.

[hrantnano]

@DerrenBrown100 ..

buddhism is diametrically opposed to philosophy..philosophy might have been weaved around it..the menu is not the food...basically quantum physics today has come to give credence to buddhism...if one puts one's backgrround and look UNBIASEDLY,buddhosm winds hands down..I am secularr(not an atheist

..read christ's teachings(not the bible).you will see that he was regurgiating buddhism at a 101 level.

[funnystarchild]

@hrantnano Jesus was a buddhist.

[mnemoniccourier]

@funnystarchild Yes I know. Ive done alot of studying and thinking on that subject. Jesus was a buddhist for sure. He was educated in India for 18 years and then started a religious revolution in Israel by complaining about Judaism. The jews didnt like it and got Jesus killed. But his words lived on. So in a sence. Christianity is a combination of Judaism and Buddhism. The violent nature comes from Judaism. The love and compassion comes from Buddhism. Buddhism is the only real truth for me.

[bendtx]

lol, the Ted Commandments!

[geodesicks]

The core of Buddhism is realizing that first-person experience (soul/self) is non-fundamental, composite and an emergent phenomenon in the universe.

This is pretty much the cause of rift between dualistic Hinduism and Buddhism. Having been brought up in a Hindu family, but quite familiar with the current reductionist understanding of consciousness, thoroughly incomplete as it may be, I have to admit that Siddharth Gautum was probably right.

[jacksawild]

I do not view buddhism as a religion but as a means of intuitive learning. I do not call myself a buddhist but it isn't entirely wrong to call me one. Same goes with Taoism, it shouldn't be a way of defining yourself but rather an idea to explore. Being skeptical, I have to view the mysticism as a means of explanation in lieu of evidence in the same way we use pictures to represent objects. Life should be enjoyed.

[arnesonj25]

at the end of this talk wow the commercial is amazing! Robert give a very insightful talk on buddhism beauty ect. then we have a landscape scene waterfall then here comes a bmw blasting through a waterfall hahahahah lol we as humans will get it one day! :)

[amtb66]

Amituofo, thanks for sharing.

[Burning0Lilac]

buddism is a very unique religion in which the word god is never as itself mentioned. of course that's cahnged now because everyone can connect with eachotehr.

[OptionM45]

when starting talking about the Dalai Lama, Bobby starting to lose all his borrowed Buddhism logic.

He was there simply to support the bigger crackpot the 14th Dalai Lama.

.

Stupid academia.

.

[hockeybum90n5]

@OptionM45 so youre anti-intellectual?

[OptionM45]

@hockeybum90n5

I think cunning liars like Dalai Lama, and his master the CIA, and stupid bourgeoisie like Burp Thurman are anti-intellectuals.

does that answer your question?

.

[meverycalm]

I agree. "Let's be stupid in order to be happy" really sounds anti-intellectual. They are trying to make people more gullible for what? It's just like the Cultural Revolution of China. How stupid of an idea is that?

[popoppoppy]

@OptionM45  are you chinese?

[OptionM45]

@popoppoppy are you tibetan?

[popoppoppy]

@OptionM45

no--just rational.

[OptionM45]

@popoppoppy me 2 - just rational.

[popoppoppy]

@OptionM45

You certainly have not been writing anything rational.

[AhamBrahman]

People are so afraid to be One, to know they are unified with everyone and everything, because this means that basically identity is an illusion. We are all so afraid to be connected, but its so ironic because it is precisely this insecure sense of isolation that makes us all so unhappy and restless.

[liquidminds]

people are afraid of anything that oposes what they thought to believe.

wether you say that any individual consists of multiple personalities or wether you say everyone is one in reality... people will always like to think of themselves as unique independent individuals.

[oARISTIDISo]

'ME

WE'

(Mohammed Ali)

[humbleamericangenius]

I especially liked:

"We're kind of forced by technologies to become buddhas or something...to become enlightened. And of course, we'll all be deeply disappointed when we do."

