The Science for Monks project is a direct result of His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s long-term personal interest in science. In 1999, the Dalai Lama provided a vision and directive for the exiled Tibetan monastic community in India to engage science, and to initiate science trainings that would eventually support new learning at the frontiers of science and Buddhism.
“Since many years I have been interested in modern science, which has made great contributions to the improvement of the quality of life. I have personally been engaged in dialogues with scientists for many years and have found it extremely useful and enriching. I also believe that modern science can benefit from Buddhist perspectives.”
-His Holiness the Dalai Lama
January 5, 2002
Our History
The Library of Tibetan Works & Archives (Tibetan Library) monastic science initiative began in 1999 through the instruction of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
Our Team
Meet the people that make our programs happen.
Our Faculty
Our faculty are awesome, knowledgeable, and have deep appreciation for learning and the exchange of ideas between cultures. The faculty listed here have participated in one or more of our programs.
Field Reports – Independent Evaluation
Inverness Research, under the direct involvement of Dr. Mark St John, has helped us develop a “groundtruthing” approach to evaluation that is independent, useful, and rigorous. One of the products of this work is a series of reports from the field.
Board of Directors
In 2015, and after 15 years of work in India through the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives, Science for Monks incorporated as a nonprofit public benefit corporation in the state of California to expand and strengthen our work. Our current board of directors:
- Bobby Sager (Chair)
- Geshe Lhakdor
- Ken Tsunoda (Secretary, Treasurer)
- Bryce Johnson (President)
Our Approach
The mission of Science for Monks is to nurture leaders who are establishing the indigenous capacity of the Tibetan monastic community to engage in new science learning and dialogue. Through institutes, workshops, exhibitions, conferences, research investigations, and mentorship visits, our programs bridge Eastern and Western knowledge, bringing science to monastics and Buddhist wisdom to the world of science and to a global audience. Our programs invest in the capacity of the Tibetan monastic community in India, Nepal, and Bhutan to drive new learning and scientific inquiry.