Robert Thurman: Buddhism Will Civilize the West

Posted on May 15, 2008
Filed Under Ideas |

Robert Thurman, the great American Buddhist, gave a talk in Vancouver last month, and with a few edits the whole thing has been made accessible in 10 video clips hosted at YouTube. All 10 clips are also embedded in Thurman’s website, which he currently titles after his new book coming out in June, Why The Dalai Lama Matters.

I confess that I’ve never encountered Robert Thurman until now, and I watched his whole talk, enthralled. If I owe work to any of you that’s late right now, you can blame the evening spent with this for that. But it turns out that I did it for civilization, as you’ll see.

In his talk Thurman presents his great theme, that Buddhism is a matrix of civilized behavior, and among other attributes he lists education and the examination of reality as key to the nature of civilization. He describes his talk as a discussion of “Buddhism in the context of the crisis we face as a struggling species on an overstressed planet.”

Thurman further summarizes his talk:

“When the eminent British historian Arnold Toynbee said in 1971 that the most important event of the 20th century was the encounter of the West with Buddhism, he did not mean merely the entrance of one more world religion onto the scene. Buddhism is more than a “religion” as we currently use the term, and includes a scientific vision, a multi-faceted educational system, and a resilient ethical way of life.”
- Robert Thurman at UBC’s Chan Centre

Here are the ten clips with my selected highlights from his talk.

Clip 1 below

 

 

Clip 2 below

 

 

In Clip Three, Thurman tells in a wonderfully brief overview the story of the Buddha’s message, and points to the heart of Buddhism, which is the reality that all beings are equal. This means for example that you matter as much to me as I matter to myself, more in fact because there are more of you than of me. He explains the word Noble, and says that you are noble - you have noblesse oblige - when you see others’ perspectives as equal to your own.

Clip 3 below

 

 

Towards the end of Clip Four Thurman introduces his civilization matrix, and Clip Five is taken up with this.

He presents a concept that I found surprising at first, which is that although civilization as a word is taken to embrace the rise of cities, the elements of a civilized nature include the abilities for humans to live in large clusters together. And these qualities include the development of an individualism that also accommodates the diversity of others, an individualism that is the opposite of tribalism and fanaticism.

Thurman in the same clip begins to show us that the West has not yet shown the qualities of a civilized nature, but only the achievements of industrialism. In a fabulous remark, he calls television “industrial meditation”, and restates his theme that civilization is a product not of material construction but most essentially of education, learning.

Clip 4 below

 

 

Clip 5 below

 

 

In Clip Six Thurman turns towards the present age, but to do so he first presents an overview of the rise and fall of civilizations, and makes his case that wherever Buddhism has taken root it has lifted the civilization of that nation. He says that the same thing is now beginning to happen to the West.

Thus indeed, says Thurman, Buddhism supplies a matrix of behavior that leaves intact all existing religions and beliefs, as history shows, and which overlays a nation which a perfect system for dealing with reality, such as is now urgently called for by the demands of the planet’s ecology, and by the great wasting process of war.

Robert Thurman illustrates in this same clip that what we have seen in recent centuries in the West is not the rise of civilization but the growth of industrial savagery.

Clip 6 below

 

 

In Clip Seven he arrives fully in the present age and speaks of industrialism as being like a cancer, a parasite which grows with no regard for its host. Militarization is the current cancer of the age, he says, an industrial militarization which promotes behaving an a savage manner, without civilized-ness.

Clip 7 below

 

 

In Clip Eight Robert Thurman presents his plan for Tibet and China, and the remainder of his talk, across Clip Nine and Clip Ten, deal with the essential character of the great historic and historical events being played out now in this clash between two viewpoints.

He talks of the great damage that China is doing to itself by succumbing to its own anger and violence. He laments that China is following the bad example of the West in polluting and wasting its own country, and in taking the same wilfull despoil to the Tibetan Plateau, an ecological niche that anchors the waters of over three billion people, across a vast portion of the inhabited planet.

Clip 8 below

 

 

As he elaborates in Clip Nine, the force of non-violence is measurably greater than the force of violence, in terms of getting things done. History shows, and studies show, that violence has never worked, while non-violence does work, surprisingly well, and surprisingly often. This is why the Dalai Lama is genuinely dismayed to see the violence break out in Tibet: he knows it can only fail, and that only non-violence can work.

The situation with Tibet is not hopeless at all, says Robert Thurman, it is a very hopeful situation. Those supporters of a free Tibet who have actually given up deep in their secret hearts, he says, must not give up, must realize that the way forward is happening and that it can work.

Thurman says that the Chinese are a great people, and that only the rulers are stuck. He holds out the offer of a Nobel Peace Prize for China’s leader, Hu Jintao, in return for peaceful negotiations with the Dalai Lama. And he suspects that part of the ruling power of China wishes it could take the path of peaceful conciliation.

War is obsolete, says Robert Thurman, and we in the West must begin to set an example to the world’s last big dictatorship. China needs to relax, and free its own people, and hold elections, and join the world.

Clip 9 below

 

 

Finally, Robert Thurman in Clip Ten says that the movement to free Tibet must not be allowed to fail, for there is much more at stake than one country. This, he says, is the first thread in the global culture that must arise - or else we truly are doomed - where non-violence gains the respect and recognition it deserves as a force for accomplishment.

Clip 10 below

 

 

Afterword

Robert Thurman is a greatly engaging speaker, with a unique signature message. This brief synopsis from his talk of highlights that caught my attention, and lit my mind on fire, are just a taste of what lies in store for you in any of the clips, and I encourage to watch one, any, all.

Thurman’s message haunts me now day and night, I had to write it down just to contain how vast it is, and because it resonates as complete common sense. Of course, this is the future, unless we are doomed and the planet becomes Desert Earth, wasteland.

The sheer waste and inefficiency of war, practiced by losers essentially, rather than by great people, has to stop. Civilization has to begin. Buddhism, as I know from my own practice and study, provides an elegant matrix to hold all of the practical principles that can make this pragmatic change in our world.

Therefore not only does the Web with its system of global collaboration become the matrix for the development of a sustainable global economy, but the non-aggressive Buddhist system that provides for the examination of human nature and universal reality can merge in with these two great threads, bringing its own matrix of civilized behavior. Buddhism can supply an enabling platform of reason and vision that is by its very nature - and as history shows has always been, from its beginning - sustainable.

Comments

3 Responses to “Robert Thurman: Buddhism Will Civilize the West”

  1. David I. Lynch on May 23rd, 2008 9:37 pm

    Very well thought out Ross. I can see that you were motivated to thought after watching the videos. Robert Thurman is a truly amazing man and he will always challenge you to think.

  2. Hunter on May 27th, 2008 12:04 pm

    Thanks for your comment - yes, he encourages me to think that we can meet our challenges.
    Ross

  3. ASHOK on June 15th, 2008 2:40 am

    In your speech you say there are people killing for the sake of their Religion. Examples you gave was in that killings are taking place in the name of Jesus , Mohamed, Krishna and even in the name of Buddha - in Sri Lanka –

    Let me tell you that you need make an in-depth study in to what’s happening in Sri Lanka before you make comments such as “Killing takes place in Sri Lanka in the name of Buddha”. Also I do not know of or heard of anyone killing people “in the name of Krishna” too.

Leave a Reply