A biologist and a Buddhist monk have a conversation on how science can make sense of rebirth, emptiness, and karma, the origins of consciousness and creativity, and how modern science's understanding of the nature of reality benefits from the wisdom of contemplative traditions.

Rupert Sheldrake, PhD, is a biologist and author best known for his hypothesis of morphic resonance. At Cambridge University he worked in developmental biology as a Fellow of Clare College. He was Principal Plant Physiologist at the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics in Hyderabad, India. From 2005 to 2010 he was Director of the Perrott-Warrick project for research on unexplained human and animal abilities, funded by Trinity College, Cambridge.

Geshe Tenzin Namdak is a Buddhist monk, scholar and teacher whose education and life experience bridges both East and West. Born in the Netherlands, he graduated with a degree in hydrology and initially worked as an environmental researcher. He encountered Buddhism at Maitreya Institute in 1993 and took ordination from HH Dalai Lama before engaging in his formal studies in Buddhist philosophy and psychology at Sera Jey Monastic university, South India. In May 2017 he was awarded the Geshe degree (equivalent to Ph.D), the first Westerner to complete the entire twenty-year Geshe programme.

Episode 81: A Biologist and a Buddhist Monk on the Nature of Reality with Geshe Namdak and Dr. Rupert Sheldrake

From August 28 to 31, Scott Snibbe is leading an in-person meditation retreat at Vajrapani Institute. We’ll explore antidotes to anxiety, fear, and loneliness—and cultivate the deeper causes of a happy mind; connected, loving relationships; and a better world. It all happens in the beautiful redwood forests of California, while enjoying delicious vegetarian meals and meeting thoughtful new friends.

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