The Mind and Life Institute is an established Buddhist non-profit institution located in Hadley, Massachusetts and is committed to showing that contemplative practices and introspection are just as important as science and empiricism. Through their institute that has been open for over 30 years, they bring together the teachings of the 14th Dalai Lama, a lawyer, and a neuroscientist (Tenzin Gyatso, Adam Engle, and Francisco Varela). As they write on their website, “The Dalai Lama, Engle, and Varela were convinced that well-refined contemplative practices and introspective methods could, and should, be used as equal instruments of investigation — instruments that would not only make science itself more humane but also ensure its conclusions were far-reaching. Mind and Life was formed to bridge this divide and advance progress in human well-being.”

Through this sort of philosophy  as well as through their focus of covering addiction, modern science, economics, and medicine, we can see the center’s and Buddhism’s integration into American culture. The focus of this institution is quite academic rather than many of the centers we have seen and read about where a large focus is on community, meditation and peacefulness practices. This institute produces articles and studies as well as pulling in millions of dollars worth of funding and provides fellowships and internships — another central American Buddhist experience.

To learn more about this organization go to https://www.mindandlife.org/ or Arthur Zajonc at agzajonc@amherst@amherst.edu.

agzajonc@amherst.edu