For the past 30 years, the Mind & Life Institute has pioneered the field of contemplative science. In pairing the oldest wisdom traditions with cutting-edge scientific research, contemplative science uncovers groundbreaking and holistic insights into the human mind and condition. These insights represent some of the most important breakthroughs of our time. Mind and Life’s work operates in an array of rigorous fields—neuroscience, psychology, education, medicine, ethics, religion, the humanities—and is always guided by the Institute’s larger mandate to alleviate suffering, cultivate kindness and compassion, and advance human flourishing. 
 
 Then 
 
 Mind and Life emerged in 1987 from a meeting of three visionaries: Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader of the Tibetan people and a global advocate for compassion; Adam Engle, a lawyer and entrepreneur; and Francisco Varela, a neuroscientist. While the trio understood that science had become the dominant framework for investigating the nature of reality—and the modern source for knowledge that could help improve the lives of humans and the planet—the three regarded this approach as incomplete. Whereas science relies on empiricism, technology, "objective" observation, and analysis, 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. 
 
 Now 
 
 Since that first Dialogue with the Dalai Lama, Mind and Life has held 26 others that bring together scientists and contemplatives on a wide range of critical subjects: addiction, ecology, ethics, attention, neuroplasticity, destructive emotions, altruism, economics, and more. Additionally, over the past 30 years, Mind and Life’s work has extended beyond the Dialogues. The Institute has become a direct funder of individual research via its grant and scholarship programs. It convenes an annual Summer Research Institute, as well as the field’s marquee biannual conference: the International Symposium for Contemplative Studies. In the process, Mind and Life has become more than just a leader in the field of contemplative science; it has become an incubator for discovery in all the fields this new science touches. The Institute’s impact has been chronicled in numerous best-selling books, including Train Your Mind, Change Your Brain by Sharon Begley; Destructive Emotions by Daniel Goleman; and The Dalai Lama at M.I.T. by Anne Harrington and Arthur Zajonc. Through the support of Mind and Life, researchers have produced dozens of pivotal studies and more than 200 journal articles, chapters, and books; participated in more than 300 public talks; obtained prestigious faculty appointments, fellowships, and directorships; and been awarded more than $15 million in follow-on funding. 
 
 Next 
 
 Over the next several years, the Institute will undertake its most ambitious phase yet: three global initiatives in the areas of ethics, education, and human development; craving, desire, and addiction; and mapping the mind. "Attempting to cultivate universal, human values rooted in the most rigorous science means thinking globally and multiculturally," says President Arthur Zajonc. "It also means creating a coalition of institutional partners around the world in order to discover from each just how expansive and inclusive those human values are—and how they can be fostered appropriately in, by, and for those cultures." 
 
 Toward this end, Mind and Life has established Mind and Life Europe (now operating in Switzerland), and is planning an expansion in Asia and beyond. "Mind and Life has always been a place where people come together," says Zajonc. "This is not about multinationalism in the way one normally might think about it. It’s about supplying the most profound insights of diverse contemplative traditions—along with the science that affirms them—to as many as we can. It’s about creating an inexhaustible well of service." 
 
 We invite you to explore this website to learn about Mind and Life’s future at its most pivotal point—and how you can share in its next evolution. 
 
 The Mind & Life Institute is a non-profit tax-exempt organization 
 
 incorporated under section 501(c)(3) in the United States. ||||| Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption A special service was held for the Dalai Lama at St Paul's Cathedral in London 
 
 The Dalai Lama has said he is giving away to charity £1.1m in prize money that has been awarded to him. 
 
 The Tibetan spiritual leader received the annual Templeton Prize in London for exceptional contributions to "affirming life's spiritual dimension". 
 
 About £900,000 is going to Save the Children in India, with £125,000 set aside for The Minds and Life Institute. 
 
 Money is also going towards a fund to educate Tibetan monks about science. 
 
 The 76-year-old was awarded the prize for encouraging "serious scientific investigative reviews of the power of compassion", and its potential to address world problems. 
 
 The John Templeton Foundation said he was chosen for exploring these issues - which are key themes of his teachings - with people beyond his own religious traditions. 
 
 A service was held at St Paul's Cathedral in London to mark the occasion. 
 
 A million pounds is a big donation, even for an organisation of the size of Save the Children. The charity's chief executive Justin Forsyth said it would go a long way in India, where £100 will train a health worker. But what makes the gift even more valuable for a charity competing for donor money is that it comes from the Dalai Lama. It represents recognition from a religious superstar. The Dalai Lama - the man regarded as an "enlightened being" by millions of Buddhists - has the bearing and presence of a holy man, and a diffident charm to go with it. Now freed of his political leadership of the Tibetan government in exile, his status as "conscience" for the international community has, if anything, been enhanced. The Dalai Lama said his generation was now placing its hope in future generations, and by implication organisations such as Save the Children. It is publicity money could barely buy. 
 
 It is the 40th anniversary of the Templeton Prize, which was established in 1972 as a global award honouring a living person who affirms "life's spiritual dimension" - whether through insight, discovery, or practical works. 
 
 It also comes with a £1.1 million prize, making it the largest annual monetary award given to an individual. 
 
 Foundation president Dr John Templeton said: "With an increasing reliance on technological advances to solve the world's problems, humanity also seeks the reassurance that only a spiritual quest can answer. 
 
 "The Dalai Lama offers a universal voice of compassion underpinned by a love and respect for spiritually relevant scientific research that centres on every single human being." 
 
 The Dalai Lama, 76 - who was born Lhamo Dhondub - won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989 and is believed by Buddhist followers to be the reincarnation of an ancient leader who epitomised compassion. 
 
 Other people to have received the Templeton Prize include fellow Nobel laureate Mother Teresa, the first recipient of the prize in 1973. 
 
 Speaking at St Paul's Cathedral ahead of Monday's service, the Dalai Lama warned British people against feeling "hopeless" and "helpless" in the face of economic troubles. 
 
 He also revealed that he wrote to Prime Minister David Cameron following last August's riots to express his "condolences". 
 
 'Murder plot denied' 
 
 Meanwhile, China has denied claims that it had plotted to kill the Dalai Lama. 
 
 The exiled spiritual leader told the Sunday Telegraph newspaper of unconfirmed reports that Chinese agents were training Tibetan women to assassinate him by putting poison in their hair - for him to touch during blessings. 
 
 China's foreign ministry said the accusations were groundless and were being spread to attract public attention. 
 
 A spokesman said: "Wearing a religious cloak, the Dalai Lama has been engaged in international anti-China separatist activities."
– It's a big news day for the Dalai Lama, from the dangerous to the charitable. He will today be awarded $1.5 million for his services to human spirituality, and he's giving away all of the winnings. He'll donate some $1.45 million to India's Save the Children and more than $200,000 to the Minds and Life Institute, which blends scientific investigation and "contemplative tradition." Some of the funds from the Templeton Prize will also support Tibetan monks' scientific education, the BBC reports. The Tibetan spiritual leader received the prize for backing "serious scientific investigative reviews of the power of compassion." "With an increasing reliance on technological advances to solve the world's problems, humanity also seeks the reassurance that only a spiritual quest can answer," said the president of the foundation behind the prize, whose first winner, in 1973, was Mother Teresa. "The Dalai Lama offers a universal voice of compassion underpinned by a love and respect for spiritually relevant scientific research that centers on every single human being."