Stanford University has launched a Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education—and it comes with a 150,000 dollar donation from the Dalai Lama, "the largest sum he has ever given for a scientific venture," according to the school.
The center, which is co-directed by Dr. Jim Doty, a neurosurgeon, and Dr. William Mobley, a neurologist, both at the Stanford School of Medicine, has already raised more than 2 million dollars and begun a number of pilot studies looking at the neurological basis of feelings like compassion and suffering.
The researchers hope to use their findings to improve people's lives—increasing compassion among children, parents, clergy, and hospital personnel; decreasing violence and recidivism among prison inmates; and reducing depression and anxiety among corporate workers. "As a neurosurgeon, I can only affect a few patients each day," says Doty. "Through the activities of the center, we have the potential to impact thousands to millions of people to live fuller and more positive lives."