Wisdom for Our Time:
A Celebration of His Holiness the Dalai Lama
Friday, March 27 and Saturday, March 28, 2026
Washington Plaza Hotel, Washington, DC
So glad that you are joining in this celebration!
On Saturday, March 28, we look forward to welcoming you for a day of connection, reflection, and exchange, culminating in an evening dinner celebration honoring Mind & Life’s co-founder, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, marking his 90th birthday as part of a year-long observance.
For those arriving on Friday, a welcome lounge will be available in the afternoon and evening—an informal space to arrive, orient, and begin connecting with fellow attendees ahead of Saturday’s program. Coffee and tea will be available earlier, with wine offered beginning at 8:00 pm as the evening gathering takes shape.
To help you arrive informed and ready to flow into the event, this page offers details to support your preparation, including the attendee list, schedule of events, hotel accommodation reservation link, and more. Additional information will be shared here as it is finalized.
Travel Advisory | Saturday, March 28
Please note that Saturday, March 28 coincides with increased activity in Washington, DC, including a permitted public demonstration concentrated near major downtown corridors, specifically from Arlington National Cemetery to the National Monument which is approximately 1.3 miles from the Washington Plaza Hotel. Attendees are encouraged to allow extra time for travel and to check local traffic and transit updates when planning their arrival.
Schedule | All events take place at the Washington Plaza Hotel
Friday, March 27th
2:00 pm | Registration + Welcome Lounge | Large Foyer
Coffee, tea, and refreshing beverages, along with warm smiles from Mind & Life staff will welcome you into our event space. The registration & info table will be kept up from Friday afternoon until Sunday morning. This is a community table where you can leave messages for each other or for the organizers. Please check the table regularly for updates or personal messages.
2:00 pm remaining open until the event close on Sunday morning | Warmheartedness | Thomas Circle Suite
Warmheartedness is an immersive listening experience that amplifies His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s urgent call for compassion in a divided world, bringing his voice—clear, close, and centered—within a quadraphonic field of original music by Nous Alpha. Developed from recordings of the 2022 Mind & Life Dialogue, this intimate installation offers a calm, low‑light environment for deep listening. The program plays continuously; guests may enter quietly during open listening windows (see schedule) and stay as long as they wish. Capacity is intentionally limited to preserve a contemplative atmosphere. Presented by Our Silent Canvas in partnership with the Mind & Life Institute.
8:00 pm – 10:00 pm | Drinks and Gathering | Large Foyer
The gathering in the Welcome Lounge continues at 8:00 pm with a wine toast from Mind & Life President Suzanne Bond, welcoming those that are able to gather. This is an informal space to arrive, orient, and begin connecting with fellow attendees ahead of Saturday’s program.
Suggested attire: Friday’s lounge invites you to “come as you are,” welcoming you in your travel and casual clothes.
Saturday, March 28th
Breakfast is on-your-own.
8:00 am – 8:30 am | Morning Meditation with Jon Kabat-Zinn, Founding Steward, Mind & Life Institute | National Ballroom Salon A
For those who are able to arrive earlier in the day, this morning meditation session is being offered as a gentle opening to the conference and our collective work together. Join Jon Kabat-Zinn as he leads a guided meditation, as only Jon can do—with an invitation to see taking your seat as a radical act of sanity and love, and an opportunity to pay attention, on purpose, in the present-moment with openness and care as if our lives, and the world depend on it—which they unquestionably do.
Both straight-back chairs and meditation cushions will be available.
8:30 am – 9:00 am | Welcome Coffee and Tea | Small Foyer
Welcome to a Wisdom for Our Time: A Celebration of His Holiness the Dalai Lama! To greet you as you arrive, coffee and tea will be available during this morning break and throughout the day.
9:00 am – 12:00 pm | Day Program, Morning Session | Grand Ballroom
The Grand Ballroom will be our gathering home for the day program and evening celebration. Seated at assigned tables of eight, we encourage you to introduce yourself to familiar and new friends.
Suggested attire for Saturday’s day program: Comfortable professional attire / smart casual
- Welcome, Opening Reflections, and Framing the Day
Our emcees for the event, Bobbi Patterson and Ed Taylor will invite us to begin the program, including introductory remarks from Mind & Life President Suzanne Bond; Mind & Life Board Chair Emeritus Thupten Jinpa; and Mind & Life Board Chair Sona Dimidjian. We will welcome former Mind & Life President, Susan Bauer-Wu, who will be joining us in person, and lift up all of Mind & Life’s co-founders and past presidents.
- Origins and Emergence: The Making of Mind & Life
This session features short reflections from members of the Mind & Life community, each offering a personal snapshot of a moment that shaped the organization’s origins or emergence. Together, these voices invite both longtime and new community members into formative moments since that first living room event with His Holiness in 1987—revealing how early dialogue sparked growth that continues to unfold.
- In a Few Lines: Work Inspired by Mind & Life, Shaped by Compassion
Echoing His Holiness’s wish that science help foster compassion, this session invites contributors from across the Mind & Life community to share a brief reflection—shared in haiku form—on an aspect of their work. Each offering shows how Mind & Life’s integration of contemplative wisdom and inquiry continues to inspire work toward a more compassionate and flourishing world.
10:00 am – 10:20 am | Break
- Across Generations: A Conversation between Tish Jennings and Yikai Xu on the Long Road of Change
This intimate conversation brings together two contemplative researchers at different stages of their careers to reflect on what it has meant to help build a field inspired by His Holiness’ vision. Drawing from personal experience, they will speak to the motivations that called them to this work, the challenges of forging new paths, and moments of impact that continue to inspire their journeys. Features Mind & Life Fellow, Tish Jennings, and Research and Programs Council member, Yikai Xu.
