[ Music ]
>> Stanford University.
[ Noise ]
>> Good morning.
I'm Garry Steinberg director
of the Stanford Neuroscience
Institute known as SINTN
and chairman of the department
of neurosurgery and I'd
like to welcome His
Holiness and thank him
for visiting us again
at Stanford.
We very much enjoyed your public
lectures yesterday as well
as the more intimate
interactions we had with you.
I'd also like to welcome
everyone in the audience today
and we hope you enjoy
the symposium.
So before we start I'd like
to remind everyone these are
key issues.
Keep your ticket with you at all
times, be prepared to show it
at the lunch distribution
which is offsite,
and the tickets are going
to be required for reentry
to the building after lunch and
anytime during the conference.
Emergency exits are located in
the rear and the front sides.
Silence your cellphones,
silence your pagers
and if you must answer a
call go out to the lobby.
[ Pause ]
>> The goal of our Stanford
Institute for Neural Innovation
and Translational
Neuroscience is
to rapidly advance our
understanding of the healthy
and the diseased brain and
spinal cord at all levels
from molecules to cells to
neuro circuits to behavior.
We aim to pioneer new
techniques and tools to probe
and manipulate the
nervous system
and translate these discoveries
into improved quality of life
for patients with neurologic
and psychiatric disorders.
And importantly we hope to
translate these discoveries
and make a difference in outcome
over the next 5 to 10 years.
So this is an aggressive
program.
And to accomplish this we
are fostering collaboration
between about 150 very
talented basic translational
and clinical neuroscientists
at Stanford.
We've got a number of broad
initiatives in our institute
and you could see them here such
as neuroplasticity and repair,
neurodegeneration and
regeneration, cognitive
and developmental disorders
and neuroengineering.
And we're focused on
certain diseases like pain
and addiction, Parkinson's,
spinal cord injury, blindness,
autism spectrum disorders,
Down syndrome,
as well as a neuroengineering
initiative.
We're taking advantage
of Stanford's expertise
in these areas both
to dissect mechanisms
and to repair the
nervous system.
However, one of the
most important platforms
and initiative in our institute
is what we call neuroscience
and society.
Initially there was
significant resistance from some
of the scientists at Stanford
to include this platform
in our institute since it's
not using molecular biology
or synaptic physiology
techniques.
It doesn't investigate
a specific disease
of the nervous system.
However, I feel this is
really an essential platform.
In the last two decades advances
in neuroscience research
and clinical therapies have
already had a profound impact
on society and I predict they
will have an even greater impact
in the future.
The center for compassion,
research, education,
known as CCARE is the
centerpiece of our neuroscience
in society initiative.
CCARE aims to use rigorous
scientific methods to understand
and delineate the neural
and psychological basis
for altruistic and
compassionate behavior.
And now using Novel Technologies
like Functional MR
brain scanning
and innovative approaches
like neuroeconomics,
this is possible.
CCARE has been supporting the
research you're going to hear
about in this symposium.
We wish to become the
premier center in the world
for pursuing this kind of study.
We also hope to develop
new methods
for instilling compassionate
behavior in people
without necessarily spending
20 years meditating as a monk.
And I know this is also
an important ambition
of His Holiness.
Although I'm not a Buddhist,
one aspect of Buddhism
that I do admire is that
Buddhism like science believes
in searching for truth through
observation of empiric facts.
And if the observed
facts refute,
even long standing Buddhist
beliefs then they are discarded
for better theories,
very much like science.
This point also has been
made by His Holiness
on numerous occasions in his
writings and actually yesterday.
His Holiness has been
a great supporter
of neuroscience research and
scientific inquiry in general.
During the symposium you will
learn among other things why
brain activity in certain
areas on functional MR scan
in the brain is increased
in some individuals during
acts of charitable giving.
You'll learn that it's possible
to enhance prosocial behavior
in mice using light stimulation
of specific neuro
circuits in the brain.
You'll learn what
motivates certain individuals
to put their own life
in jeopardy in order
to save another person
and you'll also learn
about the positive effect
of CCARE's compassion,
cultivation training program
on promoting compassionate
behavior.
CCARE is the brain child of Jim
Doty who's sitting right here
and is going to say
a few words shortly.
Jim is a neurosurgeon,
a Stanford professor.
He's an entrepreneur
and a philanthropist.
He's the founder and
director of CCARE
and it was his idea
to form the center.
Jim is one of the main reasons
His Holiness, the Dalai Lama,
is spending today exploring the
scientific basis for compassion
and altruism with a group
of international scientists
whose work was funded by CCARE.
Jim will tell you
some more about CCARE
and the research projects.
Please enjoy the symposium
and thank your attention.
[ Applause ]
>> How are you?
We're great.
Yeah! [Applause] Thank
you for spending your day
with us and my friends.
And thank you Dr.
