The three-day meeting, titled 'Cosmology and Consciousness II -- Knowing and Action', will promote the integration of spiritual values and scientific investigations. The conference will see presentations and panel discussions from top Indian and Western scientists and senior Tibetan Buddhist scholars. The event is an initiative of the Science for Monks program under the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives, which has taught science to Tibetan monks since 2001 under the inspiration of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
The public conference will be held at the Songtsen Library, Dehradun, from 15 to 17 November, 9am to 5pm. Themes under discussion will be How Do We Know, How Do We Extend Our Knowing, and How Do We Know How to Act? Participants from diverse backgrounds and experiences will discuss how best to advance investigations at the intersection of science and spirituality. The conference is an exploration of how science, technology and wisdom come together to address the challenges of the future, and specifically the ethical issues that have emerged in the field of neuroscience.
"Science is a powerful way of knowing about the natural world, but the scientific perspective is enriched by insights from the Buddhist tradition," says Dr Chris Impey who will deliver a paper titled 'How We Know What We Know'.
"I trust that the purpose of both science and Buddhism is to enrich and ennoble life," says Geshe Lhakdor, Directory of the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives. "This is possible only if the truth and wisdom obtained from them are lived and practiced. How can we do this is the real issue at hand. This is much more then something to just talk about."
"Science can move at an incredible speed," says Eric Chudler, Executive Director, Center for Sensorimotor Neural Engineering, University of Washington, who will deliver a paper titled 'Neurotechnology: Promises and Perils'. "Sometimes our technical ability to do something progresses without asking questions about how or even should we proceed down a particular scientific pathway."
"Scientific and technological progress is changing what it means to be human, a topic that traditionally belongs to the world of contemplative inquiry." say Rajesh
Kasturirangan, Professor at National Institute for Advanced Studies, who will deliver a paper titled 'Dharmanauts: Contemplation and Science in the 21st Century'. "In the next few decades, contemplative questions will become mainstream."
The conference opens up the dialogue to the monastic community in an unprecedented way. In addition to the presenters, 25 Tibetan religious and educational leaders from almost a dozen monasteries and nunneries are guiding the development of the panel discussions and will be engaged in the dialogue with scientist for the first time. The conference is preceded by a four-week workshop aimed at engaging these 25 Tibetan monastic scholars with modern science.
The Exploratorium is hosting a group of Tibetan Monks and Nuns as teachers-in-residence, along with their exhibition, "The World of Your Senses".
