Here's a talk by the Dalai Lama in the US.
The Dalai Lama in Portland: Rebirth, the mind and role of science
on May 10, 2013 at 12:15 PM, updated May 10, 2013 at 1:15 PM
A crowd of about 200 people squeezed into the meditation hall at Maitripa College on Friday morning to hear the Dalai reflect on rebirth, a central teaching of Buddhism. His comments turned out to be much broader, but no one seemed to mind.
After brief opening remarks, two speakers shared their experience and knowledge of rebirth. Dr. Eben Alexander, author of "Proof of Heaven: A Neurosurgeon's Journey in the Afterlife," began.
Four and a half years ago, he lapsed into a deep coma, the result of a rare strain of meningitis. For the next seven days, he said, he experienced life beyond the one he lived on earth. This despite the fact that the part of his brain that's often held responsibile for near death experiences was shut down completely.
"I had a profound and wonderful journey," he said Friday, but he had no memory at the time of his early life.
"Our souls come back again and again," he said, as the Dalai Lama nodded in agreement. "Hardships are gifts, beautiful opportunities for the growth of our souls."
The second speaker, José Cabezón, a professor of Buddhism at the University of California in Santa Barbara, offered an academic perspective.
The concept of rebirth is shared by several religions, he said, though it's most often associated with Hinduism and Buddhism. The "why" of rebirth, the teachings of karma, cause and effect, and the means of stopping involuntary rebirth have been examined. Human beings have attempted to provide proofs of rebirth based on reasoning and experience and the belief itself has spread outside of Buddhism.
"In the United States, Buddhists are less than 1 percent of the population," he said. "But 25 percent of Americans and Western Europeans believe in rebirth and reincarnation," he said.
"That leaves 75 percent who do no believe," a challenge to Buddhists like the Dalai Lama, who doesn't presume that everyone else believes as he does.
When it was his turn to speak, the Dalai Lama joked about the appeal of centuries of rest, even if it happens inside a coffin, before he turned to Buddhist thinking.
He said he welcomes and values scientific research but recognizes it's limitations.
"With respect to science and the scope for knowledge, certain types of phenomena are beyond their scope," he said. The fact that science cannot evaluate material is not the same as science disproving it, he added.
He's observed that more concerted efforts to study the brain reveal more of its mysteries. But he likes the idea of taking a scientific approach to studying the mind, the gap between reality and appearances, the idea of impermanence and the role of emotions.
The Dalai Lama warned that a tradition as old as Tibetan Buddhism creates a huge library of texts. It's easy, he said, to worship the books without reading or understanding them. But he favors examining them with a critical eye.
"Monasteries should be learning centers where texts are studied," he said. Then he encouraged graduates and teachers from Maitripa College to gather around him for photographs.
No one refused the opportunity and after several flashes, he left the room, almost as quietly as he entered. From the open doorway, he glanced back into the meditation hall.
"Thank you," he said. "See you again."
Outside the college, a crowd had gathered to watch the indoor meeting unfold on a huge screen mounted on a truck.
The Dalai Lama's afternoon lecture, "The Path to Peace and Happiness in a Global Society," is at 1:30 today in the University of Oregon's Matthew Knight Arena. Tomorrow, he'll speak at a symposium on spirituality and the environment at Veterans Memorial Coliseum.
-- Nancy Haught