Steinberg, colleagues, guests,
and those who were
visiting with us on the web.
Before we begin though, I
would like to acknowledge
and thank all of those
individuals who have helped
in organizing this wonderful
visit by His Holiness
to Stanford and all
of the associated activities
including our incredible
volunteer corps, many of who
have been helping you today
and I thank them so much
because without you people,
none of this possible,
so thank you.
[ Applause ]
>> It's been a remarkable
three years
since what was originally
begun as an informal dialogue
with some of my colleagues
based on my own interest
in understanding the complex
human qualities of compassion
and altruism from the
creation of CCARE.
More remarkable still is
that not only is His Holiness
with us today, but that he
is a passionate supporter
of this work, having given the
largest personal donation he's
given to a non-Tibetan cause
to support the work of CCARE.
And fundamentally, without
his support of his initiative,
CCARE would not exist.
So thank you again,
Your Holiness.
[ Applause ]
>> As many of you know and
as Dr. Steinberg has eluded,
His Holiness has had an
interest in neuroscience
for over two decades and has
maintained an ongoing dialogue
with those who have sought
to understand how contemplative
practices affect the brain
and its function.
This dialogue has led to
extraordinary insights
and has been fundamentally
responsible, I believe,
for the amazing interest among
scientists throughout the world
in this new emerging field.
While His Holiness has always
had an interest in neuroscience
and science of the mind,
his fundamental message
that he has carried to the ends
of the earth is the importance
of cultivating compassion if
our species is to survive.
Our dialogue today will
focus on this topic.
Before I begin though, I would
like to tell you
a bit of a story.
And this was a story that
Richie Davidson told me.
>> And Ritchie, some of you may
know, is one of the pioneers
in the field of contemplative
neuroscience
who has maintained this
dialog with His Holiness
for greater than two decades.
And when they first went to
India to begin this work,
the tool at that time that they
were using to measure activity
in the brain was the
electroencephalogram,
which I think most of
you know what that is.
And that iteration of
that device that they used
at that time was actually like
a shower cap that you would put
on the head and it had all these
electrodes coming out of it.
So imagine what that would look
like to these group of monks
who they're going to test
who have never seen
anything like this before.
So when this cap was put on,
they all started laughing
because it had been explained to
them that this was going to test
and examine emotions and
how the brain works and some
of this complex things
potential like compassion
and things of this nature.
And the scientist of
course made the assumption
that the laughing was
because they thought the sight
of this was funny.
What they were laughing at,
in fact, was the naivete
of the scientist
[laughter] because they knew
that it's not here it's here.
[ Laughter ]
[ Applause ]
>> When His Holiness
speaks sometimes,
he talks about afflictions
of the heart.
I would suggest to you that each
of us has wounds to our heart
that most oftentimes
heal very quickly.
But for most of us, I think,
there are wounds to our hearts
that last with us a lifetime.
But it's not the wounds that
we have, it is our [inaudible]
and it's what makes as human.
It is what we do when we
feel the pain of these wounds
that defines our humanity.
And ultimately, will define
and determine the fate
of our collective humanity.
The chain of causation
that has resulted
in ecologic catastrophe,
global warming, poverty, war,
these are not external
events, external to ourselves.
I submit to you that they are
problems of the human heart.
While science and technology
offer great hope for many things
and told us technology
is focused on afflictions
of the heart, I do not believe
that there is hope
for our species.
Our interest at CCARE
has, as Gary has said,
is to use the remarkable
tools available today
to understand these
complex qualities
of compassion and altruism.
And today, I'm honored
to present
to you the initial efforts
at Stanford of this work.
Our conversation today will
be moderated by Arthur Zajonc,
the Andrew Mellon
professor of physics
and interdisciplinary
studies at Amherst.
In addition to being a
visiting professor at a number
of the leading academic
institutions
in the world regarding his work
on parody violation in atoms
and the experimental
foundations for quantum physics,
neither things I have any
idea what they are exactly.
[Laughter] He has
lectured extensively--
He has lectured extensively
on the relationship,
more importantly,
between the sciences,
humanities, and meditation.
He's the author of the book
Catching the Light and co-author
of the book The Quantum
Challenge
and Goethe's Way of Science.
Since 1977, he has served
the scientific coordinator
of the Mind and Life
Institute Dialogues
and on contemplative
neuroscience
of which His Holiness
has participated
in multiple occasions.
Before I give you Arthur Zajonc,
I would like to give His
Holiness a baseball cap
from CCARE.
[ Laughter ]
[ Applause ]
>> And now I'll give you Arthur.
Thank you again so much.
[ Applause ]
>> Allow me to add my welcome
to this conference today during
which we'll explore
together this science
of compassion and altruism.
And also hear about the creation
of a training program intended
to cultivate compassion.