- Why We’re Here: A Shared Conversation
This table-based conversation invites all attendees to reflect on what drew them to this gathering and to Mind & Life’s work. Through guided prompts, participants will share why they are here, and the aspirations that have brought them into this community.
Noon – 1:00 pm | Lunch Break | National Ballroom
1:00 pm – 4:00 pm | Day Program, Afternoon Session | Grand Ballroom
- Musical Interlude: An Invitation to Move and Connect
This brief, music-led interlude invites participants to stand and move through the room, allowing the afternoon to begin in a shared, embodied way. As the music pauses, guests are invited to greet those nearby before continuing to circulate when it resumes.
- Carrying the Vision Forward: Reflections on Impact and Future Directions
This panel brings together voices from across the Mind & Life community, including researchers at different stages, long-time stewards, philanthropic partners, and monastics rooted in contemplative wisdom. Through first-hand reflections on how engagement with Mind & Life has shaped their lives and work, these perspectives offer a 360-degree view of impact—highlighting the importance of community, philanthropic support, and shared inquiry in carrying the vision forward. Features Mind & Life Founding Steward Richie Davidson; Mind & Life Fellows Connie Kemmerer and Rob Roeser; Mind & Life grantee Malena Price; and, Mind & Life faculty member Geshe Thabkhe.
2:30 pm – 2:50 pm | Break
- What We Carry Forward: Personal Reflections and Responsibility
Informed by the day’s conversations and His Holiness’ reminder that our individual well-being is inseparable from the well-being of the whole, this shared reflection invites participants to consider what they carry forward from this gathering. Through guided table conversation, guests will reflect on responsibility, connection, and the ways this work continues to take shape through their own lives and intentions.
- Well Wishes for His Holiness and Closing Reflections
This closing segment offers a moment of gratitude and pause at the end of the day program. Guests will be invited to write well wishes in honor of His Holiness’ 90th birthday on provided cards, while live music creates a reflective atmosphere. As the gathering concludes, guests may leave their cards in a shared basket and are invited to reconvene for the dinner celebration at 6:00 pm.
Evening Celebration Dinner Event | Washington Plaza Hotel
Suggested attire for Saturday’s evening program: Evening cocktail /festive evening attire
- 6:00 pm | Cocktail Reception | Large Foyer
- 6:45 pm | Opening of the Grand Ballroom for the Celebration Dinner Event
With the opening of the ballroom doors, guests are welcomed into a transformed space honoring His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s 90th birthday. The evening features a seated dinner with moments of celebration, including Tibetan cultural offerings, a Long Life chant, and special remarks. Throughout the evening, guests are invited into conversation and connection at their tables, making space not only to witness the celebration, but to share in it together.
Includes traditional Tibetan songs and dances performed by former members of the Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts, along with sacred monastic chants offered by Geshe Tashi Dorjee, former Chant Master of Sera Mey Monastery, together with fellow monastics. - 9:00 pm | After Dinner Social | Large Foyer
Sunday, March 29th
No Scheduled Programming
Guests are encouraged to visit Warmheartedness, an immersive listening experience that amplifies His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s wisdom. The listening space will be available throughout the weekend, including Sunday morning.
Experience Warmheartedness | Thomas Circle Suite
Event Location | Washington Plaza Hotel
Our gathering is taking place at the Washington Plaza Hotel in the heart of Washington, DC.
Book your hotel room now by clicking here. We are pleased to offer you these discounted room rates during peak cherry blossom season. All rooms must be booked by March 12.
Washington Plaza Hotel | 10 Thomas Circle NW | Washington, D.C.
phone: +1 (202) 842-1300 | frontdesk@washingtonplazahotel.com
In 1987, His Holiness spoke to over two hundred Buddhists at this location—it is fitting that we return here to celebrate his 90 years. Convenient to DCA airport, the hotel is within walking distance to the National Mall and monuments.
Attendee List
On the registration form, guests were given the option to be included on the guest list to be shared with other attendees. If you would like your name added or removed from this list, email Ellen (ekellner@mindandlife.org).
This information is provided for creating a shared community while at the event. Permission is not granted to share guest names beyond this specific use.
Download list here: Guest List ( PDF)
Getting to the Hotel
By Air: Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) is located 7 miles from the hotel and is a short taxi ride from the airport (approximately $25).
By Metro: If traveling by DC Metro, the closest metro stops are McPherson Square (blue/orange/silver lines from IAD); Farragut North (red); Mt. Vernon Square (green/yellow).
By Car: The Washington Plaza Hotel has daily and overnight parking. Parking is $43/day. Please call the hotel to confirm the current daily rate.
If you would like assistance in booking air travel, we are pleased to work with Covington Travel. Please contact specialist Brenda Martin at brendam@covtrav.com or (434) 220-2111..
Thank You!
Deep gratitude to our Planning Committee members whose ideas, time, and great care for Mind & Life shaped this event: Connie Kemmerer, Bobbi Patterson, and Ed Taylor.
This program is presented with deep appreciation for the generous support of Connie Kemmerer, a dedicated Mind & Life donor and former board member.
We also acknowledge the support of all who contributed during registration. Thank you.
If you would like to make an additional gift in support of this gathering and Mind & Life’s ongoing work, you may do so here.
Area Map and Activities Guide | Download PDF Here
Contact
For questions relating to the event, contact Ellen Kellner, Head of Events, Mind & Life Institute
ekellner@mindandlife.org | (434) 329-7865 cell/text.
Our Mission:
Bridging science and contemplative wisdom to foster insight and inspire action toward flourishing.
www.mindandlife.org
