Podcast: Episode 144: Remembering Robert Thurman: Part 2: Buddhism is Realism

August 14, 2026

In the second episode of the special series Remembering Robert Thurman, we return to one of the first talks Robert Thurman gave at Sacred Stream, in 2008. On that particular fall evening, another event was taking place at the Sacred Stream Center, so Laura Chandler and Isa Gucciardi invited everyone into their San Francisco living room instead. More than 80 people crowded into the house for what remains one of Bob’s most popular Sacred Stream lectures.

This previously unreleased material has been divided into two episodes. At the heart of the first part of this teaching is one of Bob’s favorite insights: Buddhism is realism. He describes the Dharma as an invitation to see reality more clearly and, through that clearer seeing, to discover our true nature. He explores samsara as the world of mistaken perception we construct when we fail to recognize reality as it is, offers a fresh perspective on the Four Noble Truths, and takes on one of the most persistent misconceptions about Buddhism: the idea that the teaching of “no self” means that we do not actually exist.

In this joyfully provocative teaching, Bob invites listeners to become more realistic about who and what they are and to discover the bliss that underlies everything. The result is a wonderful glimpse of Robert Thurman at his most passionate, playful, and illuminating—bringing the Dharma to life with the unmistakable energy, humor, and intellectual clarity that made him such a beloved teacher.

To learn more about Robert Thurman and his work, visit bobthurman.com, Tibet House US (thus.org), and Menla Retreat (menla.org).