Each of us knows first hand the
real significance of these two
of compassion and altruism.
We received the compassion
of others
and have extended ourselves
compassion to those around us.
Truly many of us would not be
alive today except of compassion
and altruistic behavior of
those who've cared for us.
In rare instances a
person's compassion
and altruism reached beyond the
individual instances and seemed
to embrace a wider community
or even humanity in general.
These are the great souls.
The great souls who embody and
exemplify our highest ideals
for what it means
to be a human being.
They carry not only their
own suffering and not only
that of an individual close to
them but they seemed capable
of carrying the suffering of
many, sometimes of a great many.
How do such individuals arise?
Or more modestly, how do we
cultivate greater compassion
and altruistic behavior
generally?
And what role can science play
in helping us to understand
and develop these prized
dimensions of our humanity?
Yesterday, the Dalai Lama
spoke to the central importance
of compassion and
altruistic behavior
in our lives and society.
He spoke of how in the
lasts few years, scientists
and educators are
turning their attention
from material development
and well-being to inner
or mental development
and well-being.
Today's conference
is the expression
of that shift redressing an
imbalance between the inner
and outer dimensions
of our lives.
The neglect of our interior or
mental life in favor of mastery
of the physical, the
physical world is shifting
and science is no
longer seen as opposing,
for example, spirituality.
The Dalai Lama has written
with the ever growing impact
of science in our
lives, religion
and spirituality have
a greater role to play
by reminding us our humanity
and there is no contradiction
between the two.
Today, we'll go deeply
into the biological
and psychological foundations
of compassion and altruism.
And during the course of
the day in four sessions,
our remarkable group of
researchers in the field
of psychology, neuroscience,
education,
and even economics will speak
about their research and that
of other as it bears
on our theme.
We have the great privilege
of not only hearing from them
but also from His
Holiness, the Dalai Lama
who has been an advocate for
the cultivation of compassion
and altruism throughout
his life time.
He is one of those whose concern
and care has extended far
beyond his narrow circle
of personal relations.
So that when he speaks about
the compassion and altruism
of this conference, he does
so not only with the authority
of deep Buddhist practitioner
and scholar but he also speaks
as one who has come to
embody and to live a life
of compassion and altruism.
Theory is here truly
joined in practice
with His Holiness,
the 14th Dalai Lama.
>> We are profoundly
grateful to you.
We are profoundly
grateful to you
that you are with us here today.
Thank you very much.
[ Applause ]
>> Each of our four sessions,
will last about 50
minutes to an hour.
The first part of each
session, will begin--
will be a set of presentations
to His Holiness, 5 to 10 minutes
in length, depending
on the session.
And we've set this up in a way
that you are really intended
to imagine that you are in
His Holiness's living room.
This actually happens over many
decades he has hosted scientists
in his private quarters
and we come together
in a situation not unlike
this in an intimate context
to spend time together five
or so days together speaking
about themes such as
compassion, altruism,
and even quantum mechanics
and parody violation.
[Laughter] So imagine that this
is your-- this his living room,
you're listening in on a
conversation between a group
of scientist who are presenting
their research results.
He is asking questions,
we're engaging together
in that conversation.
So the stage is set.
Let me introduce the first
group who will be speaking
to our theme for this
session the role of compassion
in education and wider
societal context.
First of all, of course, there
is His Holiness, the Dalai Lama,
who since he was 15 years
old has been the secular
and religious leader of Tibet
living exile from his homeland
since 1959 when he was
about 24 years old.
He's also the winner of
the 1989 Nobel Peace Prize
and as we all know a tireless
advocate for the cause of Tibet
and the teachings of Buddhism.
He calls himself a simple monk,
but I think we all
recognize the complexity
and depth of his life.
The lies as superficial
interpretation
of what it means to be simple.
And yet our own Oliver
Wendell Holmes has written
about another kind of simplicity
which I think is
characterized by His Holiness.
Holmes writes, "I would not
give a fig for the simplicity
on this side of complexity,
but I would give my life
for this simplicity on the
other side of complexity."
I would say that in this sense,
His Holiness has achieved the
honored status of a simple monk.
He will be interpreted
when necessary
by Geshe Thupten Jinpa,
who's himself a great scholar
and practitioner of Buddhism.
He is also adjunct professor
of religious studies here--
Adjunct Professor of Religious
Studies at McGill University
and Visiting Scholar and
Executive Committee member
of CCARE here at
Stanford University.
Jinpa.
[ Applause ]
>> Next, let me introduce
Professor Linda Darling Hammond,
Professor of Education
here at Stanford.
She has argued convincingly
for the crucial importance
of equal access to education and
has emphasized a crucial role
of those who teach and
therefore of teacher quality.
Professor Darling Hammond
has been named as one
of the nation's 10 most
influential people affecting
education policy
over the last decade.
Linda, thank you.
