On April 17th, in his first visit to the Mayo Clinic, the 14th Dalai Lama will speak to patients and staff. Compassion in the Face of Suffering will focus on practices that encourage a peaceful mind and positive ways to live during difficult times. The Mayo Clinic will host a live webcast of the presentation on the website.

Buddhist monk, the 14th Dalai Lama Tenzin Gyatso, is the spiritual and political leader of Tibet, who is respectfully referred to as His Holiness. Yet he describes himself as just a simple monk.

Since his first visit to America in 1979, he has visited the U.S. dozens of times. He has been awarded numerous honorary doctorates, addressed major universities and partaken in scientific research involving powers of the mind disciplined by meditation. Speaking November 12, 2005 to a gathering of neuroscientists in Washington, D.C, he stated, "I feel, therefore, that a dialogue between neuroscience and society could have profound benefits in that it may help deepen our basic understanding of what it means to be human and our responsibilities for the natural world we share with other sentient beings. I am glad to note that as part of this wider interface, there is a growing interest among some neuroscientists in engaging in deeper conversations with Buddhist contemplative disciplines." I will keep you updated as more information becomes available regarding the live webcast.