Robert Thurman, Tibet House Co-Founder and Uma Thurman’s Father, Dead at 84

Robert Thurman, father to actress Uma Thurman and the co-founder of the cultural institution Tibet House in New York City, has died at the age of 84.

Thurman’s death was announced via social media by Tibet House, which wrote, “We are deeply saddened to announce that Robert A.F. Thurman, prominent American Buddhist scholar, co-founder of Tibet House US, author and translator whose teachings shaped countless lives, died Tuesday morning, June 16, in Woodstock, New York.”

The post was captioned with the phrase “Om Mani Padme Hum,” a Sanskrit mantra that translates to “praise to the jewel in the lotus.” Thurman co-founded Tibet House in 1987 with the mission of preserving Tibetan culture. Over the years, the institution has hosted annual benefit concerts with appearances from artists like Patti Smith, FKA Twigs, David Byrne, Billy Corgan, and more.

On his website, Thurman is credited as “the first Westerner Tibetan Buddhist monk ordained by His Holiness the Dalai Lama.” In a letter from the Dalai Lama, as shared by Tibet House, the Dalai Lama wrote, “As you know, Bob and I shared many years of warm friendship since we first met in India in the late 1960s. As a Buddhist scholar, his knowledge was truly remarkable, including his command of the Tibetan language. He devoted his entire professional life to sharing that knowledge, not only with his students, but with the wider world through his writings and teachings.”

He continued, “He understood profoundly that the survival of Tibetan Buddhist culture is inseparably linked to the future of Tibet itself. I greatly valued his efforts on behalf of the Tibetan people and their culture, expressed so visibly through institutions such as Tibet House. Bob lived a meaningful life and has left behind a legacy that will continue to inspire future students of Tibetan Buddhism and culture for generations to come. I am sure that the merit he accumulated through a lifetime of service to humanity will bear fruit in lives to come.”