Thupten Jinpa, Ph.d., received his early education and training as a monk and obtained the Geshe Lharam degree from the Shartse College of Ganden Monastic University, South India. In addition, Jinpa holds a B.A. with Honors in philosophy and a Ph.D. in religious studies, both from Cambridge University. He taught at Ganden Monastery and worked as a research fellow in Eastern religions at Girton College, Cambridge University.

Jinpa has been the principal English translator to His Holiness the Dalai Lama since 1985 and has translated and edited numerous books by the Dalai Lama, including The New York Times’ bestseller “Ethics for the New Millennium,” “Transforming the Mind,” “The Universe in a Single Atom: Convergence and Science and Spirituality,” and “Toward a True Kinship of Faiths: How the World’s Religions Can Come Together.” His own published works include — in addition to papers in both English and Tibetan — “Songs of Spiritual Experience” (co-authored); “Self, Reality and Reason in Tibetan Philosophy: Tsongkhapa’s Quest for the Middle View;” “Mind Training: The Great Collection;” and “The Book of Kadam: The Core Texts,” the last two titles being part of The Library of Tibetan Classics. Jinpa’s Tibetan publications include “Chos kyi snang ba gsar pa” (A New Light on Dharma), a rst-ever introduction to Buddhism in vernacular Tibetan, as well as the recently published comprehensive modern Tibetan grammar entitled “bod skad kyi brda sprod gsar bsgrigs smra sgo’i lde mig” (A Modern Tibetan Grammar, Key Opening the Door of Speech).

Jinpa is an adjunct professor at the Faculty of Religious Studies at McGill University, Montréal. He is also an executive committee member of the Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education (CCARE) at the School of Medicine, Stanford University, and the main author of CCARE’s Compassion Cultivation Training (CCT) program. Jinpa is a board chair of the Mind & Life Institute. He is the Founder and President of the Institute of Tibetan Classics and the General Editor for The Library of Tibetan Classics.

This profile was last updated on January 1, 2018

Mind & Life Connections

2024
2023
2021

2021 Summer Research Institute Session

Film & Panel: “Storytelling, Science, and Hope: Climate Feedback Loops Film & Panel”

Moderators: nischal neupane
Panel: Bonnie Waltch, Donald Perovich, Thupten Jinpa, nischal neupane

Topics: Compassion & Empathy | Contemplative Wisdom | Environment | Stress & Resilience

2020

2020 Contemplative Research Conference Session

Meditation: “A Guided Compassion Meditation”

Thupten Jinpa

Topics: Contemplative Wisdom | Interconnection

2019
2018

2018 Mind & Life Dialogue XXXIII Session

Meta-Awareness and Attention Training in Education Research

Amishi Jha, Sona Dimidjian, Thupten Jinpa, Richard J. Davidson

Topics: Brain & Cognitive Science | Compassion & Empathy | Contemplative Wisdom | Education | Mindfulness | Stress & Resilience

2017

Mind & Life Videos

MLI XXXII Session 5

Mind and Life Institute • August 19, 2017

Topics: Contemplative Wisdom | Education | Interconnection | Social Change | Stress & Resilience

Mind & Life Videos

MLI XXXII Session 4

Mind and Life Institute • August 18, 2017

Topics: Brain & Cognitive Science | Contemplative Wisdom | Interconnection | Self & Other | Social Change

Mind & Life Videos

MLI XXXII Session 3

Mind and Life Institute • August 18, 2017

Topics: Brain & Cognitive Science | Compassion & Empathy | Stress & Resilience

Mind & Life Videos

MLI XXXII Session 2

Mind and Life Institute • August 17, 2017

Topics: Contemplative Wisdom | Interconnection | Self & Other | Social Change | Stress & Resilience

