Bob is a charismatic speaker and author of many books on Tibet, Buddhism, art, politics and culture. His own search for enlightenment began while he was a university student at Harvard. After an accident in which he lost the use of an eye, Bob left school on a spiritual quest throughout Europe, the Middle East and Asia. He found his way to India, where he first saw His Holiness the Dalai Lama in 1962. After learning Tibetan and studying Buddhism, Bob became a Tibetan Buddhist monk and the first Westerner to be ordained by the Dalai Lama. Some years later, however, he offered up his robes when he realized he could be more effective in the American equivalent of a monastery: the university, returning to Harvard to finish his PhD.  Time Magazine chose him as one of the 25 most influential Americans in 1997, describing him as a “larger than life scholar-activist destined to convey the Dharma, the precious teachings of Shakyamuni Buddha, from Asia to America.”Bob is the founder and active president of Tibet House US, a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation and promotion of Tibetan culture, and of the American Institute of Buddhist Studies, a non-profit affiliated with the Center for Buddhist Studies at Columbia University and dedicated to the publication of translations of important artistic and scientific Tibetan treatises.As part of his long-term commitment to the Tibetan cause, at the request of H.H. the Dalai Lama, Bob co-founded Tibet House US in 1987 with Tenzin Tethong, Richard Gere, and Philip Glass, a non profit organization based in New York City and dedicated to the preservation and renaissance of Tibetan culture.Inspired by his longtime good friend the Dalai Lama, Bob takes us along with him into an expanded vision of the world through the prisma of Tibetan Buddhism. He shares with us the sense of refuge in the Dharma, which unfailingly helps us clear away the shrouds of fear and confusion, sustains us with the cheerfulness of an enriched present, and opens a door to a path of realistic hope for a peaceful, kind, and wise future. Learn more about Bob! - https://bobthurman.com/**Buy the new book "Wisdom Is Bliss" - https://www.amazon.com/Wisdom-Bliss-Friendly-Facts-Change-ebook/dp/B08WRWDFB6 New Music from East Forest! -"Possible" - the latest studio album  from East Forest - LISTEN NOW:Spotify / AppleOrder the album on vinyl - limited edition + check out the new Possible clothing: http://eastforest.org*** Support this free podcast by joining the East Forest COUNCIL on Patreon.  Monthly Zoom Council, Podcast exclusives, private Patreon live-stream ceremony, and more.  Check it out and a great way to support the podcast and directly support the work of East Forest! - http://patreon.com/eastforest*****Please rate Ten Laws w/East Forest on iTunes.  It helps us get the guests you want to hear. Tour - Catch East Forest LIVE - Pledge your interest in the upcoming East Forest Ceremony Concert events this Spring/Summer 2021.  More info and join us at eastforest.org/tourCommunity - Join the newsletter and be part of the East Forest Community.Meditation - Listen to East Forest guided meditations on Spotify & AppleRam Dass album - Check out the East Forest x Ram Dass album on (Spotify & Apple) + East Forest's Music For Mushrooms: A Soundtrack For The Psychedelic Practitioner 5hr album (Spotify & Apple).Socials -Stay in the East Forest flow:Mothership:  http://eastforest.org/IG:  https://www.instagram.com/eastforest/FB:  https://www.facebook.com/EastForestMusic/TW:  https://twitter.com/eastforestmusicJOIN THE COUNCIL - PATREON: http://patreon.com/eastforest