Tenzin Priyadarshi
Encyclopedia
Tenzin Priyadarshi is the Founding Director of the Dalai Lama Center for Ethics and Transformative Values at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
(MIT). He also serves as the founding President of the Prajnopaya Foundation, a worldwide humanitarian organization.
Brahmin
family in Vaishali
, Bihar
, India
. He comes from a family of bureaucrats, political leaders, and eminent scholars. He has two sisters, one is an attorney and the other, Shilpa Shukla
, a famed actress in the Indian film industry.
He entered the monastery at the age of ten in Rajgir
, India near the ancient Nalanda University at his own volition. He is a Buddhist monk from India ordained by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, who is his preceptor and mentor. He also studied under the guidance of H.H. Sakya Trizin, H.H. Drikung Chhetsang, H.E. Kushok Bakula Rinpoche and H.E. Samdhong Rinpoche, and received meditation training from H.E. Drubwang Rinpoche. Priyadarshi trained in India
, Nepal
, and Japan
in Indo-Tibetan and Japanese Buddhism, and is known for his love of Sanskrit
Buddhist literature. He also spent several years studying Vedanta
and Kashmir Shaivism
in Calcutta, and maintained close relations with the Ramakrishna Mission
Ashram.
He studied at the Central Institute of Higher Tibetan Studies
and the Sanskrit University in Varanasi, India. He graduated from Le Moyne College
, Summa Cum Laude, with a bachelor’s degree as an Integral Honors Scholar studying Philosophy, Physics, and Religious Studies with minors in International Relations and Japanese. In 2003 he completed his graduate studies in Comparative Philosophy of Religion at Harvard University
. In 2002 he was appointed as the first Buddhist Chaplain at MIT.
and other socio-political issues. He is regarded as an influential teacher in the rimé
(non-sectarian) movement within Tibetan Buddhism
, like his predecessor. He founded the Prajnopaya Institute to create an avenue for critical study and practice of Buddhist philosophy within Europe and North America. To promote contemplative programs in North America, he founded Bodhimarga, a CyberDharma community with satellite locations in various parts of North America and Asia.
. He has been actively involved in inter-religious dialogue with religious leaders such as Pope John Paul II
, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, and Pope Benedict XVI
. He has made his admiration for Saint Francis of Assisi quite public and travels to Italy
frequently to engage in spiritual dialogue with Christian monastic communities. He actively promotes contemplative learning beyond religious boundaries and talks frequently with Fr. Thomas Keating, founder of Contemplative Outreach. He received a Felicitation for his work at the 2007 SAARC Interfaith Conclave in New Delhi
, India.
and bring health care to rural areas. In December 2009, Priyadarshi was felicitated as "Icon of Bihar" at the Bihar Conclave. He is the youngest person to receive this honor.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT has five schools and one college, containing a total of 32 academic departments, with a strong emphasis on scientific and technological education and research.Founded in 1861 in...
(MIT). He also serves as the founding President of the Prajnopaya Foundation, a worldwide humanitarian organization.
Early years
Priyadarshi was born into a HinduHindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
Brahmin
Brahmin
Brahmin Brahman, Brahma and Brahmin.Brahman, Brahmin and Brahma have different meanings. Brahman refers to the Supreme Self...
family in Vaishali
Vaishali
Vaishali may refer to:* Vaishali , an ancient city located in current Vaishali District, Bihar, India* Vaishali district, a district in Bihar, India* Vaishali , a Lok Sabha constituency in Bihar, India...
, Bihar
Bihar
Bihar is a state in eastern India. It is the 12th largest state in terms of geographical size at and 3rd largest by population. Almost 58% of Biharis are below the age of 25, which is the highest proportion in India....
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. He comes from a family of bureaucrats, political leaders, and eminent scholars. He has two sisters, one is an attorney and the other, Shilpa Shukla
Shilpa Shukla
Shilpa Shukla is an actress known for playing the role of Bindiya Naik, a member of the Indian women's national hockey team, in the sports-oriented movie Chak De India, starring Shahrukh Khan...
, a famed actress in the Indian film industry.
He entered the monastery at the age of ten in Rajgir
Rajgir
Rajgir is a city and a notified area in Nalanda district in the Indian state of Bihar. The city of Rajgir was the first capital of the kingdom of Magadha, a state that would eventually evolve into the Mauryan Empire. Its date of origin is unknown, although ceramics dating to about 1000 BC have...
