Inspired Evolution with Amrit Sandhu 🙏🏻 Robert Thurman on Translating the Tibetan Book of the Dead and the Reality of Infinite Life Cycles
Mar 10, 2026
Robert Thurman, a prominent Tibetan Buddhist scholar and translator making sacred Tibetan texts accessible to the West. He discusses how he came to translate the Tibetan Book of the Dead, the art of crafting a culturally relatable translation, and the core idea that consciousness continues after death. Practical guidance for the between state and intriguing evidence from children’s past-life memories are also highlighted.
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How Thurman Came To Translate The Tibetan Text
- Robert Thurman recounts being given a Tibetan original of the text by his guru and initially resisting before agreeing to translate it decades later.
- The gift persisted over years until Thurman realized the text needed a proper, usable translation beyond earlier Western versions.
The Text Transforms Readers By Its Form
- Thurman says the text is a transformative art form that can change readers simply through reading, not just intellectual understanding.
- He positioned his translation to be culturally flexible so nurses and hospice workers could use it across faiths.
Adapt Rituals To The Dying Person's Faith
- Make teachings culturally adaptable so people of different faiths can use them at death or in hospice settings.
- Thurman intentionally allowed substitution of familiar figures (Jesus, Moses, etc.) to make the guide usable in crisis.