[ Applause ]
>> The last member of our group
is Professor Phil Zimbardo,
who is professor of Emeritus
of Psychology at Stanford
and past president
of the American Psychological
Association.
A prolific researcher and author
who has studied most
recently everyday heroes
about what we'll hear more.
Phil, thank you for being here.
[ Applause ]
>> So before we begin, I'd
like to invite His Holiness
to make any opening remarks
that he would like to
in welcoming you all and in
anticipation of our theme
for today concerning research
into compassion and altruism.
Do you have anything
you like to offer?
[ Inaudible Remark ]
>> Yeah.
>> Okay.
[ Pause ]
>> Now a person now [inaudible]
more than 25 years old.
When I'm born on this planet,
almost now starting Second
World War, certified,
then more violence
at often China.
And then during Second
World War and Hiroshima
and Nagasaki doing nuclear bomb
actually used on human being.
To a nuclear physics, one
of, I think, graves advances
in science, the systemology,
so the [inaudible]
development science technology.
Of course there are other
benefits of system there.
But it also brought
untenable suffering
and even September 11th
even using civilian airplane
and that airplane also
the lost also the fuel
and used for destruction.
Few thousand people killed.
So science technology--
a development of science
and technology alone,
no guarantee whether
really bring happiness
on this planet or not.
So I do not think
technology itself
or science itself is
eventually show us some kind
of guarantee it will not
go destructive way, no.
Because technology, science
using by human being.
So ultimately, it depends,
the user's way of thinking.
If the user full of hatred and
also I think mixed with feared,
then these things
become destructive.
So ultimate, sort of guarantee,
this-- also the new findings.
Technology and it's marvelous or
technology and science in order
to become constructive.
Ultimately depend the
user's mind, emotion.
Then look-- the user's
sort of nature.
We human being from birth,
always anger, hatred, no.
I think the whole life from the
beginning of birth till death,
I think of major of portion
of our life as a more
and more affection,
friendship, trust.
Even you want a sound sleep,
your mental state peaceful,
happy, better, full of fear,
full of anger, even sleep,
you can't get [inaudible].
>> And food also, beautiful food
in front of you, but the person
who going to eat that full
of fear, full of hatred.
Even the taste, so
the [inaudible] get--
[Jinpa: Experience]
[inaudible] [Jinpa:
May not experience the
taste, enjoy the taste]
>> So our whole life,
the peaceful mind,
closeness [inaudible] each
other, is the foundation
of a happy life, youthful life.
So then of course all these
religious sort of traditions,
major tradition is
life at major.
That means a tradition
with certain philosophy
[inaudible] background.
Not symbols of [inaudible]
or something
without philosophy
sort of background.
That's something different.
So major is this tradition, all
carry the importance of practice
of compassion, forgiveness,
tolerance.
I'll-- This sort of tragedy have
been awhile, many people pray.
[Laughter] So pray alone--
prayer alone will
not get guarantee.
[Laughter] Of course
I'm Buddhist.
The Buddha full of mercy,
compassionate person.
Then according to
[inaudible] religion,
the God full of compassion.
But that not sufficient.
[Laughter] Bring
real happy world.
So ultimately, the
responsibility,
relying on our own shoulder.
I see here Buddha
made very clear.
I simply show you of how to
achieve permanent happiness.
But after all, all the
responsibility on your shoulder.
Buddha said that.
I think that's a quite
a scientific way.
[Laughter] Buddha never say
if you pray me then
everything will alright.
He never said that.
[ Laughter ]
>> So and then top of that there
are large number of people say
in real sense not a believer.
Just religion take as a--
[ Inaudible Remark ]
>> -- tradition or custom,
like that, not many serious.
So then one way we really
need the human being sort
of attitude should be more
positive, responsible.
And prayer, religion--
also there's limitation.
So ultimately we, ourselves,
have many responsible.
So, and also that
everybody have the potential
of this positive thing.
So now in order to
make clear to people,
ultimately peaceful
life, happy life,
much depend on an equality.
Usually the people just say
now I think the [inaudible]
or lot of money.
No organization, I think
at least government level,
I think no organization who
really paying more attention
about fundamental [inaudible]
human values, nobody,
only religious people.
But there-- also
there's a limitation
and many people don't
care what religion say.
So then as a Buddhist,
Buddha-- [foreign language].
Now we need-- [inaudible]
there are science.
[Applause] So if
science say, oh,
compassion is rubbish,
not much are useful.
Then hopeless, [inaudible]
through--
science means through
research, through investigation,
through experiment some
concrete as outcome,
concrete sort of evidence come.
So that's very, very powerful.
And the science I think
[inaudible] later part
essentially, mainly
to concentrate
on external things,
natural things.
Not sort of pay attention
about scientist themselves.
[Laughter] Scientist,
human being.
