Robert Thurman is is a blogger for Beliefnet's Progressive Revival, Professor of Indo-Tibetan Buddhism at Columbia University and co-founder and President of Tibet House US. The first American to be ordained a Tibetan Buddhist monk and a personal friend of the Dalai Lama for over 40 years, Professor Thurman is a passionate advocate for Tibetan culture and a determined spokesperson for the truth regarding the current Tibet-China situation and the human rights violations suffered by the Tibetan people under Chinese rule. His commitment to finding a peaceful, win-win solution for Tibet and China inspired his latest book, Why The Dalai Lama Matters: His Act of Truth as the Solution for China, Tibet, and the World, Atria/Beyond Words: June, 2008. Hailed by the New York Times as "the leading American expert on Tibetan Buddhism," Robert Thurman has made Buddhism accessible and relevant to millions of people of all faiths around the world.

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