[oARISTIDISo]

YOUISME

[Reido2828]

Why did his voice go like that?

[Explorer766]

4:15 Great run here.

[humanist7117]

Have a happy day!!!

[funkyslowpony]

He doesn't blink his left eye! holy cow...

[Alacrates]

it's a glass eye

[Keeban3]

total pirate moment 10:09

[S2Cents]

ahhaha. pirate moment. Rrrrrrrrrrrr

[mickehill]

hahaha I checked 10:09 like 10 times.. cracks me up.

[walkertongdee]

Man Billy Bob Thorton sure has changed

will he still do movies now?

[Lifesucksdie123]

and then a bmw commercial?

quite the juxtaposition

[songs4cf]

well, mass enlightenment has to be profitable for somebody to happen :)

[vortical911]

Balance in all things.

:)

[lucidstone1]

Buddhism is my favorite of the religions. It's peaceful, compassionate, curious, and never afraid of science or technology. Nice talk.

Sidenote: this guys voice and body language reminds me of the German scientist in Dr. Strangelove.

[badbuddhist]

Yes, this is Uma Thurmans dad. In Tibetan, the central channel of energy that runs through the center of our body and into our heads is called the uma.

I have never heard either say that this is where she gets her name but it seems a reasonable conclusion.

[navneetnair]

I always thought Uma was the 'Middle way' as in Madhyamika. His other children are named Ganden, Dechen and Mipam so you know where the names come from

[kusali11]

In Tibetan Uma refers both to Madhyamika (middle way) philosophy as well as the central channel. Kinda gives you a sense of how profound the meaning of the Middle way is.

It's fun trying to enumerate all the meanings of the Middle Way, I think it's pretty incredible.

[brione2001]

It's like anything with Buddhism: if the teaching/teacher works for you, good. If the teaching and/or teacher doesn't work for you, that's okay, too. Either find another teacher, or another teaching, or don't.

[GetMeThere1]

Must be that the "general crowd" has stayed away from this video: I checked 4-5 pages back and nobody has mentioned that this is Uma's dad.

A good buddhist talk. I'm sorry for all the intrigue among the comments!

[mslauraw]

For my fellow Buddhists, all of this negativity is a waste of precious, beautiful time. For those coming from an organized religion's viewpoint, your negativity and judgemental attitude is the reason I left you and embraced the beautiful dharma of The Buddha. ~Peace~

[knocked44]

didn't this guy used to coach Quebec junior hockey? "hey kids, keep your stick on de ice."

[Lineageholder]

What makes Bob Thurman an authority on Buddhism other than his academic qualifications? If you check his explanations of Buddhist ideas in his book "Why the Dalai Lama Matters" you will see that they are quite confusing and even misleading with their use of pseudo-scientific and Biblical language.

See for yourself. Google 'Robert Thurman's Challenge'

[djkidgorilla]

breathe.

[wisdombuddha]

If you, Robert Thurman, are not yourself lying, then you must show your evidence to prove your public statements: that Shugden people are sectarian, the Buddhist Taliban as you named them; and that the Western Shugden Society is working for the Chinese. You should show your evidence publicly through the internet before 25th October 2008. If your evidence does not appear by this date then we will conclude that you have lied publicly and are misleading people.

Sincerely, Western Shugden Society

[muzzleray]

one way to feel good about yourself is to help others feel good about themselves

[outerspaceym]

Post script. i assume or dare to elect that Mother Theresa was a reincarnation of Buddha because she was the only person that i can think of who fits the title of being the most compassinate person unlike the Dalai Lama rubbing shoulders with the rich and famous. What a laugh and what an example to the Buddhists. He is a celebrity and nothing else

[samart72]

outerspaceman,,,,,,i have such pity for your ingnorance!!!! His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama a mere celebrity? Wow you really are in outerspace!

[outerspaceym]

So Buddhism is an occult? Whose imagination filled in the rest? Ah yes, Robert Thurman's imagination. That sounds logical. A few of half truths here, a few jokes filled in, a few scraps from the library and what ever comes to his fancy.

