Keynote: To Be of Benefit: The Promise of Contemplative Research and Practice

In 2002, His Holiness the Dalai Lama wrote, “The desperate state of our world calls us to action…We all are responsible for creating a better future.” Over 15 years later, those words inspire and alarm. Enormous suffering exists in our world today. Mental health problems and adversity are prevalent and impairing, including among children and youth. Few who need care receive it, and many existing interventions do not offer lasting help. The social and personal costs of inattention to these problems are clear. Commitment to creating a better future draws many of us to this field and together at this convention. How can we harness the promise of contemplative research and practice to be of greatest benefit? How can we most effectively promote individual healing and social change? In this presentation, I put forth a conceptual and methodological framework and present empirical findings that can support us in realizing our potential and averting paths of peril during these critical times. I focus on ways in which we can work in partnership with one another and with engaged communities, guided by an intention to create a better future for all.