Tibetan Buddhist monk James Lama: an Emory student who is excited to have a schedule consisting of Biology, Chemistry, Math and English.
One of six Tenzin Gyatso Science Scholars who started at Emory this fall, James Lama will be attending Emory for the next two years as part of the Emory-Tibet Science Initiative.
The initiative is a result of His Holiness the XIV Dalai Lama's attempt to integrate science into Tibetan Buddhist education and promote the collaboration of science and spirituality, according to the Emory-Tibet Partnership's website.
James will take various courses – with a focus in the sciences – and at the end of his time here, he will return to India to teach science in various monasteries.
"I am really excited to teach not only my monastery," James said, but also to "share with anyone who is interested in my knowledge."
James's presence is warm and comforting. Dressed in the deep-red and gold robes traditional of Tibetan Buddhist monks, James sits patiently and thoughtfully. And unlike most of the other Tibetan Buddhist monks, his head is not shaved.
Fond of jokes, James's smile is infectious as he is always looking for a good laugh.
"I felt regret not growing up in a modern educational environment," James said.
Although James comes off quite scholarly, his background doesn't necessarily show it.
James's parents were originally from Tibet and moved to India due to oppression caused by the China-Tibet conflict before James was born, he said. The conflict took root in 1949 when the People's Liberation Army of China invaded Tibet and established their own rules and regulations, according to a link found on the Partnership's website. The site adds that since the invasion, many Tibetans have died "through starvation, torture and execution."
James said his parents experienced severe "trauma" when he was growing up, as they had given up their entire lives in Tibet when they moved to India. Back in Tibet, they were shepherds but transitioned to a nomadic lifestyle in India.
James said the China-Tibet conflict makes him "sad", mostly because he has never been able to see Tibet because of it.
His number-one dream and "bucket-list" item is to travel to Tibet someday and hopefully around the world as well, he said.
James said his parents didn't think much about knowledge or education while he was growing up. They were too busy trying to deal with their new lifestyles, James said.
This is why, at age six, James was excited to head off to school. He attended school in South India in Karnataka until he transitioned to the monastics at age 12, he said.
When his monastery received the letter calling for monks to engage in the Emory-Tibet Partnership, James said he was excited and applied first thing.
"I was very ecstatic to hear that I was accepted into the Emory-Tibet Science Initiative program," James said.
James attended the Sarah Institute in Dharamsala, India, for one month each year for five years before finally coming to Emory.
James said it was difficult for him to jump into Emory's new curriculum since "there is a huge gap between English knowledge and science background" that he has, versus what is expected at the University.
That being the case, James has a keen sense for learning and improving. He said he finds "all the classes interesting."
He added that "people are very friendly" and that he feels "free to speak" in all of his classes, making it easier to learn.
All six monks live in an apartment together in Highland Lake Apartments and "have many laughs," teasing one another and causing mischief as they become accustomed to living life in the United States.
James shared a story in which he and the other monks were cooking bread and accidentally set off the smoke alarm in their apartment. The monks were very scared because they thought that, like in the movies, a whole squad of police cars would appear at their door.
The monks rushed outside but found no police officers.
This is now a great joke among them, as James described it.
Besides cooking, James and his friends spend time playing basketball, tennis and going swimming, he said.
James also said he likes to "hang around Atlanta" and really enjoyed visiting the aquarium for the first time.
But with all of these new experiences, James said the monastic lifestyle is very different here.
"I was surprised and confused to change my monastic life here," he said.
Though they still practice their meditation, they no longer do so in groups but rather independently when they find time.
He added that it is new to him to use all of this technology as in India everything was made or done by hand.
James also said he has found a rift between his scientific and philosophical teachings. He said that in biology class they learn that humans come from bacteria, where in Buddhist philosophy, humans come from Buddhist deities based on Karma.
Although there are a lot of differences, James is finding ways to balance out his life in India and his life here. For example, he said that in Buddhist philosophy, they do not simply believe what is told to them but rather they test and analyze and if "the results match," then you do it. Similarly in biology, James explained, "you make hypotheses and prediction and then you do the process and what you get in the result, that's the truth."
James is also involved with student organizations such as the China-Tibet Initiative and Students for a Free Tibet on Emory's campus.
These groups allow him to maintain the connection to his home and origins while living in America, he said.
Although he has already taken in so much, James said he is excited to learn new things each day.
His favorite aspect of Emory, however, is talking to students, especially because it gives him more opportunities to improve his English, he said.
"I have only one request: I want to improve my English. I want to talk to everyone," he said.
With a thirst for knowledge and experience, James Lama is living his days out at Emory and enjoying every minute of it.
– By Naomi Maisel
