The Buddha The Scientist: Mindfulness As A Foundation For Health Hybrid Symposium
MAY 20, 2025
UBC Symposium
(English speaking)
The Buddha the Scientist Hybrid Symposium will be offered online and in-person at the Asian Centre at UBC. It concludes a 4-day retreat, and invites scientists from around the world to explore the intersection of Buddhism, psychology, and neuroscience through the embodied practice of mindfulness. The symposium combines mindfulness practice with groundbreaking scientific inquiry and discussion.
Inspired by “The Buddha, the Scientist” series held at Deer Park Monastery (2022, 2023) and Dartmouth College (2025), this retreat and symposium brings Thích Nhất Hạnh’s vision of integrating mindfulness into scientific communities to life.
Virtual and in-person attendees will experience the unique format of practicing mindfulness alongside scholars, who then present their research in a reflective, inspirational symposium. Following the presentations, a panel Q&A will offer opportunities for meaningful dialogue. A vegetarian lunch will be provided for those who attend in-person.
Our aspiration is to support you in deepening your mindfulness practice while offering profound insights into how Buddhist wisdom and scientific discovery can unite to create lasting solutions for the world. ~ Brother Pháp Lưu
This event is co-hosted by UBC’s Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation Program in Buddhism and Contemporary Society, The BC Children’s Hospital Centre for Mindfulness, and Monastics from Plum Village and Deer Park Monasteries
The cost for this in-person 1-Day Symposium on May 20th is $30. When registering, you may choose whether to attend the full 5-day Retreat or just the 1-day Symposium. Registration to attend the virtual symposium is free.
REGISTER HERE
Presenters:
Dr. Michelle A Williams, Professor of Epidemiology & Population Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health & Stanford University
Dr. David R. Vago, Research Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School
Dr. Lynn Quarmby, Professor and Chair of the Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry at Simon Fraser University.
Dr. Dzung X. Vo, Clinical Associate Professor & Adolescent Medicine Specialist, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia & Co-Director, BC Children's Hospital Centre for Mindfulness.
Dr. Elli Weisbaum, Assistant Professor, Buddhism, Psychology and Mental Health Program (BPMH) and Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto
Brother Pháp Liệu, A cardiologist before ordaining as a novice monk with Zen Master Thích Nhất Hạnh in 2003. Became a Dharma teacher in the Plum Village tradition in 2010.
Sister Hội Nghiêm, A former school teacher, ordained as a novice with Zen Master Thích Nhất Hạnh in 1999 and became a Dharma Teacher in 2007. Translator of The Buddha Body, the Buddha Mind, encompassing Thích Nhất Hạnh’s teachings offered during the first neuroscience retreat in Plum Village in 2006.
Brother Pháp Lưu, Ordained in 2003, and became a Dharma Teacher in the Plum Village Tradition in 2011. Co-chair of the Thich Nhat Hanh Foundation and Advisory board member for Harvard University’s Thich Nhat Hanh Centre for Mindfulness in Public Health.
In 2011, the University of British Columbia had the honour of hosting Thích Nhất Hạnh for a residential meditation retreat and public Dharma Talk. Building on this meaningful experience, UBC is delighted to welcome scholars, scientists, and practitioners for a retreat and public symposium in 2025. This event will offer a unique opportunity to deepen mindfulness practice and explore the intersection of Buddhist wisdom and scientific discovery. All are warmly invited to join this transformative gathering.
The cost for this in-person 1-Day Symposium on May 20th is $30. When registering, you may choose whether to attend the full 5-day Retreat or just the 1-day Symposium. Registration to attend the virtual symposium is free.