[outerspaceym]

Wow, you mean the buddhists knew the existence of planets thousands of years ago?  When did they invent to telescope?The trouble with Robert Thurman is that he mixes up what he reads everyday in newspapers etc. into what is so called Buddhism according to his own perspective. Souns like Scientology to me

[Lohitaksha]

Technically planets are stars that move (Greek, planetoi-wanderers), an observation made millennia ago. To the ancients the very fact that they did not follow the predictable patterns of the other stars gave them occult meaning. The fertile human imagination filled in the rest.

[samart72]

ah yes they did!!!

[vortical911]

Check out some Vedic literature on the web. The belief in life on other planets is very evident. Even I, at a very young age suspected that among those bright points in the sky were other places like Earth with other people looking up at their night skies, staring back at me.

Carl Sagan stated, "Vedic Cosmology is the only one in which the time scales correspond to those of modern scientific cosmology."

[forgotmypassword3]

the peoples of that period had a lot of time on their hands. Still, "not of human origin..." And in the Bible when an altar is built, "lest you die." I'm not ruling it out.

[begily]

such good speech

[Yahwho]

Bob Thurman has to be the most boring public speaker of all time.

[miketheday]

Bob Thurman is a great speaker. I love his stuff! Thank you for posting this :)

Lovingkindness to ALL.

[jimmyjumbo2006]

Whatever your own beliefs about the universe, life and religions, how could anyone fail to be moved by this lovely man - his humour and warmth, his humanity and inner happiness shine so clearly in this video.

What a thoroughly pleasant man:)

Just in case anyone reading this hasn't seen Ken Robinson (another great tedtalk vid)- search 'Do schools today kill creativity? (Ken Robinson, TEDTalks)'

[Piers79]

nice talk, I my self am an atheist, but I do apreciate the fact that the buddists don`t try to save my soul from burning in hell all the time. I just hope the abrahamic Religions go down the drain soon...

[pixusbubblejet]

@Piers79 buddhists dont save souls because souls dont exist, neither does god, the only thing that exists is the chance to wake up and realize it.

[Piers79]

@pixusbubblejet would like to discuss that further over a cup of tea some time :)

[sonamling]

His Holiness The Dalai Lama: "Kindness is my religion"

[nilbud]

Buddhism is a death cult, Samsara "All is suffering", Nirvana = termination, also deception is advocated "Children in the burning house". Another waste of time.

[stoicsunshine]

Buddhism is the acceptance of one's own mortality. Which is not the longing for death, but an embrace of death as part of life.

[nilbud]

It's about attaining Nirvana which is the permanent death, the end of reincarnation and the suffering. It's an oblivion cult. Asia is full of slaves thanks to Buddhism.

[stoicsunshine]

Nirvana is oneness with everything. Like the Christian idea of dying and becoming one with God, only in this case God is energy. The Enlightened can reach Nirvana while living, but you're right, most of us will have to wait for death.

[bandrukat]

Glad you took this opportunity to preach. In case your sense of perception is so diluted that you can't feel humor, that was a sarcastic statement.

[funnystarchild]

@stoicsunshine Death is just a moment in the circle of life and reincarnation.

[crudhousefull]

@stoicsunshine There no embrace lol. Death is considered one of the main reasons for trying to reach Nirvana, which is supposed to be the end of suffering. Definitely no embrace there. Though when you meditate regularly, which is the main tool for investigation used, you do lose your fear of death

[lynalane]

It takes courage and acceptance to be compassionate beyond oneself......

[davidtitterington]

I saw it and usually love that show but the DL one was silly. The CIA stuff The Dalai Lama actually says in his autobiography.and he crits Tibet's past and endorses science and women's rights etc. & says he doest want Tibet to be a theocracy. P&T bringing up Tibet's brutal past and then pushing that the DL agrees with it and will force it upon tibiet is silly, isnt it? google Dalai Lama's nepotistic behaviour for more info

[82abhilash]

True, besides Dalai Lama, was 15 when he left Tibet was it not? We cannot hold him personally responsible for the backwardness of where he was born in. But knowing all that did cut him down to size, made him seem kind of normal.

