On March 28, Mind & Life gathered at the Washington Plaza Hotel in Washington, D.C., for Wisdom for Our Time: A Celebration of His Holiness the Dalai Lama at 90—a full day of reflection, conversation, and shared vision in honor of His Holiness’s 90th birthday.
The room held researchers at different stages of their careers, trusted stewards of the field of contemplative research, monastics, emerging scientists, longtime supporters, and those who are newer to Mind & Life’s work. We moved through the day together: tracing nearly four decades of history, hearing from voices across the community—through stories, haikus, cross-generational conversations, and a spirited afternoon panel—and then turned the questions back to ourselves: What drew us here? And what do we carry forward?
His Holiness was unable to join us in person, but his presence was felt throughout the day. Tseten Chhoekyapa, Private Secretary to His Holiness the Dalai Lama, traveled from Dharamsala to be with us—a reminder that this four-decade partnership between his office and Mind & Life remains very much alive. As he shared on His Holiness’s behalf: “At a time when we face many challenges, it’s essential that we cultivate the sense of oneness of humanity, grounded in universal responsibility.”
“At a time when we face many challenges, it’s essential that we cultivate the
sense of oneness of humanity, grounded in universal responsibility.”
I was honored to join a panel that afternoon with Richie Davidson, Malena Price, Geshe Thabkhe, and Rob Roeser. Together, we offered what I hope was a holistic view of what Mind & Life has meant to long-time supporters, researchers, and contemplatives, and to those just beginning their journey.
Sitting on that panel, I was struck by how differently each of us had arrived at the same place. Richie spoke about what it meant for scientists to finally have permission to do rigorous work inside an envelope of warmheartedness and compassion. Rob described sitting high up in an historic venue in 2005, watching the dialogue between His Holiness and scientists unfold onstage, feeling his mind expand with possibility for what was possible in his career. Malena, just now finishing her PhD, spoke about how Mind & Life funding had allowed her to pursue work she couldn’t have done otherwise—and about wanting to bring these practices to communities who don’t yet feel they belong in this conversation.
Together, their stories reinforced what I had experienced as a donor—this sense of being welcomed, seen, and given a voice. It was one of the most meaningful conversations I’ve had in days. And it brought me back to the beginning of my own journey.
I wasn’t looking for Mind & Life when I was introduced to it, sitting next to Richie Davidson at a dinner party where we shared a conversation that changed the direction of my life. Richie told me about this organization built on a simple and radical idea: that the rigor of science and the depth of contemplative wisdom could learn something from each other, and that this dialogue could make the world a better place.
Not long after that dinner, Richie invited me to a Mind & Life event in New York City. His Holiness the Dalai Lama would be there, which was certainly a draw. But it wasn’t what truly pulled me in.
What stayed with me was being included in the round table discussions—being given a voice among people I deeply admired. I wasn’t a scientist or a contemplative scholar. I was a woman from small-town Wyoming with a background in meditation, a lifelong love of the mountains, a restless curiosity, and questions that had been growing inside me for years. And yet I was welcomed into the conversation as if my perspective mattered.
I had come to meditation through a different door—a near-death experience that brought me face to face with feelings I couldn’t easily explain. In those quiet moments of contemplation, I found something—a place of nonjudgment, of deep peacefulness and acceptance—and I wanted to understand it. I wanted to know: What is the mind? What is consciousness? What is the purpose of a life? I had been searching for answers to those questions seriously, without leaving either the heart or the intellect behind. In Mind & Life, I found a home.
Here was a community of researchers, scientists, and contemplatives who had dedicated their lives to exactly those questions—and who believed that investigating them could help reduce suffering in the world. That mission inspired me. I thought: here is a way I can play some small role in this vision of fostering collective flourishing.
I went on to attend Mind & Life Dialogues, Summer Research Institutes, and their online offerings—which multiplied during COVID, each one deepening my sense of what was possible when science and contemplative wisdom were in genuine conversation. I joined the Mind & Life Board of Directors, made my first major gift to support Mind & Life’s enduring work, and started bringing these ideas home—founding Mindfulness in our Community, bringing renowned speakers like Richie Davidson and Daniel Goleman to Jackson, seeding contemplative practices in local schools, and helping to found Becoming Jackson Whole, a community-wide effort to build a more mindful and connected place to live.
I don’t think there’s anything else I’ve done in my life that has brought more meaning to me than joining Mind & Life. It has been educational, uplifting, and tremendously rewarding, which is why I was so committed to making this celebration happen. It’s been a privilege to work with multidisciplinary role models who embody compassion, generosity, integrity, and flourishing. I know these qualities can be learned—but we need organizations like Mind & Life to foster them, to keep investigating, and to disseminate these values in a world that needs them so deeply right now.
We haven’t had many in-person Mind & Life events since COVID, and I know from my own experience how important gathering is—not just for the ideas shared, but for the relationships forged. Something changes when people are in the same room together, asking the same questions, moved by the same vision. That is the kind of engagement that builds long-term commitment to this work, and that is exactly what I hoped this day would offer.
The world is facing profound challenges. The questions His Holiness has spent a lifetime asking—about compassion, the nature of mind, and what it means to take care of one another—have never been more urgent. Mind & Life’s work sits at exactly the intersection we need: science that serves human flourishing, and wisdom that keeps it tethered to the heart.
“Mind & Life’s work sits at exactly the intersection we need: science that serves
human flourishing, and wisdom that keeps it tethered to the heart.”
If this gathering reflects anything, it’s that the questions His Holiness has championed—about the nature of mind, the roots of compassion, and how science and wisdom can work together—belong to all of us. Whether you are new to Mind & Life or have been part of this community for years, there is a place for you in this work and in this conversation.
I want to be honest about something. I am 82 years old. And the truth is, I don’t want to leave this world without knowing this work is being carried on. That is why I wanted to help bring this gathering to life. Not just to celebrate His Holiness the Dalai Lama, though that alone would have been reason enough. But to bring people together, to remember what is possible, and to ask: who among you will carry this forward?
I want to thank the Mind & Life team, its board and leaders, and the entire community of researchers, scholars, and contemplatives who have given so much to build this field. I want to thank Thupten Jinpa—His Holiness’s longtime translator, Mind & Life Board Chair Emeritus, and a presence of extraordinary warmth and wisdom. And I want to thank His Holiness the Dalai Lama for ninety years of courageous leadership in the service of peace and compassion, and for being the visionary co-founder of this remarkable organization. Thank you all for enriching my life.
Mind & Life has truly inspired my mind and my heart. I carry that forward with deep gratitude.
