Trailblazing in Academia, David Germano on the Contemplative Sciences

David Germano is a man who holds many posts at the University of Virginia. Germano's astute and focused work related to the integration of contemplation into all facets of life makes him an easy conversation partner on Contemplify. His deep attention to the contemplative sciences is astounding to witness and damn near impossible to keep pace with. Be sure to check out the U.Va.'s Contemplative Sciences Center to hear what he, his team and his students are engaged in.

“David Germano has taught and researched Tibetan and Buddhist Studies at the University of Virginia since 1992. U.Va.'s Tibetan Studies program is the largest in the Americas, while the Buddhist Studies program is one of the largest in the West. In 2000, he founded the Tibetan and Himalayan Library, which has become the world's largest digital initiative building collaborative knowledge on the region. He is the founding director of the the Tibet Center in the College of Arts and Sciences, which is home to a large exchange program with Tibetans in Tibet, as well as the most extensive set of foreign-led academic operations in the region (four offices in China and Bhutan, and seventeen full-time staff on site). Germano's personal research focuses on the history of Tibetan with a special focus on contemplative and philosophical traditions. He has lived for many years in Tibetan communities in China, in the context of which he has also worked extensively on programs of scholarly engagement, community service, participatory knowledge, and digital technology initiatives. More recently, Germano acted as the founding director of SHANTI (Sciences, Humanities and the Arts Network of Technological Initiatives,www.uvashanti.org), an initiative aimed at the mainstreaming of cutting edge digital technology for faculty, students, and staff across the University. Since 2011, Germano has played a lead role in preparing and then organizing U.Va.’s new Contemplative Sciences Center (www.uvacontemplation.org), which he currently directs. He works extensively with each of the eleven schools at U.Va. to explore learning, research, and engagement initiatives regarding contemplation in their own disciplinary and professional areas, as well as new partnerships across the schools. He is currently focused on the exploration of contemplative ideas, values, and practices involving scientific methodologies and new applications in diverse fields; he also holds a faculty appointment in the School of Nursing..” (from David's U.Va. page)

In this episode we cover David’s journey into Tibetan Buddhism, contemplation in academia and the public schools, resilience and contemplation and starting points for those curious in Tibetan Buddhism.

David Germano is the founding director of the Contemplative Sciences Center at the University of Virginia (amongst his many, many other roles at U.Va.). He is the co-editor of the book, Embodying the Dharma: Buddhist Relic Veneration in Asia. You can learn more about him through his U.Va. page.