After hearing about his cutting-edge research on the brain and emotions through mutual friends, the Dalai Lama invited Richard Davidson to his home in India in 1992 to pose a question. Scientists often study depression, anxiety and fear, but why not devote your work to the causes of positive human qualities like happiness and compassion? the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader asked.”I couldnâ??t give him a good answer,” recalled Davidson, a University of Wisconsin-Madison neuroscientist. Since then, Davidson has become a partner in the Dalai Lamaâ??s attempts to build a connection between Buddhism and western science. This weekend, the Dalai Lama will mark the opening of the Center for Investigating Healthy Minds at the universityâ??s Waisman Center, where more than a dozen researchers will study the science behind positive qualities of mind.
Office of Strategic Communication