Why the Context of Contemplation Matters: An Interview with David Germano

Interview with David Germano at the 2017 Summer Institute on Buddhism and Science, Putting the Buddhism/Science Dialogue on a New Footing, hosted by the Mangalam Research Center from July 17-26, 2017.

David Germano, PhD is a Professor of Tibetan and Buddhist Studies at the University of Virginia. UVA’s Tibetan Studies and Buddhist Studies programs are amongst the largest in the West. In 2000, he founded the Tibetan and Himalayan Library, the world’s major digital initiative building collaborative knowledge on the region. He is the founding director of the Tibet Center, which runs extensive set academic operations in Tibet and Bhutan, and of SHANTI (Sciences, Humanities and the Arts Network of Technological Initiatives, an initiative aimed at the mainstreaming of cutting edge digital technology for faculty, students, and staff across the University. Since 2011, Germano has directed UVa’s Contemplative Sciences Center, and works with each of the eleven schools at UVA to explore learning, research, and engagement initiatives regarding contemplation in their own disciplinary and professional areas, as well as new partnerships across the schools.

In this interview, he discusses Tibetan Buddhist meditation practice across the boundaries of the humanities and sciences, emphasizing the importance of context when understanding these practices.

This project was made possible through the generous support of a grant from the John Templeton Foundation. The opinions expressed in this video are those of the speaker(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the John Templeton Foundation.