Scott Anderson, Ph.D.

Things are a bit unique in Madison, WI. You're as likely to see your doctor riding a bike to yoga class, as observing that your lawyer just got another tattoo. It has been said that Madison is 78 square miles surrounded by reality . This past weekend was different, however, even by Madison standards. At the Overture Center for the Arts (the home for the Madison Symphony Orchestra and other yardsticks of Western culture) monks and adepts from around the world were present in unprecedented numbers. Less than one mile away, the leaders of mind/body science presented their recent research findings to His Holiness, the Dalai Lama. Later in the afternoon, the Dalai Lama dialogued with renowned scientist Richie Davidson about his latest research...to a packed concert hall! The dedication of the Center for Investigating Healthy Minds was a weekend to be remembered - even by Madison standards. Check out the slideshow here: http://www.news.wisc.edu/slideshows/26/slides/194 . The be

Very early in my studies, a teacher pointed out a number of my weaknesses. Though a humbling moment, it ultimately inspired me to practice the things I had been avoiding. Like so many of us, I found that working from my existing strengths blinded me from seeing much below the surface. This can be a painful process. We build a notion of who we are and then we assemble evidence to support this notion. We generally watch the news channels that coincide with our existing view of the world, and when we encounter a radio or television program at odds with our worldview, we generally turn the channel quickly. It's human nature, and one of our greatest impediments to growth. The role of a capable teacher is to guide us to visit our blind spots. Rather than practicing the same thing in the same way, the teacher asks us to see the world another way. Along the way, we find more effective and efficient ways to navigate this life. My teacher had a particularly hard-headed student on his hands.