Scientist also you
see suffering fear,
doubt or too much competition.
[ Laughter ]
[ Applause ]
>> So I think-- I think
those greatest sort
of scientist also may
experience sleepless nights
and many sleepless
nights because of anxiety,
because of some other things.
So therefore, now you see,
seems [inaudible] essentially
no scientist are really begin
to look what's a
mind, what's a self,
what is the real ultimate
source of inner peace.
So it is really wonderful,
really wonderful.
So I always telling people than
[inaudible] to make importance
of compassion or peaceful mind.
I always rely the
scientific sort of finding.
So it is really very,
very important.
Now the science research I
feel-- I always expressing,
there're two purposes.
One purpose simply
extends our knowledge.
What's the reality?
Another purpose is out
of that knowledge how
to bring maximum benefit
to individual human being,
to community, to the society
or to [inaudible]
humanity to the world.
So two purposes.
So now this researcher work,
you're sort of famous sort
of university and also
the [inaudible] university
and [inaudible] university
as far
as I know these three
universities actually now
involving this work.
I really grateful.
So that's my view, my thinking.
That's all, that's all, nothing.
[ Applause ]
>> Thank you your Holiness.
Thank you.
I think that the work at those
three universities probably
benefited by some of your
encouragement and presence.
So thank you also for helping
them to see the importance
of these themes for science.
So we're going to begin our
conversation and session
with two short contributions.
First from Phil Zimbardo and
then from Linda Darling Hammond
about 5 or 6 minutes each and
then that would be the basis
for a conversation
until the next session.
So I'm going invite then
Phil to begin with us.
Thank you, Phil.
>> Well I want to begin,
Your Holiness, with-- Hello?
>> Oh, yes.
>> I want to begin-- I
wanna begin with a greeting,
a good morning greeting
from another beautiful day
at Stanford University.
And I'd like to lead-- I'd
like to lead the audience
in a good morning--
Your Holiness.
>> Do we need more sound?
[Audience: Yes!] Alright,
sound techs back there,
can we have more sound
please for Phil Zimbardo?
>> Hello? Hello, hello.
Okay. I want--
[ Laughter ]
>> I wanted to begin
with a greeting.
[ Inaudible Remarks ]
>> Little more, needs
more sound.
>> Hello?
>> Wanna go up to the--
>> CCARE, CCARE, CCARE
donate to CCARE, CCARE.
[ Laughter.
Applause ]
>> Okay. Okay, since
the audience is engaged,
I wanted to begin with
a good morning greeting
on another beautiful day
at Stanford University.
And I wanna lead the
audience in a resounding,
"Good morning, Your Holiness."
>>[ Audience: Good
morning, Your Holiness.]
>> Great. [Applause] So
I'm honored and privileged
to lead off this day of
dialogue you'd be having
with my psychological colleagues
with educators and
neuroscientists.
Many of whose research are being
supported by CCARE and I'm proud
to be on the board of CCARE.
In this little time
we have together I'd
like to do three things.
I wanna start with
a provocative,
maybe challenging question,
is compassion enough
in a world filled with evil?
Is traditional compassion
enough?
Does compassion not have
to be socially engaged?
And in fact, does
compassion not have
to be transformed
into heroic action?
Secondly this is a group
that I've organized called a
Heroic Imagination Project whose
mission is exactly that.
How do we go beyond compassion?
Which is really the highest
personal virtue to heroism
which is the highest civic
virtue requiring action
to change suffering but also to
change the causes of suffering?
And lastly, I wanna present some
new research funded by CCARE.
It's among the first
research to explore the nature
of heroism and altruism.
And curiously there's a lot
of research on evil some
of which I have created
as a mad scientist
in my Stanford laboratory.
But there's almost no
research on heroism.
So I just wanna begin
with that question
of traditional compassion.
Means, you put yourself
in the moment
to share the suffering
of another person.
But do you not have to have
a socially engaged compassion
to try to prevent suffering,
to try to deal with evil
of bullying of prejudice, of
terrorism, of war, of poverty.
And so that's a question
that in our discussion I'd
like you to address.
Secondly, we have started
in San Francisco a nonprofit
organization called the Heroic
Imagination Project.
And the idea is how do we
empower ordinary people to start
on a journey to become
everyday heroes.
That is to take little acts
of kindness, of sharing,
of mindfulness to help
change the world for better.
How do we get people to put
their best selves forward
in service to humanity?
And we do this in part
through education.
We're developing courses
in our local schools
in San Francisco and Palo Alto.
And when we know something works
then the virtue is putting it
on the World Wide Web,
sending it around the world
of teaching people how to be
wise, effective, compassionate,
and mindful heroes
especially our young people.
But we're also stimulating
research.
We want to have heroism in--
as part of heroism ideas
and compassion as
part of corporations.
And lastly, public engagement,
to become a health hero.