[davidtitterington]

Good Point. but i believe that the spirit of buddhism is not to believe anything until you try it out and see if it works.

[82abhilash]

I agree there is a lot of contemplative wisdom in Buddhism, however (depending on which particular creed you follow), there are still issues of superstition and simply ideas that are too outdated. In many regars Buddhism is less hostile to reason than many other religions, but still lacks the validation mechanism that all religions lack.

[davidtitterington]

true, the entire spectrum of conciousness, from magic to mythic to rational to pluralistic to existential to trancendental to integral and beyond is expressed in the teachings and practices of buddhism. Buddha taught differntly to everyone. some people need holy water. But about the validity claims...

[davidtitterington]

Meditation (Buddhist and other) is the largest scientific experiment ever conducted by the human race..maybe =). One participates in the injunction, which brings forth data, which one then checks with a commmunity of peers who have also done the same injunction. this is how all knowledge and experince is validated. what do you mean it has no validation mechanism?

[82abhilash]

This method has the danger of participates falling into a shared system of belief, reinforced by one another rather than gain a proper understanding. The false security of consensus, or a shared hallucination. Howard bloom had written an article on that. It is always easy to fool oneself, especially when you get enough people to agree with, and those people are a lot like you. So how does scientist's try to get over that?..

[82abhilash]

Well several ways. Have a control group that did not undergo the experience (eg. meditation), but are similar to the group undergoing it in every other way (uniformity). Use instruments for measuring (they do not have feeling or biases like humans). Make the test double blind - the person collecting the data and the person being experimented upon, only know their part in the test...

[82abhilash]

..So as no one can distort the test, to provide any foregone conclusion. And finally repetition, under various circumstances, to isolate the particular factor, responsible for the observed results. Finally make a falsifiable claim that can be peer reviewed. Be self-critical, there is always something you might have missed. These are just some ways ideas are validated. After all this you still cannot be 100% absolutely sure about your result, only more sure than if you did not do them.

[davidtitterington]

Even if many of today's religions sadly don't make that second aspect of their tradition available to their followers and members, in most cases is there, and has always been there, nonetheless.

[davidtitterington]

well said. And this is why trans=religious confferneces and dialoges areimportant..to weed out what is real gosple or dhamra, and what is just cultual myth. Also, i think that much modern research being conducted with meditation (particularly by the TMers) uses all those approaches you mentioned. Your earler point deals with the structure of coniousness individuals have available, from which they must interpret whatever

[davidtitterington]

experince or data arises.  That cognative framework is indded culturally constructed to some degree (a christian who experiences light my interpret it as Jesus, while an Athiest may consider it the unified energy field or something. A buddhist might experience the light as Emptiness or Amida or something.)

[davidtitterington]

Luckly, in Buddhism, this is taken very seriously into account. The Buddha taught "Perception is deception." Whatever you see is nothing but a dream of the mind. Codependent Origination, Mind-Only, madyamika, etc. The Dalai Lama says that he only knows what he has been taught by his Tibetan Culture and thus much of his oppinions (i.e. on homosexuality) doens not apply to everyone. Pluralism.

[davidtitterington]

when studying Buddhist philosophy is it crucial to know exactly what "Satori" means, and what "Nirvana," "Emptiness," "Compassion," Suffering," "Samsara," and "Enlightenment" mean. We have to know what the Buddhist mystics and monks meant by these words. It's a translation issue that anyone studying or trying to understand any ancient text must go through (technically, you need the signified in order to know the corresponding referent of the particular signifier).

