In this 2005 photo, the Dalai Lama addresses the crowd at Maples Pavilion with, his longtime interpreter, Thupten Jinpa, left.
Stanford researchers and the Dalai Lama focus on the neuroscience of compassion - an effort that finds a natural ally in Tibetan Buddhism. But Stanford's ties with Tibet go deeper than that. While CCARE's interests may sound technical and complicated, the problems they hope to solve are not: How can we prevent caregiver burnout? Why do some kids become bullies? Can we teach people to be more compassionate? For Doty, the mission is an urgent one: "No longer do I believe compassion and love are luxuries. As His Holiness says, these are necessary if we are to survive." Even a decade ago, a project such as CCARE would have aroused more skepticism than interest. Doty himself encountered resistance when he first floated the notion of the center; some faculty suspected a religious agenda. They needn't have worried. Doty cheerfully admits that he is an atheist.
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