If you stop somebody from
smoking, you save a life.
It's exactly like jumping in a
river to save a child drowning.
If you are eco hero, we're
encouraging young people
to take the environment
back form the elders
who are destroying it.
Well, doing that is
doing a heroic deed.
Disability heroes, people
who are disabled themselves not
only rise above the disability
but use it in a positive way
to improve the lives
of other people.
So this is the kind
of thing we're doing.
And the little research I'd
like to present very quickly--
[ Pause ]
>> So this is a survey research
using the techniques developed
at Stanford by the
Knowledge Networks.
And essentially, what we did is
a national probability sample
of 4,000 Americans and the way
they set it up, this controls
for all possible variables.
So one out of five
people we surveyed,
at least 4,800 qualify
as heroes.
A hero is somebody who takes
action on behalf of another
or in defense of a moral cause
knowing there's a cause or risk.
See, altruism is heroism
light as minimal risk.
Thirdly, it's-- you do
it voluntarily and--
[ Inaudible Remark ]
>> Go ahead.
I'm sorry.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> And the hero does
it not only voluntarily
but without expectation
of a tangible reward.
You don t do it for the money,
you do it for the virtue.
And so what we have
discovered is
to be a hero you need
certain opportunities.
So that if you live in an
urban, you're much more likely
than if you live in a rural
area and you're least likely
to be a hero if you
live in a suburbs
because nothing bad
happens in suburbs.
[Laughter] Education matters.
The more educated you are
the more likely to be a hero.
And the reason is that
education makes us aware,
sensitive to our
surroundings, to other people.
The other thing that's amazing
is volunteering matters.
One third of the people who
are heroic also volunteered
significantly almost
60 hours a week.
And it goes both ways.
If you volunteer, you're
more likely to become a hero.
But we also discovered once
people are heroic then they're
more likely subsequently become
a volunteer in their community.
Males are more likely to
be heroes than females.
But in our sample, this
is really military of--
people in the military.
When research ballots
eagerly shows
that when you take away
the physical courage part,
women are as likely or
more likely to be heroes
because they are more likely
to set up heroic networks.
The most amazing finding we
have is that race matters.
[ Silence ]
[ Foreign Language ]
>> Blacks were 8 times more
likely than whites have engaged
in heroic deed and
Hispanics with 3--
2 times more likely than whites.
And we're exploring why, what
is the cause of mechanism there.
Is that their more compassionate
that having suffered
or being aware of suffering.
And I think most importantly for
us is if you survive a disaster
or personal trauma then
you are 3 times more likely
to be both a hero
and a volunteer.
And we think that's where
compassion comes in.
What does it mean to be hero?
In this sample 72 percent
reported helping another person
in a dangerous emergency, 16
percent reported whistle blowing
on injustice, 6 percent reported
sacrificing for a non-relative
or stranger, and 15
percent reported defying
unjust authority.
And the amazing thing is none
of these 800 were
national media heroes.
They were really silent,
modest, everyday humble people.
In our Heroic Imagination
Project is trying
to amplify the voice
of those quite heroes.
[ Inaudible Remark ]
>> Did you do the research
only in one country?
>> We just started, and we
only-- it's really good--
we just started America but we'd
love to do it around the world.
>> Oh, that's good.
>> If we get the money.
[Laughter] If we get funding, we
surely would like to replicate.
[ Laughter ]
>> Yes, that's a
practical thing.
[ Laughter ]
>> Jim, where are you?
>> Your Holiness,
Linda will be next.
>> It's nice to see you again.
You know I think that
this is a great place
to start this question
of heroism.
And on the way to heroism,
we need to figure out how
to help people be able to
engage in concern and caring
for others on a daily basis.
And how do we do that?
And I think my question for
you is can we teach compassion.
And I think some of what we know
about this suggests that yes,
there are some ways that we can
help people develop compassion.
First of all, the way we learn
initially is through modeling,
through what we see
other people do.
You mentioned yesterday
your mother as a model
of compassion and altruism.
And so to provide that for
most people we need to think
about how to help parents
and caregivers and teachers.
Learn how to be mindful of
children, how to see them
as whole human beings, how to
tune in to what their feeling,
what their thinking and be able
to be caring and compassionate
so that the child
experiences that first hand.
In the work we do with
teachers here at Stanford,
we actually developed
as consciously as we can
that mindfulness
about the child.
I teach a course in child
adolescent development.
And one of the things
that students do is they--
I have a project where
they look at the child
from all angles they talk to the
child about what he's thinking
and experiencing and feeling.
They shadow the child
in the school.
Follow him through
his experience.
They visit the home.
They visit the community.
The sort of notion of beholding,
that Arthur and I talked
about yesterday, really trying
to understand and then be able
to empathize with and
relate to and draw
out the experience of the child.
>> I think that's a foundation.
