Dalai Lama chairs ‘Mind & Life’ conference

Tribune News Service

Dharamsala, March 13

Intellectual group of over 200 noted scientists, educational specialists, Buddhist scholars and philosophers representing diverse disciplines and countries started a conference under the Chairmanship of the Dalai Lama here yesterday. The five-day conference will focus on education in light of the Dalai Lama’s long-standing priority and deep commitment to secular ethics education initiatives. The group will explore education models to train the younger generation to be compassionate, caring citizen and committed to the common good.

“The program will closely focus on social-emotional education and how compassion, ethics and attention training can be fully integrated into the existing educational frameworks,” said the office of the Dalai Lama.

In his opening remarks, the Dalai Lama spoke of his two main purposes for dialogue with scientists. The first purpose, he said, is to expand knowledge; second, to help promote inner values of love, compassion, forgiveness through scientific understanding and secular way.

The Dalai Lama lamented that in spite of high advancement in science and technology, human sufferings and emotional crisis are growing.

“This very moment, when we are enjoying peace and comfort, another place on the same planet and same human beings in Syria, Yemen and African states are being killed. That is today’s world. We cannot ignore this. We can’t be indifferent. We cannot solve these problems immediately but if we make effort now, I think later part of the 21st century can be a little better” said the Dalai Lama.

“Now, more than ever, we need sense of concern for others’ wellbeing, compassion on the basis of the sense of oneness of 7 billion human beings”, he said.

Dr Richard Davidson, neuroscientist, Professor at University of Madison, in his presentation, said that Mind and Life Dialogue were deeply enriching and pioneered by the conversations raised by the Dalai Lama since late 1980s; on secular education, applying scientific wisdom to modern day issues and exploring contemplative traditions to cultivate virtuous qualities of the mind as an antidote to destructive emotions.

Susan Bauer-Wu, PhD, president of Mind and Life said, “I thank the Dalai Lama for his dedication to the Mind and Life Institute, being a curious scientist, for being a leader of secular ethics and bringing compassion throughout the world.