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\title{Finding a Place for Skilful Distortions: Locating the Work and
Contribution of Robert A. F. Thurman}



\author[1]{Scott Abbott}%
\affil[1]{University of Technology Sydney}%


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  \date{May 08, 2026}


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\begin{abstract}
A leading political advocate for the Tibetan freedom struggle, a
successful populariser of Tibetan Buddhism, a polariser of opinion and
significant influence in the field of American and Western Buddhist
studies, Robert A. F. Thurman was once named as one of the 25 Most
Influential Americans by Time Magazine. He has for over 30 years both
divided opinions and inspired `right action' for positive social change.
Some argue that Thurman's voice for Tibet, through his body of written
work, has been at times misleading in that he idealizes Tibetan culture
and history as ``highly-spiritual'' and without fault, despite evidence
to the contrary. It is claimed that Thurman glosses over certain
realities, continuing a tradition of not only the ``Shangri-la-izing''
of Tibet but also the idealization of India and China by the European
Romantics and Enlightenment philosophes respectively. Seen as the
possessing the cure for our Western ills of rampant materialism and
excessive rationalism, the Eastern ``Other'' has maintained a
fascination since at least the time of Alexander the Great. In this
thesis we aim to critically examine the work of Robert Thurman and to
find a place for his contribution to Buddhist studies and what Michael
Valpy calls Buddhism's ``third wave'' in America. Central to this
endeavour is the attempt to seek out and examine the source of the
criticisms directed toward aspects of Thurman's work. In doing so we
will separate Thurman's work into positivist Buddhist studies and
comparative philosophy, Buddhist theology, traditional Buddhist
scholasticism, popular Buddhist literature and political activism. In
doing so we will also examine the validity of descriptions of Thurman's
work as ``tantric eschatology'' and explore the idea that Thurman's
``distortions'' could in fact be examples of the use of the traditional
Buddhist up\selectlanguage{polish}ā\selectlanguage{english}ya or ``skilful means'' employed to liberate sentient beings
from the ``burning house'' of saṃs\selectlanguage{polish}ā\selectlanguage{english}ra.%
\end{abstract}%



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