Brazil: The Tibet House Brasil successfully organized three seminar lectures with Geshe Lobsang Tenzin Negi, PhD, Professor of Practice at the Emory University in Atlanta, GA (USA). on 22 and 23 April 2017 in Sao Paulo. The lectures were held at the Conference Hall of the Hotel Transamerica located near the Tibet House premises.
Apart from teaching at the Emory University, Geshe Lobsang Tenzin Negi has been directing the Emory-Tibet Partnership Program. He is also one of the three main contributors for the development of scientifically tested Emory University’s “Cogtively-based Compassion Training”. Geshe Lobsang Tenzin Negi and his team at the Emory University have also been developing necessary curriculum and teaching aids to implement Social, Emotional, and Ethical Learning (secular ethics) as directed by the wishes and vision of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
On the morning of 22 April, Geshe Lobsang Tenzin Negi spoke on “Compassion Meditation: A New Take from the Ancient Buddhist Practice”. In his lecture, Geshe Lobsang Tenzin Negi highlighted the definition of compassion, benefit of compassion, and the relation between compassion and wellbeing, and then later dealt extensively on “Congnitively-based Compassion Training”. Fifty five people, who include academic, intellectuals, contemplative practitioners and others, attended the morning lecture.
In the afternoon of the same day, Geshe Lobsang Tenzin Negi gave a very interesting, engaging and thought provoking lecture on “Mind Training: Its Relevance for the Working with Emotions”. Geshe-la highlighted the importance of training the mind, nature of emotions, cost of emotional distress in today world, role of mind training, process for transforming emotions, cultivating mindfulness, and importance of sustaining mindfulness.
The afternoon lecture generated a lot of discussion among the participants afterward and many opinioned that this is the kind of knowledge they need to gain to ensure contemplative practice (or science) become integrated fully into their day-to-day in this chaotic life in the contemporary world. The lecture was attended by sixty-five people.
On the morning of 23 April, Geshe Lobsang Tenzin Negi gave an intensive lecture on Social, Emotional, and Ethical Learning (secular ethics). In his presentation, Geshe Lobsang Tenzin Negi highlighted the rationale for social, emotional, and ethical learning, three domain and dimensional framework (Personal, Social and Systemic as domain and awareness, compassion and engagement), mapping the mind, and SEE learning Strategies and model.
Although the lecture was attended only by 40 people, the most of the participants of the lecture were educationists and others who take strong interest in education and upbringing of younger generation.
The Tibet House Brasil organizes the above events primarily to further the vision of His Holiness the Dalai Lama:
“My hope and wish is that, one day, formal education will pay attention to what I call education of the heart. Just as we take for granted the need to acquire proficiency in the basic academic subjects, I am hopeful that a time will come when we can take it for granted that children will learn, as part of their school curriculum, the indispensability of inner values such as love, compassion, justice, and forgiveness.”
Apart from the Tibet House events, Geshe Lobsang Tenzin spoke at the Palas Athena Centerfor Philosophy and Ethics and Einstein Research Hospital and Medical School. Geshe-la leftSao Paulo for Atlanta yesterday evening.
– Report filed by Office of Tibet, Brazil –