Sao Paulo, 13 November—The Tibet House Brasil hosted the seminar lecture of Dr. Susan Bauer-Wu, President of the United States based Mind & Life Institute, in Sao Paulo yesterday, November 12.
Dr Susan Bauer-Wu spoke on “The Urgency of Integrating Science with Contemplative Practices” to the packed audience of over 70 psychologists, and medical professionals and students, as well as other professionals in Sao Paulo City.
In her two and half hour presentation, Susan focused on the importance of the issue, history of Mind & Life institute as well as its progress, priorities and plans, and ultimately to inspire Brazilians and colleagues to get more involved in contemplative science and Mind & Life Institute.
Mind & Life Institute was founded thirty years ago by the Chilean born neuroscientist Francisco Varela and His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama with American lawyer and entrepreneur Adam Engle.
Speaking on the current global situation, Susan highlighted the seriousness of the climate issue and its impact on the world, a paradox of the modern society—most connected, yet feel most disconnected—and millennial’s most stressed generation with increasing suicide, homicide, and bullying etc.
In order to deal the situation, she mentioned that the Mind & Life Institute is making efforts to bring scientists and contemplative practitioners together to find solution to the current global problems with good heart.
“Ultimately in order to alleviate the sufferings one needs to understand the mind and it’s working’, she said.
Susan then dwelled on the role meditation play in changing brain, neuro-plasticity, mind training, Mind & Life dialogues and the publications came out of these dialogues.
Susan also underlined the importance of regional perspective in these dialogues and shared the experiences of the recent dialogue held in Botswana, Africa, stating that the event provided hope for humanity that—contrary to the views—that due to our differences we can work together, understand each other in spite of all of differences.
She said that the African Botho/Ubuntu culture teaches us the understanding of “I am because you are.”
She also announced that, apart from organizing Summer Research Institute every year in the United States and Europe, the Mind & Life Institute is organizing Summer Research Institute first time in Asia in Japan, September 2018 and in South America in Chile, early 2019.
Dr Susan Bauer-Wu concluded her presentation with a very thought provoking quote from Albert Einstein where he said in 1921:
“A human being is part of the whole, called by us ‘universe,’ a part limited in time and space.
He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings, as something separate from the rest–a kind of optical delusion of consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us.
Out task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty.