His Holiness the XIV Dalai
Lama is the leader of Tibetan Buddhism, the head of the Tibetan government-in-exile,
and a spiritual leader revered worldwide. He was born on July 6, 1935 in a small
village called Taktser in northeastern Tibet. Born to a peasant family, His Holiness
was recognized at the age of two, in accordance with Tibetan tradition, as the
reincarnation of his predecessor, the XIIIth Dalai Lama. The Dalai Lamas are manifestations
of the Buddha of Compassion, who choose to reincarnate for the purpose of serving
human beings. Winner of the Nobel Prize for Peace in 1989, he is universally respected
as a spokesman for the compassionate and peaceful resolution of human conflict.
His Holiness has traveled extensively, speaking on subjects including universal
responsibility, love, compassion, and kindness.
The Dalai Lama's Interest
in Science
Less well known is his intense personal interest in the sciences.
His Holiness has said that if he were not a monk, he would have liked to have
been an engineer. As a youth in Lhasa it was he who was called on to fix broken
machinery in the Potala Palace, be it a clock or a car. A highlight of his first
trip to the west in 1973 was a visit to the astronomy observatory at Cambridge
University.
Over the years he has enjoyed connections with many scientists,
including long friendships with Sir Karl Raimund Popper, the renowned philosopher
of science, and physicists Von Weisacker and David Bohm. He has accepted invitations
to participate in many conferences on science and spirituality. It was at one
such conference, the Alpbach Symposia on Consciousness in 1983, that His Holiness
met Dr. Francisco Varela. Their discussions on brain science and Buddhism continued
informally for a few years, and eventually, with the facilitation of Adam Engle,
led to more extensive, planned meetings with a formal agenda for a dialogue between
Buddhism and science, and the formation of the Mind and Life Institute. Since
the first Mind and Life Conference in 1987, His Holiness has regularly dedicated
a full week of his busy schedule to the biennial meetings.
An Ongoing Dialogue
with Western Science
Along with his vigorous interest in learning about the
newest developments in science, His Holiness brings to bear both a voice for the
humanistic implications of the findings, and a high degree of intuitive methodological
sophistication. As well as engaging personally in dialogue with Western scientists
and encouraging scientific research into Buddhist meditative practices, he has
led a campaign to introduce basic science education in Tibetan Buddhist monastic
colleges and academic centers, and has encouraged Tibetan scholars to engage with
science as a way of revitalizing the Tibetan philosophical tradition. His Holiness
believes that science and Buddhism share a common objective: to serve humanity
and create a better understanding of the world. He feels that science offers powerful
tools for understanding the interconnectedness of all life, and that such understanding
provides an essential rationale for ethical behavior and the protection of the
environment. His Holiness summarized these ideas in his Nobel prize acceptance
speech:
"With the ever growing impact of science on our lives, religion
and spirituality have a greater role to play reminding us of our humanity. There
is no contradiction between the two. Each gives us valuable insights into the
other. Both science and the teachings of the Buddha tell us of the fundamental
unity of all things. This understanding is crucial if we are to take positive
and decisive action on the pressing global concern with the environment."
A complete biography of His Holiness the Dalai Lama is available on the website
of the Tibetan government-in-exile.