The talks and dialogues included in this book were originally delivered as a part of the Harvard Medical School’s Department of Continuing Medical Education in March, 1991. Jointly sponsored by the Mind/Body Medical Institute, the New England Deaconess Hospital and Tibet House, New York, the symposium gathered experts from the fields of medicine, psychiatry, psychobiology, neurobiology, education, comparative religion and Indo-Tibetan Buddhism in open dialogue on the science of mind. The keynote address was delivered by His Holiness, the Dalai Lama.

The editors introduce the book with their views of the Western and Eastern perspectives and convergence, which are ably summarized in Goleman’s words: “(Buddhist psychology) is a fully realized psychology that offers the chance for a complementary view of many of the fundamental issues of modern psychology: the nature of the mind, the limits of human potential for growth, the possibilities for mental health, the means for psychological change and transformation” (p. 4).

In chapter 1, the Dalai Lama began with “a brief account of the general approach of Buddhist thought and practice common to both the Theravada and Mahayana traditions” (p. 13). The starting point is the element of faith and devotion seeing the authority and teachings of the Buddha as a key to assist one’s own insight. His Holiness developed the categories of causation (internal and external) leading into the relationship between the “invisible working of actions, or karmic force . . . (and) the motivation in the human mind” (p. 16). He later developed this point in the dialogue that followed his address. The point he made then (p. 24) was that a flower, for example, comes into existence through natural law, not through the workings of karma. In other words, not everything that happens in the world is governed by karma, for “karma means action and this implies motivation.”

The Dalai Lama concluded his address with the Buddhist understanding of mind and its nature. Drawing upon references in tantric literature, he summarized the ultimate nature of mind as “essentially pure . . . ‘clear light’.” This raised an interesting response and dialogue with the panel of scientists, (ch. 2) who have experienced the workings of mind as physical responses of the brain (pp. 25-26).

The dialogue panel included David M. Bear, Joseph J. Schildkraut and Carl E. Schwartz (Psychiatry); Steven W. Matthysse (Psychobiology) and David D. Potter (Neurobiology). Views were exchanged on such issues as whether or not mind can observe and understand its own nature, similarities between mathematical lawfulness of occurrences and the working of karma, Buddhist concept of emptiness and the ultimate nature of reality, the roots of psychological confusion and disturbances. One of the most provocative exchanges centered around the Dalai Lama’s experience that ‘bad’ feelings or actions (anger, aggressiveness, etc.) can be ‘neutralized’ through meditation, in contrast to the scientists’ observations that “decisions and emotions are calculated by nerve cells whose behavior we cannot bring into consciousness and cannot control by conscious mechanisms” (p. 30).

In chapter 3, Herbert Benson (Medicine) reviewed his research on the mind/body relationship and what he calls the “relaxation response.” He has been in contact with the Dalai Lama for the past twelve years, working with gTum-mo yoga practitioners.

Robert Thurman (Indo-Tibetan Buddhist Studies) in ch. 4 opened the afternoon session of the symposium: “Buddhism, Psychlogy and the Cognitive Sciences.” Speaking on “Tibetan Psychology,” which he termed the “sophisticated software for the human brain,” Thurman stressed what he felt the Indo-Tibetan tradition had to contribute to remedy the imbalance between Western power to affect outer reality and the lack of power over ourselves (p. 56): that is, “a reprogramming task on the level of an educational process that employs contemplative methods” (p. 65). Thurman illustrated this with a description of the visualization program of the gTum-mo practitioner (pp. 67-72). This, he felt, interfaces with Western neuroscience.

“Cognition: A Western Perspective” (ch. 5) was presented by Harold E. Gardner (Education). After identifying seven pivotal moments in Western intellectual history, Gardner concentrated on the “Cognitive Revolution” (1956-1980 circa) and new developments of the last 10-12 years, i.e. Mind as pluralistic (pp. 82-84). Defining intelligence as “the ability to solve a problem or to fashion a product, to make something” (p. 82), Gardner went on to identify seven different kinds of intelligence or “ways of solving problems.” He then presented five Western points of view of mind, which are today being challenged even here in the West. The fact is that “in the last ten years or so . . . cognitivists scientists and rationalists . . . have become interested in consciousness, both in a computational sense . . . and in the phenomenal aspects of consciousness” (p. 85f). Gardner saw this as leading to an “ecumenism with mutual shaping.” When a group such as the present one “not only speak and listen to each other, but actually put their own views at risk” and are able to say “there is something here that might actually make me think differently about things and go about my daily practice differently” . . . “then we will have entered into a genuine dialogue where the outcome remains open” (p. 87). This proved to be the case in the final dialogue (ch. 7).

The final talk was presented by Daniel Goleman (Contributing writer The New York Times) on “Tibetan and Western Models of Mental Health” (ch. 6). Tibetan Buddhism, he stated “offers a vision of human possibility that holds that the attainment of states such as equanimity and compassion—that is, a love without attachment—is not just some abstract goal, but possible” (p. 91). Therefore states that are not conducive to this attainment are considered unhealthy or unwholesome. Goleman then described these unhealthy mental factors and their healthy counterparts. “Mental health” practices then are an effort to transform the process of consciousness, not its content, “by altering the workings of perception and cognition” (p. 100). The prototype of the practitioner who is healthy would be called a bodhisattva.

Goleman then traced the Western alternate view in which early psychologists seemed to evidence a certain lack of verifiable experience and understanding of the Eastern view. However since the 1930’s, there has been a changed outlook emerging—a point of view to indicate “a way for civilization to grow beyond its discontents.”

The closing chapter brought together the final speakers Thurman, Gardner and Goleman with Diana L. Eck (Comparative Religion and Indian Studies) as moderator. In her opening remarks, Eck pointed out what each of the three speakers had at least alluded to—namely, that what we are gaining from Tibetan Buddhism is the “articulation of a technique . . . an experimental technique that over many hundreds of years has been shown to lead to a knowledge of mind” (p. l06f). She then questioned each of the speakers on particulars from their talks: the logical link between knowledge and compassion (Thurman), the risk of having to change one’s mind as the result of the symposium’s interactions (Gardner), and where do we go once we have walked through the door of Benson’s “relaxation response” (Goleman). Questions from the audience followed.

The conclusion provided for this publication by the two editors, Goleman and Thurman, points toward “a rich opportunity for cross-fertilization. Cognitive sciences may find a wealth of insights and hypotheses about extending the limits of human potential” (p. 117). On the other hand, “His Holiness has said if modern science has proven some Buddhist belief to be wrong, then Buddhism will have to change” (ibid.).

But beyond the limits of even these exchanges, this beginning dialogue between Tibetan Buddhists and Western neuroscientists could and perhaps should have effects on East–West dialogue in general—particularly on contemplative and monastic practices. Both the open manner in which the talks and dialogues were presented and the similarity of aim evidenced by all are examples that could be followed by all religions and disciplines.

The Dalai Lama himself sums this up in his Foreword to the book: “I believe the ultimate aim of all human beings is to obtain happiness and a sense of fulfillment. . . .Whether we are scientists or spiritual practitioners our basic needs and aspirations are the same. . . . (Therefore) I have always stressed the importance of combining both the mental and the material approach to achieving happiness for humankind.”