, India near the ancient Nalanda University at his own volition. He is a Buddhist monk from India ordained by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, who is his preceptor and mentor. He also studied under the guidance of H.H. Sakya Trizin, H.H. Drikung Chhetsang, H.E. Kushok Bakula Rinpoche and H.E. Samdhong Rinpoche, and received meditation training from H.E. Drubwang Rinpoche. Priyadarshi trained in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, Nepal
Nepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
, and Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
in Indo-Tibetan and Japanese Buddhism, and is known for his love of Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
Buddhist literature. He also spent several years studying Vedanta
Vedanta
Vedānta was originally a word used in Hindu philosophy as a synonym for that part of the Veda texts known also as the Upanishads. The name is a morphophonological form of Veda-anta = "Veda-end" = "the appendix to the Vedic hymns." It is also speculated that "Vedānta" means "the purpose or goal...
and Kashmir Shaivism
Kashmir Shaivism
Among the various Hindu philosophies, Kashmir Shaivism is a school of Śaivism consisting of Trika and its philosophical articulation Pratyabhijña...
in Calcutta, and maintained close relations with the Ramakrishna Mission
Ramakrishna Mission
Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission are twin organizations which form the core of a worldwide spiritual movement known as Ramakrishna Movement or Vedanta Movement. The Ramakrishna Mission is a philanthropic, volunteer organization founded by Ramakrishna's chief disciple Swami Vivekananda on...
Ashram.
He studied at the Central Institute of Higher Tibetan Studies
Central Institute of Higher Tibetan Studies
The Central University for Tibetan Studies is a university institute founded in Sarnath, Varanasi, India in 1967, as an autonomous organization under Union Ministry of Culture.The CIHTS was founded by Pt...
and the Sanskrit University in Varanasi, India. He graduated from Le Moyne College
Le Moyne College
Le Moyne College, named after Simon Le Moyne, is a private, Jesuit college enrolling over 3,500 undergraduate and graduate students. Founded by the Society of Jesus in 1946, Le Moyne is the first Jesuit college to be founded as a co-educational institution...
, Summa Cum Laude, with a bachelor’s degree as an Integral Honors Scholar studying Philosophy, Physics, and Religious Studies with minors in International Relations and Japanese. In 2003 he completed his graduate studies in Comparative Philosophy of Religion at Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
. In 2002 he was appointed as the first Buddhist Chaplain at MIT.
Teaching career
Priyadarshi lectures internationally on Buddhist philosophyBuddhist philosophy
Buddhist philosophy deals extensively with problems in metaphysics, phenomenology, ethics, and epistemology.Some scholars assert that early Buddhist philosophy did not engage in ontological or metaphysical speculation, but was based instead on empirical evidence gained by the sense organs...
and other socio-political issues. He is regarded as an influential teacher in the rimé
Rime
Rime is a coating of ice:*Hard rime, white ice that forms when water droplets in fog freeze to the outer surfaces of objects, such as trees*Soft rime, similar to hard rime, but feathery and milky in appearance...
(non-sectarian) movement within Tibetan Buddhism
Tibetan Buddhism
Tibetan Buddhism is the body of Buddhist religious doctrine and institutions characteristic of Tibet and certain regions of the Himalayas, including northern Nepal, Bhutan, and India . It is the state religion of Bhutan...
, like his predecessor. He founded the Prajnopaya Institute to create an avenue for critical study and practice of Buddhist philosophy within Europe and North America. To promote contemplative programs in North America, he founded Bodhimarga, a CyberDharma community with satellite locations in various parts of North America and Asia.
Conflict resolution and peace efforts
Having been exposed to the dangers of religious fanaticism and violence early on, Priyadarshi has been instrumental in conflict resolution processes in India and Sri LankaSri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
. He has been actively involved in inter-religious dialogue with religious leaders such as Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, and Pope Benedict XVI
Pope Benedict XVI
Benedict XVI is the 265th and current Pope, by virtue of his office of Bishop of Rome, the Sovereign of the Vatican City State and the leader of the Catholic Church as well as the other 22 sui iuris Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with the Holy See...
. He has made his admiration for Saint Francis of Assisi quite public and travels to Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
frequently to engage in spiritual dialogue with Christian monastic communities. He actively promotes contemplative learning beyond religious boundaries and talks frequently with Fr. Thomas Keating, founder of Contemplative Outreach. He received a Felicitation for his work at the 2007 SAARC Interfaith Conclave in New Delhi
New Delhi
New Delhi is the capital city of India. It serves as the centre of the Government of India and the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. New Delhi is situated within the metropolis of Delhi. It is one of the nine districts of Delhi Union Territory. The total area of the city is...
, India.
Humanitarian projects
Following the catastrophic disaster caused by Tsunami in 2005, Priyadarshi founded the Prajnopaya Foundation to develop innovative and sustainable ways to alleviate suffering in developing countries. He was Project Advisor to team of architects from MIT, Harvard University Graduate School of Design, and Cambridge University to develop the Tsunami Safe(r) Houses, low cost high resistant homes, for families in Sri Lanka. The foundation has been active in health care endeavors in India, including systematic methods to curtail tuberculosisTuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
and bring health care to rural areas. In December 2009, Priyadarshi was felicitated as "Icon of Bihar" at the Bihar Conclave. He is the youngest person to receive this honor.