The Dalai Lama spoke at the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience (SfN) in

Washington DC in November of 2005. He gave an inaugural

lecture on 'the study of empathy and compassion, and how meditation affects brain activity'.

However, this sparked a large controversy with many neuroscientists who

threatened to not attend the conference and nearly 800 people signed a

petition demanding that the Dalai Lama’s invitation be withdrawn. So why

was the neuroscience community so angered by the presence of

the Buddhist leader at the conference?

 

The controversy is interesting because it is political in a sense. Many of the

scientists who initiated the protest are of Chinese origin, and there has been

a long history of conflict between the Chinese and Tibetan people, with the Dalai Lama

as a main part of the dispute. However, these scientists claim that their oppositions

are not political in nature. Yi Rao, a neuroscientist at Northwestern University in Chicago, Illinois, claimed he was opposed to the Dalai Lama speaking because the science of meditation is "a subject with hyperbolic claims, limited research and compromised scientific rigor". Another scientist in opposition of the Dalai Lama’s presence at the conference, Jianguo Gu, a neuroscientist at the University of Florida said, "I don't think it's appropriate to have a prominent religious leader at a scientific event.”

 

The petition generated by Jianguo Gu read: "Inviting the Dalai Lama to lecture on neuroscience of meditation is of poor scientific taste because it will highlight a subject with hyperbolic claims, limited research and compromised scientific rigour.” The petition also compares the lecture to inviting the Pope to talk about "the relationship between the fear of God and the amygdala [part of the brain]" and adds "it could be a slippery road if neuroscientists begin to blur the border between science and religious practices".

 

Davidson, the researcher who initiated the study of the brain of Tibetan Buddhist monks and close friend of the Dalai Lama, said that “criticism of the lecture on scientific grounds is misplaced, because the Dalai Lama is not claiming to be a scientist. He merely wants to increase scientific attention on the topics that he thinks are important for human welfare."

 

Davidson’s relationship with the Dalai Lama has also been highly criticized by the scientific community because some believe that he is too close with someone who has an interest in the outcome of his research. Yi Rao, one the scientist’s who protested the Dalai Lama’s lecture at the conference stated, “Davidson's close personal relationship with the Dalai Lama is unseemly. Scientists are supposed to maintain professional distance from individuals and organizations that support their research and have a stake in the outcome. If Davidson were receiving corporate support to study the effects of ice cream on the brain's pleasure centers, he wouldn't hang out with Ben and Jerry. Yet he's frequently seen with the Dalai Lama, whom he clearly reveres.”

 

Despite the controversy 14,000 conference participants attended the Dalai Lama’s lecture at the conference. The Dalai Lama spoke about his interest in science as a boy in Tibet, and addressed why a Buddhist monk like himself would take such a strong interest in science. He stated that “the scientific empirical approach and the Buddhist exploration of the mind and world have many similarities.” He also stated "By invoking fundamental ethical principles, I am not advocating a fusion of religious ethics and scientific inquiry. Rather, I am speaking of what I call 'secular ethics' that embrace the key ethical principles, such as compassion, tolerance, a sense of caring, consideration of others, and the responsible use of knowledge and power -- principles that transcend the barriers between religious believers and nonbelievers, and followers of this religion or that religion," he said.

 

Citations

 

Adam, David. "Plan for Dalai Lama lecture angers neuroscientists." The Guardian. Guardian News and Media, 26 July 2005. Web. 16 Dec. 2016.

 

Cyranoski, David. "Neuroscientists see red over Dalai Lama." Nature436.452 (2005): n. pag. Web. 16 Dec. 2016.

 

Geirlan, John . "Buddha on the Brain." Wired. Conde Nast, 01 Feb. 2006. Web. 16 Dec. 2016.

 

Kaufman, Marc. "Dalai Lama Gives Talk On Science." The Washington Post. WP Company, 13 Nov. 2005. Web. 16 Dec. 2016.