Dalai Lama gives $50,000 grant to support Wisconsin research into kindness, compassion

Dalai Lama gives $50K to support brain research

MADISON, Wis. — The Dalai Lama is putting his money where his mouth is.

The Tibetan spiritual leader has given $50,000 from his personal trust to support research into the science behind kindness and compassion at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

The grant to the school’s Center for Investigating Healthy Minds comes after the Dalai Lama promoted its work during a visit to Madison in May.

Center Director Richard Davidson says the gift was completely unexpected and unsolicited, and that researchers “are deeply honored” by the Dalai Lama’s support.

The center is looking into how healthy qualities of mind such as kindness, empathy and compassion develop and might be nurtured. The center has not decided yet how to use the grant, but Davidson pledges it will be “in the most beneficial way possible.”