[davidtitterington]

And to do this crucial task, one must actually experience the referent. You must have the experience to know what the words actually mean, and this involves taking up a similar injunction used by the authors to produce or induce that referent or shared experience they are now writing about. Galileo makes a claim about moons. Then he says look through the telescope. That's the injunction. You look, and now have a better idea of what "the moons of Jupiter" mean; you have experienced the referent,

[davidtitterington]

When we step back far enough, we can see what all the major religions have in common. They are all stories, myths, and legends that have two major purposes. One is to create the rules for the society, and the other is to help the individual self transcend (and include) the society, the rules, suffering, life, death, even themselves, and awaken to an eternal source free from and prior to all of that. this is a good conversation. check out davidtitterington. com for email.

[82abhilash]

I will go one step further. It is not just trans religious dialoges that are needed, although I think given the exclusive nature of most religions, that doesnot usually get anywhere. I think anything and everything labelled as religion should be analysed and studied with a multi-disciplinary approach. So that whatever is useful in any religion can benefit all of humanity.

[davidtitterington]

That, my friend, is a beautiful mission statement indeed. Shall we begin in the morning?

[UniversalLanguage]

"With continued contemplation and practice in letting go, we come to uncover in ourselves "something" we cannot name or describe or conceptualize, "something" that we begin to realize lies behind all the changes and deaths of the world. The narrow desires and distractions to which our obsessive grasping onto permanence has condemned us begin to dissolve and fall away."

[Lelabear]

Doesn't this guy remind anyone else of Dr. Strangelove?

[donkey8062]

hell yeah...hes so funny

[82abhilash]

His ideas are of limited use, it works, but not that well. The problem with Buddhism, is like the problem with any other religions, even though this one is non-thiestic. It is a way of thinking and living, not a method to help us think clearly or even help us understand, how we think or why we live the way we do?

[davidtitterington]

i disagree. buddhism is a method or a practice, an injunction, not just a way of thinking.

[82abhilash]

Am I not understand that you apply an injunction or practise a method without first thinking about it. Thought is he beginning of everything.

[82abhilash]

Disregard my last reply. Too many typos.

Am I to understand that you apply an injunction or practise a method without first thinking about it. Thought is the beginning of everything.

[unclesallty]

Not thiestic? Are you a complete idoit?

[82abhilash]

If you can contribute to a meaningful discussion, by all means do. But don't be a troll.

[amjPeace]

How many of us can truthfully say we've never done anything regrettable, hasty, stupid or mean? I think maybe we all take a turn or two being a**h*les, so we need patience and understanding when people around us are taking their turn.

[kubikmaster]

That Car is on its Budda nature I say

[swingbabu2006]

They are killing 100s of 1000s of people in Iraq and when we protest, our new meadia asking "DO U WANT TO WIN THIS WAR ?"... as if we are playing soccer in Iraq!!! Compassion could save us, but we are in competition mode, so come passion is of no use!!!!

[chronodyne]

that is very true

[olywood9]

hehe yeah he definitely 'gets it' its a breath of fresh air actually. Most po-faced buddhists these days tend to think to think its all about being this 'super-human being' who will one day be magically free from all suffering.

buddha's teaches are just pure pragmatism, nothing magical or super-human just good, down to earth, honest advise.

[amjPeace]

Also, I am reminded of the song "None Of Us Are Free" by Solomon Burke. Ray Charles covered it in his My World album. I really agree about the internet hastening our reintegration, and Youtube is a huge part of that! I'll shut up now LOL Keep smilin', annie

[amjPeace]

Now that I've experienced being first, which should impress Buddha, I realize it also impresses me because we are one. We are like those parasols, like God exploded into a zillion pieces, and we are working at putting ourselves back together.

[amjPeace]

First!

[myohomojo]

amjPeace: If we are all one then you are always first.

[amjPeace]

Always first and always last, too!

[PolliFaxToaster]

you've both been first and last... billions of times

[amjPeace]

You can say that again. Oh, you just did, for the billionth time LOL

[jvastine]

Ah, but consider the idea that being first or last is just a matter of perception that is only relevant to this physical realm.

[amjPeace]

Being first is irrelevant to some people, and even uncomfortable to many.