Dalai Lama at Stanford

Dalai Lama at Stanford

I just watched a live webcast of the morning session of a dialog between His Holiness and big name scientists. This is the conference that several scientists objected to on the basis of there needing to be a seperation between science and religion. There is an afternoon session today too incase you have a chance to watch it.

This is from the site:

According to neuroscience, brain defines mind. What we think and feel, our sense of who we are, how we respond to our world, our minds – all are manifestations of our brain. The next and perhaps ultimate frontier for human discovery is elucidating the workings of the nervous system – to understand the intricate weaving together of biological processes that extend from genes to circuits of interconnected cells to behavior. Although the journey of brain discovery poses formidable challenges, both conceptual and technological, the wealth of insights that will emerge more than justify the journey. Indeed, an unprecedented wealth of ideas awaits us. Through this journey we will know ourselves as never before – we will know ourselves for what we are.

Tibetan Buddhism and neuroscience use very different methods to understand how the mind works and how to treat its disorders. The Buddhists, with their 2,500-year-old tradition of introspective inquiry into the nature of the mind, are thought to have much to offer to neuroscience. Conversely, Western research tools and concepts may help to test the insights that come from Buddhist practice and better understand the mental states achieved through meditation.

Craving, suffering and choice are topics of fundamental importance in both Buddhism and neuroscience. This conference will bring together His Holiness the Dalai Lama, other eminent Buddhist scholars, and distinguished scientists from Stanford and other universities to discuss the nature of these phenomena. The goal for the conference is to establish a rich dialogue whose ultimate goal, through understanding the brain, is the alleviation of human suffering.