The Dalai Lama will make public appearances this Thursday and Friday at Stanford University to discuss the importance of compassion in human life.
His presentation is a two-part feature. From 9:30 to 11 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 14, The Dalai Lama will deliver a lecture titled The Centrality of Compassion in Human Life and Society in the Maples Pavilion.
On Friday, Oct. 15, the Dalai Lama and Stanford researchers will host a public conference, Scientific Explorations of Compassion and Altruism, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., in Memorial Auditorium.
The events are sponsored by multiple Stanford entities, including the Office for Religious Life, the Institute for Neuro-Innovation and Translational Neuroscience, and the Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education (CCARE), according to Kathryn Gillam, senior advisor to the Dean of the Stanford School of Medicine.
Event organizers hope the Dalai Lama’s visit will highlight the centrality of compassion in everyday life.
“His Holiness the Dalai Lama is the world’s foremost advocate for, and expert on promoting compassion for personal [and] worldwide well-being,” Emiliana Simon-Thomas, senior scientist at CCARE, said. “By delivering a public lecture on compassion to the community, His Holiness the Dalai Lama can educate listeners about the central role that compassion plays in human flourishing and plant seeds of inspiration towards figuring out how to be more compassionate in their own lives.”
Additionally, the Dalai Lama’s visit will help researchers at Stanford analyze the science behind compassion and bridge cultural gaps.
“Another [goal] is to continue the exploration of the scientific basis of compassion, which is the purpose of CCARE,” Gillam said. “This exploration had its genesis in the 2005 visit of the Dalai Lama to Stanford, when we had an initial conference to explore possible connections between Western science and Buddhist practice and philosophy. The Dalai Lama has a longstanding interest in this intersection, and CCARE’s activities are of specific interest to him.”
Through collaboration with the Dalai Lama, CCARE hopes that their studies will ultimately streamline the process of spreading compassion throughout the globe.
“With foundational support from His Holiness the Dalai Lama, CCARE has embarked upon an ambitious research directive studying the processes that support compassion and developing empirically validated methods for enhancing and expanding compassion worldwide,” Simon-Thomas said.
Tickets for both of the Dalai Lama’s appearances are sold out on Stanford’s website. However, those still interested in either event can watch a live broadcast on Stanford’s Dalai Lama website.
The Dalai Lama will also speak to East Palo Alto eighth graders on Wednesday at Costano School.
Ultimately, Gillam believes that the Dalai Lama’s visit will be a good learning experience for the entire community.
“The Dalai Lama is a world leader who is greatly admired, and it is an honor to have him at Stanford to provide opportunities for our community to see and hear him,” Gillam said.