Mind & Life Videos

MLI XXXII Session 1

Mind and Life Institute • August 17, 2017

Topics: Contemplative Wisdom | Interconnection | Self & Other | Social Change

2016

2016 Mind & Life Dialogue XXXI

Power & Care

Topics: Compassion & Empathy | Interconnection | Social Change

2015

Mind & Life Videos

Mind & Life XXX – Session 8

Mind and Life Institute • December 17, 2015

Topics: Brain & Cognitive Science | Contemplative Wisdom | Self & Other

Mind & Life Videos

Mind & Life XXX – Session 7

Mind and Life Institute • December 17, 2015

Topics: Brain & Cognitive Science | Contemplative Wisdom | Self & Other

Mind & Life Videos

Mind & Life XXX – Session 6

Mind and Life Institute • December 17, 2015

Topics: Brain & Cognitive Science | Contemplative Wisdom | Self & Other

Mind & Life Videos

Mind & Life XXX – Session 5

Mind and Life Institute • December 17, 2015

Topics: Brain & Cognitive Science | Contemplative Wisdom | Self & Other

Mind & Life Videos

Mind & Life XXX – Session 4

Mind and Life Institute • December 17, 2015

Topics: Brain & Cognitive Science | Contemplative Wisdom | Self & Other

Mind & Life Videos

Mind & Life XXX – Session 3

Mind and Life Institute • December 17, 2015

Topics: Brain & Cognitive Science | Contemplative Wisdom | Self & Other

Mind & Life Videos

Mind & Life XXX – Session 2

Mind and Life Institute • December 17, 2015

Topics: Brain & Cognitive Science | Contemplative Wisdom | Self & Other

Mind & Life Videos

Mind & Life XXX – Session 1

Mind and Life Institute • December 17, 2015

Topics: Brain & Cognitive Science | Contemplative Wisdom | Self & Other

Mind & Life Videos

The Mind & Life Institute

Mind and Life Institute • November 25, 2015

Topics: Brain & Cognitive Science | Contemplative Wisdom | Mindfulness | Social Change

