Bridging Ancient Wisdom and Modern Science: 25 Years of “Science for Monks and Nuns”
By Tenzin Chokyi
DHARAMSALA, 15 April: The Library of Tibetan Works and Archive (LTWA) based in Dharamsala in collaboration with the Sager Family Foundation, Boston, convened its six-day silver jubilee celebration of the “Science for Monks and Nuns” program at the Dalai Lama Temple in Mcleod Ganj Today.
The opening ceremony was attended by Khenpo Sonam Tenphel, the Speaker of the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile as the Chief guest, and Prof. Samdhong Rinpoche, renowned Buddhist scholar and former president of the Tibetan polity as the special guest. Abbots from various Tibetan Buddhist monasteries, sponsors including Bobby Sager, and other distinguished guests and students from nearly 30 different countries were also in attendance at the celebration.
Geshe Lhakdor, Director of the LTWA, began his opening remarks by recalling that the project began in 1999, following His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s instruction to Achok Rinpoche, then the director of LTWA, to initiate a program introducing science to the three monastic seats of Gaden, Drepung and Sera.
He further said, “When Bobby Sager asked the Dalai Lama how he could be of service, His Holiness requested his support for this initiative. Since then, Bobby has been supporting the project for the past 25 years”.
He explained that science pertains to the body, the visible and material aspects of reality, whereas Buddhism addresses the mind. Thus, he contended that the connection between science and Buddhism can be understood as akin to the relationship between the body and the mind.
Prof Samdong Rinpoche in his remark reiterated the Gandhian thinker and social reformer, Vinoba Bahve’s thought that the union of modern science and Buddhism can bring a new world order and he reflected, “I think it’s true and has become true largely because of the efforts put by His Holiness the Dalai Lama on the interaction between Buddhism and modern science”.
Quoting the Dalai Lama, Bobby Sager said in his address that “There is no contradiction between the two, each gives us valuable insight into the other. Both science and the teachings of the Buddha tell us the fundamental unity of all things.”
He added that the Dalai Lama has perceived knowledge of science as instrumental in the preservation, promotion and introduction of Buddhism to new generations of Tibetans. This he said applies both to current changes in the exile community and to the future when Tibetans inside and outside Tibet will reunite.
Sager concluded by adding that the program has evolved significantly, from initially introducing science to monks, then to nuns, to studying scientific texts, and now to monks and nuns producing their own scholarly work.
“What began with virtual workshops has expanded into the creation of dedicated centres and facilities that support year-round science education which allows the world to reach in and our learning to reach out into the world but we still have a long way to go.”
According to the daily schedule released by the LTWA, the six-day celebration will feature exhibitions with a variety of panel discussions and presentations on a range of topics that bridge Buddhism and science. These include sessions titled “The World of Your Senses”, “My Earth, My Responsibility” and “The Secrets of Particles”.
Presentations will be delivered both by individual participants and groups under the banner of “Monastic and staff”.
The fifth day is dedicated to showcasing the ‘LTWA Overview Movie’ and ‘Project Videos’ prepared by “Monastics and Staff”. The final day will include a tour of the CTA and Tibet Museum, interviews, and a group discussion reflecting on the program’s achievements and future directions.
The celebration will conclude with a cultural performance on Sunday at the LTWA from 4:00 to 5:00 PM.
The “Science For Monks and Nuns” initiative brings Western scientific education to the Tibetan Buddhist monastics. The program enables scientists to teach physics, neuroscience, and cosmology through workshops, laboratories and collaborative exchanges to train the monks and nuns to become science educators in their communities.
The initiative also promotes dialogue between Buddhist meditation practices and modern science, reflecting the Dalai Lama’s belief that these different approaches to understanding reality can meaningfully complement and enrich one another.
