Robert Thurman, PhD, passed on June 16 of this year. He was a shining light of love and joy, and a friend to the New Thinking Allowed family. We are grateful to have known him and to be touched by his warmth and passion. He was professor emeritus at Columbia University where he was a teaching professor for 50 years on Indo-Tibetan Buddhist Studies. He was the first Westerner Tibetan Buddhist monk, ordained by His Holiness the Dalai Lama. He authored many books, including Why the Dalai Lama Matters: His Act of Truth as the Solution for China, Tibet, and the Whole World and Infinite Life: Awakening to Bliss Within. His most recent book is Wisdom is Bliss: Four Friendly Fun Facts That Can Change Your Life. His website is bobthurman.com.

In this video, rebooted from 2023, Robert describes how to become liberated from suffering through understanding in the between of death and rebirth, known as the bardo in the Tibetan language. He describes other in-betweens and how to attain instant liberation.

00:00:00 Introduction

00:02:36 Mistranslation of The Tibetan Book of the Dead

00:04:56 The betweens or bardos

00:10:42 Near-death and death experiences

00:23:31 Deathlessness

00:35:11 Stages of liberation

00:45:51 Attachment

00:57:07 Interconnection

01:19:24 Instant liberation

01:21:02 Conclusion

New Thinking Allowed CoHost, Emmy Vadnais, OTR/L, is a licensed occupational therapist, intuitive healer and coach, and spiritual guide based in St. Paul, Minnesota. Emmy is the founder of the Intuitive Connections and Holistic OT communities. She is the author of Intuitive Development: How to Trust Your Inner Knowing for Guidance With Relationships, Health, and Spirituality. She offers intuitive coaching to help individuals access their inner guidance for clarity, healing, and meaningful decision-making. Her website is https://emmyvadnais.com

(Recorded on November 15, 2023)

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Published on July 29, 2026