Robert Thurman, an expert on Tibetan Buddhism and the spiritual director of Menla Retreat and Dewa Spa in Woodstock, has died, aged 84.

Thurman – also known for being father to actress Uma Thurman – was a former Buddhist monk who had been ordained and partly trained by the Dalai Lama.

He wrote, edited and translated more than 20 books on Buddhism, earned a doctorate in Indic studies from Harvard University and taught at Amherst College and Columbia University.

At the request of the Dalai Lama, Thurman co-founded Tibet House in Manhattan in 1987 with his wife, Nena von Schlebrügge Thurman, actor Richard Gere and composer Philip Glass.

Created as a non-profit cultural organisation, Tibet House was dedicated to preserving and promoting Tibetan culture. Thurman served as president of the institution for decades.

As an extension of Tibet House US, Thurman opened the Buddhist non-profit health centre Menla Retreat and Dewa Spa in 1987. The centre was designed to bring authentic Tibetan mind-body healing arts and sciences to the West. This includes drawing on Tibetan wisdom sciences and holistic integrative medicine.

Menla offers a wide programme of individual and group retreats with classes in yoga, meditation, wellness, fitness, nature experiences and Buddhist teachings. The site’s Dewa Spa offers Tibetan therapies, as well as a menu of western and eastern massages.

Robert Thurman is survived by his wife Nena, their daughter Uma and three sons – Ganden, Dechan and Mipam, a daughter, Taya, from his first marriage, as well as seven grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.