Dalai Lama to bless Sikkim Conference on Science and Spiritualism


NAMGYAL INSTITUTE OF TIBETOLOGY TO BRING TOGETHER LEADING THINKERS OF MODERN COGNITIVE SCIENCES AND EASTERN CONTEMPLATIVE TRADITIONS



GANGTOK, 06 September 2010

His Holiness the Dalai Lama has accepted the invitation of the Government of Sikkim to inaugurate and participate in a 4-day conference - “Brain and Mind, Our Potential for Change: Modern Cognitive Sciences and Eastern Contemplative Traditions” - being organised by the Namgyal Institute of Tibetology. The conference, a first of its kind for Sikkim, will be held from 20 to 23 December 2010 in Gangtok, and is expected to lay the foundations for Sikkim’s efforts to formally introduce concepts of morals and ethics to its school curriculum.

The inauguration of the conference by His Holiness is apt because he has always evinced a keen interest in science, and drawing from his advanced understanding of theosophical matters, often commented that science and spiritualism are not contradictory to each other and could in fact collaborate to explain things more completely. He is a leading proponent of Mind & Life Sciences and has consistently reiterated that complete education requires a sound rooting of students in spiritualism and the concepts of morality and ethics.

The proposed conference, which will be attended by leading academics, scientists, thinkers and religious leaders, will begin by attempting to understand the power of the brain and mind from both, the scientific and religious angles and invest the exploration into the potential of the human mind with cross-disciplinary deliberations which will make the concept accessible, interesting and useful for both professionals and the public. What is expected to emerge is a clearer understanding on how we should teach future generations, manage organisations and maintain individual and community well-being.

The Chief Minister of Sikkim, Dr. Pawan Chamling, in his letter to His Holiness thanking him for accepting the State Government’s request to visit Sikkim for the Conference, has conveyed that the Govt of Sikkim intends to follow up the Conference proceedings by introducing moral ethics in Sikkim’s schools and colleges. The letter seeks His Holiness’s guidance in this regard as well.

In fact, one of the reasons which convinced His Holiness to make time to visit Sikkim for the Conference was the State Government’s interest to implement the findings of the Conference to schools in Sikkim. When a delegation from Sikkim had called on the Dalai Lama in Dharamsala with the request to bless the Conference with his presence and participation, he had commented that a conference by itself was of limited use; if its findings were to implemented in a substantial way, then he would definitely be interested to participate, he had said. This undertaking has now been made by the State Government and His Holiness will be in Sikkim to launch what should be a new approach to education in Sikkim.

The conference, one may add here, is not exclusively about deliberations between scientists and religious leaders and these discussions in fact are expected to introduce lay persons to the power of the human mind and the strength of moral and ethical virtues and how these reinforce each other. The young, if introduced to these concepts through a scientific and structured curriculum will grow up with better emotional regulation, improved attention, increased calm and resilience, better stress management and coping skills and with refined compassion and empathy.

These are always welcome virtues and specially so in these increasingly disquieting times of runaway addiction, suicides and other social maladjustment issues among the young. In fact, it was during contemplations on how this complicated and vexed social challenge could be best addressed that the idea for a Conference on the potential of the brain and mind to effect positive change was born. The idea kept growing from thereon and following the Chief Minister’s insistence that the Dalai Lama be invited for the Conference and upon His Holiness accepting the invitation, the event has increased substantially in significance and in the range of participants who will be joining the deliberations. A handsome number of academics and religious leaders have already communicated their confirmation and a detailed list of the participants will be released gradually.



Pema Wangchuk Dorjee

Media Consultant to Namgyal Institute of Tibetology for the “Brain and Mind, Our Potential for Change: Modern Cognitive Sciences and Eastern Contemplative Traditions” Conference.