2014

Mind & Life Videos

Mind & Life XXIX – Session 4

Mind and Life Institute • April 12, 2014

Topics: Brain & Cognitive Science | Contemplative Wisdom

Mind & Life Videos

Mind & Life XXIX – Session 3

Mind and Life Institute • April 12, 2014

Topics: Brain & Cognitive Science | Contemplative Wisdom

Mind & Life Videos

Mind & Life XXIX – Session 2

Mind and Life Institute • April 11, 2014

Topics: Brain & Cognitive Science | Contemplative Wisdom

Mind & Life Videos

Mind & Life XXIX – Session 1

Mind and Life Institute • April 11, 2014

Topics: Brain & Cognitive Science | Contemplative Wisdom

2014 Mind & Life Dialogue XXIX

Mapping the Mind

Topics: Brain & Cognitive Science | Contemplative Wisdom

2013

Mind & Life Videos

Mind & Life XXVII – Session 4

Mind and Life Institute • November 1, 2013

Topics: Contemplative Wisdom | Mental Health

Mind & Life Videos

Mind & Life XXVII – Session 3

Mind and Life Institute • November 1, 2013

Topics: Contemplative Wisdom | Mental Health

Mind & Life Videos

Mind & Life XXVII – Session 2

Mind and Life Institute • November 1, 2013

Topics: Contemplative Wisdom | Mental Health

Mind & Life Videos

Mind & Life XXVII – Session 1

Mind and Life Institute • November 1, 2013

Topics: Contemplative Wisdom | Mental Health

2013 Mind & Life Dialogue XXVII

Craving, Desire, and Addiction

Topics: Contemplative Wisdom | Mental Health

Mind & Life Videos

Mind & Life XXVI – Session 5

Mind and Life Institute • January 22, 2013

Topics: Brain & Cognitive Science | Contemplative Wisdom

Mind & Life Videos

Mind & Life XXVI – Session 4

Mind and Life Institute • January 22, 2013

Topics: Brain & Cognitive Science | Contemplative Wisdom

Mind & Life Videos

Mind & Life XXVI – Session 3

Mind and Life Institute • January 22, 2013

Topics: Brain & Cognitive Science | Contemplative Wisdom

Mind & Life Videos

Mind & Life XXVI – Session 2

Mind and Life Institute • January 22, 2013

Topics: Brain & Cognitive Science | Contemplative Wisdom

Mind & Life Videos

Mind & Life XXVI – Session 1

Mind and Life Institute • January 17, 2013

Topics: Brain & Cognitive Science | Contemplative Wisdom

2012

Mind & Life Videos

Mind & Life XXV – Part 5

Mind and Life Institute • October 20, 2012

Topics: Contemplative Wisdom | Mindfulness | Stress & Resilience

Mind & Life Videos

Mind & Life XXV – Part 4

Mind and Life Institute • October 20, 2012

Topics: Contemplative Wisdom | Mindfulness | Stress & Resilience

Mind & Life Videos

Mind & Life XXV – Part 3

Mind and Life Institute • October 20, 2012

Topics: Contemplative Wisdom | Mindfulness | Stress & Resilience

Mind & Life Videos

Mind & Life XXV – Part 2

Mind and Life Institute • October 20, 2012

Topics: Contemplative Wisdom | Mindfulness | Stress & Resilience

Mind & Life Videos

Mind & Life XXV – Part 9

Mind and Life Institute • October 20, 2012

Topics: Contemplative Wisdom | Mindfulness | Stress & Resilience

Mind & Life Videos

Mind & Life XXV – Part 8

Mind and Life Institute • October 20, 2012

Topics: Contemplative Wisdom | Mindfulness | Stress & Resilience

Mind & Life Videos

Mind & Life XXV – Part 7

Mind and Life Institute • October 20, 2012

Topics: Contemplative Wisdom | Mindfulness | Stress & Resilience

Mind & Life Videos

Mind & Life XXV – Part 6

Mind and Life Institute • October 20, 2012

Topics: Contemplative Wisdom | Mindfulness | Stress & Resilience

2011

Mind & Life Videos

Mind & Life XXIII – Session 8

Mind and Life Institute • October 21, 2011

Topics: Contemplative Wisdom | Environment | Interconnection | Social Change

Mind & Life Videos

Mind & Life XXIII – Session 6

Mind and Life Institute • October 21, 2011

Topics: Contemplative Wisdom | Environment | Interconnection | Social Change

2010

Mind & Life Videos

Mind & Life XXII – Session 5

Mind and Life Institute • October 23, 2010

Topics: Brain & Cognitive Science | Contemplative Wisdom

Mind & Life Videos

Mind & Life XXII – Session 4

Mind and Life Institute • October 23, 2010

Topics: Brain & Cognitive Science | Contemplative Wisdom

Mind & Life Videos

Mind & Life XXII – Session 3

Mind and Life Institute • October 23, 2010

Topics: Brain & Cognitive Science | Contemplative Wisdom

Mind & Life Videos

Mind & Life XXII – Session 2

Mind and Life Institute • October 23, 2010

Topics: Brain & Cognitive Science | Contemplative Wisdom

Mind & Life Videos

Mind & Life XX – Session 5

Mind and Life Institute • April 11, 2010

Topics: Compassion & Empathy | Interconnection

Mind & Life Videos

Mind & Life XX – Session 4

Mind and Life Institute • April 10, 2010

Topics: Compassion & Empathy | Interconnection

Mind & Life Videos

Mind & Life XX – Session 2

Mind and Life Institute • April 9, 2010

Topics: Compassion & Empathy | Interconnection

Mind & Life Videos

Mind & Life XX – Session 1

Mind and Life Institute • April 9, 2010

Topics: Compassion & Empathy | Interconnection

2009
2007

Mind & Life Videos

Mind & Life XIV – Session 4

Mind and Life Institute • April 14, 2007

Topics: Contemplative Wisdom

Mind & Life Videos

Mind & Life XIV – Session 3

Mind and Life Institute • April 14, 2007

Topics: Contemplative Wisdom

Mind & Life Videos

Mind & Life XIV – Session 2

Mind and Life Institute • April 14, 2007

Topics: Contemplative Wisdom

Mind & Life Videos

Mind & Life XIV – Session 1

Mind and Life Institute • April 14, 2007

Topics: Contemplative Wisdom

2007 Mind & Life Dialogue XIV

The Universe in a Single Atom

Topics: Contemplative Wisdom

2006
2005

Mind & Life Videos

Mind & Life XIII – Session 5

Mind and Life Institute • November 8, 2005

Topics: Mental Health | Mindfulness | Stress & Resilience

Mind & Life Videos

Mind & Life XIII – Session 4

Mind and Life Institute • November 8, 2005

Topics: Mental Health | Mindfulness | Stress & Resilience

Mind & Life Videos

Mind & Life XIII – Session 3

Mind and Life Institute • November 8, 2005

Topics: Mental Health | Mindfulness | Stress & Resilience

Mind & Life Videos

Mind & Life XIII – Session 2

Mind and Life Institute • November 8, 2005

Topics: Mental Health | Mindfulness | Stress & Resilience

Mind & Life Videos

Mind & Life XIII – Intro, Opening Remarks, and Session 1

Mind and Life Institute • November 8, 2005

Topics: Mental Health | Mindfulness | Stress & Resilience

2004
2003

Mind & Life Videos

Mind & Life XI – Session 4

Mind and Life Institute • September 14, 2003

Topics: Brain & Cognitive Science | Contemplative Wisdom

Mind & Life Videos

Mind & Life XI – Session 2

Mind and Life Institute • September 14, 2003

Topics: Brain & Cognitive Science | Contemplative Wisdom

Mind & Life Videos

Mind & Life XI – Session 1

Mind and Life Institute • September 14, 2003

Topics: Brain & Cognitive Science | Contemplative Wisdom

2002
2001
2000
1998
1997

1997 Mind & Life Dialogue VI

The New Physics and Cosmology

Topics: Contemplative Wisdom

1995

1995 Mind & Life Dialogue V

Altruism, Ethics, and Compassion

Topics: Compassion & Empathy

1992
1990

1990 Mind & Life Dialogue III

Emotions and Health

Topics: Contemplative Wisdom | Mental Health

1989
1987