And then how do we teach
children and young people
to be mindful of who they
are and who other people are
and be able and working
with other people
to take their feelings into
consideration to be able
to take a step towards
heroism in being able
to understand how their
actions affect others
and how they can
actually help others.
And there are wonderful
curricula
that have been developed to
develop the child socially
and emotionally that are being
tried all over the country
in a variety of schools.
[Pause.] And in this
teaching, children are taught
to be mindful what they're
feeling, to make choices
about how to act
on those feelings
that will be prosocial
choices that are helpful
to others whether you're feeling
anger or anxiety or competition,
all of those things you mention
that cause us to behave badly
to one another quite often them
because we're not reflective
about it and we haven't learned
strategies to engage with others
in more productive ways and
then there are set of activities
and exercises where children
share with each other.
How does it feel when
you have this experience?
How would some else feel?
What could you do to help
some else feel less stress,
being more supported, even
skills for resolving conflict.
And what we're finding
when school implement
these strategies is
that not only do children become
more secure in themselves,
more responsible for themselves,
but they become more socially
responsible, they engage in some
of the activities that Phil
was talking about earlier,
volunteerism, reaching
out, resolving conflict,
and their academic
achievement goes up.
And that's probably because
when you get to experience life
as a whole person and you're
not continually responding
to those anxieties
and conflicts,
you can develop all the parts
of yourself to a greater degree.
The third thing is that
there are some schools
that are infusing this set
of concerns in the life
of the school as a whole.
Some of those are schools
that explicitly attend
a spiritual development
like Waldorf schools and
others that have that mission.
But many are public schools
that infuse community action
in the work that children do,
ways that they can have a
good effect on the community,
taking up collections,
engaging in educating people
in the community about
health around other issues,
community service, expected
and supported for children
so they become responsible,
and making social responsibility
part of the expected learning.
So we have a little school that
Stanford started for example
in East Palo Alto which is one
of many schools that have habits
of mind and habits of heart as
part of the expected development
of the child and they're
actually given feedback
and graded in every class on
their personal responsibility
and their social responsibility.
How are they making the
life of the community better
in the responsibility
that they take?
And when children have that
experience over and over again
and it infuses the whole life
of the school, they come to see
that as what it means
to be in the world.
They come to think
about it everyday.
It's not something that
happens occasionally.
And when they graduate, they'll
often reflect on the fact
that when I first
started school,
I didn't understand what
it meant to be responsible.
I didn't understand what
meant to help others.
Now, I can show that I'm
socially responsible in all
of these ways that
I've developed
because the school
is attending to it.
[ Inaudible Remark ]
>> Your Holiness.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> We'd like to spend a few
minutes now in conversation.
And yesterday you
spoke emphatically
about the importance
of education.
Linda Darling Hammond is one
of America's foremost policy
makers, you could say,
with regards to education.
If you were going to take
one thing, select one thing
as a recommendation to her and
to American education generally
as an advice, if you
will, from you to us,
what would it be for education?
[ Foreign Language ]
>> Of course, it is much
easier to see the faults
and difficult to find answer.
[Laughter] I don't know.
I don't know.
But I think you mentioned
that some school carry some
special [inaudible] education
[foreign language].
[ Inaudible Remark ]
>> Social emotion
on these things
and some school, not really are.
I think a Tibetan the--
[ Foreign Language ]
>> His Holiness,
question is this,
I don't think he's referring
to the SCL program in general
but the specific school in
East Palo Alto that you gave
as an example that has this
special program of habits
of mind and habits of body.
You gave the example
of a boy who said
that when he graduated before
he, you know, join the school,
he did not understand
what responsibility meant.
So His Holiness's
question is this,
has there been any research--
comparative research
done on the effects
on the personal life and,
you know, social relations
by graduate of this particular
school versus other schools
that does not have
that kind of program.
>> Well, there has been
some research done generally
on schools like this, not this--
[ Foreign Language ]
>> For example like
in field research,
he gave lot of statistics.
>> Right.
>> Statistical analysis.
[Laughter] So something like
that would be quite naive.
>> So there was a metaanalysis
of 200 schools that had put
in placed programs like
this and they looked
at what happened
overtime and they found
that there was a significant
decline in violence
in those schools, significant
increase is student's self
concept and feelings of worth in
themselves, significant increase
in students engaging
in prosocial volunteer
and other kinds of
activities like that,
and an 11 percent increase
in academic learning as well.
>> I think that's
the proper way.
We can [inaudible]
introduce-- [foreign language]
[ Inaudible Remark ]
>> Nationwide in--
[foreign language],
this certain new ideas
or new thing can not solve
whole nation or something.
So first, few school
as sort of experiment
of school by the project.
>> Like a pile of project, yeah.
