Nov 13, 2005, 8:55 GMT
Washington - Exiled Tibetan Buddhist leader the Dalai Lama told a meeting of scientists Saturday in Washington that decisions about how to apply science can no longer be left to individuals.
The Dalai Lama speaks during the opening of the Mind and Life Institute's conference on the 'The Science and Clinical Applications of Meditation' in Washington, DC Tuesday 08 November 2005. EPA/SHAWN THEW
During a 10-visit to the U.S. capital, he told the annual convention of the Society for Neuroscience that science must be guided by moral principles.
'It is no longer adequate to adopt the view that our responsibility as a society is to simply further scientific knowledge and enhance technological power and that the choice of what to do with this knowledge and power should be left in the hands of the individual,' he said in a prepared text.
The speech raised some controversy among members of the group who opposed giving a religious leader such prominence at a scientific meeting. One woman on Saturday raised a placcard that read 'Dalai Lama not qualified to speak here', the Washington Post reported.
A petition opposing the group's speaking invitation to the Dalai Lama circulated on the Internet and got about 800 signatures, the Post said. Many of the petitioners were Chinese Americans, fuelling suggestions that the campaign was politically motivated.
China often objects to the Dalai Lama's travels and particularly meetings with foreign government leaders.
On Wednesday, the Dalai Lama met at the White House with U.S. President George W. Bush, their third such meeting since 2001. He also met with U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
A U.S. State Department report on Tuesday criticized China's 'poor' record on religious freedom and accused Beijing of suppressing Buddhism in Tibet.
The monastic leader is the author of a new book, 'The Universe in a Single Atom: The Convergence of Science and Spirituality'.
During his speech Saturday to 14,000 convention goers, he departed from his prepared text in both Tibetan and English, the Post said.
'It is all too evident that our moral thinking simply has not been able to keep pace with such rapid progress in our acquisition of knowledge and power,' he said in the prepared speech.
He specified that the 'fundamental ethical principles' that he advocates for scientists were not an argument to meld science and religion.
'Rather, I am speaking of what I call secular ethics that embrace the key ethical principles, such as compassion, tolerance, a sense of caring, consideration of others, and the responsible use of knowledge and power,' the Dalai Lama said. 'Principles that transcend the barriers between religious believers and non-believers, and followers of this religion or that religion.'
page: 1
William Broadbent Hoyer JuniorMar 7th, 2006 - 12:02:49
I am a firm believer of the ezzence of truth ine words of the Dala Lama. Sincerely yours, William Hoyer.
Report this comment
Your Talkback on this Story