On 12th Feb 2023, Flowering Dharma and International Institute for Culture & Ethics resumed its offline activities in Delhi after a hiatus of two years due to the Covid-19 pandemic and organised a talk on Convergence and Divergence between Buddhist Philosophy and Modern Science at India International Centre, New Delhi by Ven Geshe Damdul la , Director Tibet House, The Cultural Center of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, New Delhi. The talk was organised specially with keeping the mindset of young college and university students post pandemic.
Tashi Namgyal, Director, Flowering Dharma/IICE welcomed the guests and students on behalf of the organisation. Sonam Angmo, executive member, Flowering Dharma briefed about journey and intention of the organisation and introduced Ven. Geshe Dorji Damdul to the audience. Shri. Ajeer Vidya Negi ( IAS), a long time student of Geshe la and well-wisher of the organisation, presented the traditional Khatak and welcomed Geshe la on behalf of the gathering.
The event saw participation of about 150 – 200 participants including student groups of Ladakh, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim and other important dignitaries. Ladakhi students studying in Chandigarh, Varanasi, Jammu and Dehradun also travelled to Delhi specifically to attend this talk and represent their unions, including Jigmet Lhazes, Tsewang Namgyal (Ladakh Student Association Chandigarh), Lhakpa Karsha, Stanzin Wangtak (Zanskar Student Association Chandigarh), Diskit Lhazes (All Ladakh Student Union Dehradun), Tsewang Dorjey, Stanzin Tsewang (Ladakh Student Welfare Association Varanasi), Jigmet Rinchen and Jigmet Raftan (All Ladakh Student Association Jammu) and Jigmet Raftan (All Ladakh Student Association Jammu)
In his talk Geshe la extensively talked about the relation between Psychology and Buddhist Philosophy and he discussed about the idea of brain and mind- whether these are different entity or mind is a function of the brain. Geshe la in detail elaborated on the five most important functions of brain/mind- Contact, Attention, Discrimination, Feeling and Intention. Due to the constraint in time Geshe la could not cover the other half of the topic covering relationship between Modern Science and Physics. The talk was followed by a Q & A session, the students raised some very important topics covering the topic of mental health, free will, religion and happiness, compassion over competition and soon.
In closing Sonam Angmo, on behalf of the entire gathering requested Geshe la for another session covering the topic Buddhist Philosophy and Physics, as a second series of this program, to which Geshe la obliged.
The program concluded by offering of a Thangka Scroll to Geshe la and a group photograph with Geshe la.
Lobsang Wangmu, Secretary, Flowering Dharma, thanked Geshe la for the support and assistance. She also expressed gratitude to Tibet House, New Delhi, students bodies from Ladakh, Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim, the management of IIC, the audience members and the team Flowering Dharma.