>> Then after 5 years or
10 years, what differences,
then 100 school, 1000 school
and one state eventually can
adapt using this new additional
[foreign language] like that,
strictly the [inaudible],
secularly [inaudible]
and then perhaps--
[ Foreign Language ]
>> So for example, some
of my colleagues tell me
about the beneficial effects,
you know, discovered as a result
of doing research on effects
of mindfulness training.
So maybe in addition
to SCL program,
some of those contemplative
components could be added
as well and then again
done some research.
>> Yeah, and in fact there are
some schools that are doing both
of those together, where
there's mindfulness training
and the broader curriculum.
And there are some
very good evidence
that that both allow
students to calm themselves,
to think more clearly, to work
with troubling emotions, anxiety
and other things that get on
the way, and anger that can come
up as well as then to move
towards these more prosocial
outreach to other people.
And so we've got about
a decade of research now
that reenforces the
positive benefits of those.
And we're already a few
thousand schools in to this kind
of curriculum across
the country.
But it's not as well organized
as it might be if we had,
you know, more general
support for it.
And we need a view
that children are more
than test scores
which is a problem.
[ Applause ]
[ Foreign Language ]
>> I want to ask
Linda a question.
Just His Holiness asked me,
is this research limited
to the United States?
I said, "Yes, it is now."
Have any of these programs been
transported to other countries,
especially countries like Israel
or China or countries where,
you know, is either conflict or
big population I think waiting
for this kind of programs.
>> I think that they--
some of these impulses
and strategies exist in other
forms in some other countries
but not in exactly the same form
as they've been developed here.
But there are schools
in a number of places.
I was recently in Singapore
where there's a very
explicit effort
to develop the spiritual side
of children and their ability
to be engaged in these ways
pro-socially as part of all
of the school activities.
And so in some places
that's really infused
into the expectations
for what school is about.
[ Foreign Language ]
>> Also the way of presentation,
the value of compassion is,
of course, social engage--
[foreign language] one of
emphasis is practice compassion,
brings inner peace that
immense benefits to oneself.
>> Yes, absolutely.
>> That I think is--
every people--
every people, everybody is
[inaudible] and it take care
about one's own-- [foreign
language] well-being.
So the practice of compassion
immediately brings inner
strength so that will
reduce fear and with
that you can communicate with
other people much easier.
The second your health
improve, peace of mind,
as it brings your body
element more nature balance.
Is it too much anger?
Too much serosity, fear these--
some scientists even told
me literarily some kind
of [inaudible] eating
our immune system.
>> Yes.
>> This maybe bad,
social engagement--
[ Foreign Language ]
>> His Holiness is feeling
is that perhaps sometimes
in the social, emotional
learning curriculum emphasis may
have been more on one's
responsibility towards others,
how to treat others.
But one component
that could be added
on is actually the
personal benefits
that the individual one's
health gets from this kind
of prosocial, engaging
in prosocial behavior
and being responsible for others
and being compassionate
towards others.
So that impact has a
much greater benefit
to one self as well.
It's not simply a question of
how should one treat the other.
But in fact, it is in one's
own interest that that kind
of behavior and the way of
thinking should be cultivated.
That perhaps needs to be added.
>> And in fact, in a lot
of these cases you
start with yourself.
You start with being
mindful of yourself.
A lot of children live in
very stressful environments
where they're besieged
with things
that can create severe
anxiety and just to learn
to calm oneself in a
contemplative way to take note
of how to detach from
some of that anxiety.
The feeling of love and
kindness to oneself as well
as to others is absolutely
essential,
really for the survival and
then the further development
of children.
And when we ignore
that we ignore
that at their peril
and at our own peril.
>> Is it-- because
sometimes there's some kind
of misunderstanding.
Showing compassion,
love for other
that means this is
sacrificing your self.
This is not-- This
is not the case.
Actually the-- sorry, I often
telling to people a part
of own experience the more
sort of taken care about other,
the first benefit--
beneficial to oneself.
That's very clear.
>> Yeah, absolutely.
>> So that, I think is the
important-- otherwise, the--
[ Foreign Language]
>> So again, because
His Holiness is--
>> [Inaudible] between
compassion, heroism and reaching
out to others it benefits
you as well as others.
And that's why I think we
need that link to inner peace
but also taking action
and be happy about it.
>> That's right.
That's right.
>> So his point was that
otherwise people may deep
down feel that yes, compassion
maybe a wonderful virtue
but I need to take
care of myself first.
[ Laughter ]
>> Thank you very much and
I'm afraid I'm going to have
to draw this session to a close.
I hope you can all sense the
energy around this topic.
But thank you both
Phil and Linda
for your wonderful
presentations.
We're going to make a kind
of fast shift here while
our two presenters are going
to step off stage, three
more will be joining us.
Let's thank them very much.
[ Applause ]
>> For more, please
visit us at stanford.edu.
