A Tip of the Cap

During his October visit to MIT, the Dalai Lama set aside the maroon visor he normally wears to shield his eyes from bright stage lights and donned an MIT cap—even though, he joked, it would be easier to scratch his head in the visor. The Tibetan Buddhist leader, also known as Tenzin Gyatso, gave a lecture on Buddhism for the 21st century and took part in two panel discussions on the ethical and social challenges of climate change and resource scarcity. In one session, Sloan professor John Sterman said that the “spiritual pollution” of unchecked materialism will “destroy the planet and our own future.” The Dalai Lama agreed, urging individuals to find “maximum inner peace” through inner strength, not material possessions.