Russia: Russian scientists are launching a new research expedition to the Tibetan monasteries located in South India. This will be the first time ever that the group conducted the research of tantric meditation practitioners at Gyudmed monastery, Hunsur Rabgyeling Tibetan settlement, Karnataka state.
“Save Tibet Foundation has been cooperating with Gyudmed Tantric Monastery for many years so far,” says Julia Zhironkina, the Executive Director of the foundation. – “The research to be carried out by the Russian scientists under the guidance of academician Svyatoslav Medvedev will add greatly to this fruitful cooperation. The monastery administration has supported the project undertaken with the blessing of His Holiness the Dalai Lama who highlighted its importance for humanity on multiple occasions”.
“We sincerely appreciate that the monastery has agreed to collaborate with us,” said Alexander Kaplan, member of the Russian research group, professor of Moscow State University. “Tantric meditation involves intimate knowledge that experienced practitioners are not always ready to share with others. But this is the information that is of true value for science and we hope it will contribute to studying different subtle levels of consciousness.”
The second part of the expedition will be held in Mundgod, where the largest monasteries – Drepung Gomang, Drepung Loseling, Gaden Jangtse, and Gaden Shartse – are located. Last December the second joint laboratory was set up on the basis of these four monasteries as part of the research project of the altered states of consciousness and tukdam. (The opening of the first joint laboratory took place in Bylakuppe on the basis of Sera Jey, Sera Mey, and Tashi Lhunpo monasteries two months earlier.)
Consequently, a powerful structure has been created in the Tibetan monasteries of South India. The representatives of the Western science and Russian scientific tradition now can work side by side with Buddhist scholars,– head of the project, professor, full member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, main researcher of Institute of Human Brain (St. Petersburg) Svyatoslav Medvedev mentions. It is found that the goal of studying consciousness is so challenging for science itself and for the mankind as a whole that can be solved only by joining all possible efforts, approaches and methodologies, main institutes and labs from Russia studying brain and consciousness as well as different Tibetan Buddhist monasteries from South. Plannings are underway to open a new lab in the North of India where the monasteries of different traditions are located.
Last December His Holiness the Dalai Lama met with Russian scientists, monks-researchers who had studied in Russia under the project as well as with the abbots of the monasteries involved. The participants for the two-hour meeting discussed preliminary results of the project; the scientists shared their plans with His Holiness and got valuable guidelines and advice from him.
“It has been over 30 years since Buddhist monks as well as Buddhist scholars and particularly His Holiness the Dalai Lama have been having dialogues with the Western scientists in the field of Neuroscience, Psychology, and Physics,” said Telo Tulku Rinpoche, Honorary Representative of His Holiness the Dalai Lama to Russia, Mongolia, and CIS countries. “The dialogue led to many breakthroughs in human knowledge and new methods to tackle the challenges we face in modern times. This will help future generations to creatively combine Eastern and Western traditions. Russia plays an even more important role because of its geopolitical location. In 2018 we created a foundation for the dialogue between Russian Scientists and Buddhist Scholars that brought about many new initiatives, and the collaboration will continue in the years to come. We are very excited and happy to be part of this important endeavor.”
According to Telo Tulku Rinpoche, the discussion between His holiness and Russian scientists held in December was important, as it provided an opportunity to discuss the development of the project and to seek guidance and advice from him. “Since the initiative began with H.H. the Dalai Lama’s vision and so much was accomplished in a short period of time, this meeting was crucial for everyone involved. Those present during the audience with H.H. the Dalai Lama were not just a few members, but all those who were part of this initiative – Russian scientists, abbots of main monasteries and monks-researchers”, said Rinpoche.
The joint project of the Russian scientists and Buddhist scholars started back in January 2019 and was supported by His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Three scientific expeditions to the monasteries of South India have been organised and more than 80 subjects-practitioners have been examined during various types of meditation since then.
Further training of future monks-researchers is being carried out at the laboratories in Bylakuppe and Mundgod. It is expected that by the end of 2020 they will have learned to conduct a considerable number of the experiments without any assistance.
-Filed by Office of Tibet, Russia