The Mind and Life Institute was created as a result of communication between the Dalai Lama and Western scientists interested in pursuing the interface between science and Buddhism. Since 1987 the Mind and Life Institute has conducted meetings regularly to discuss cognitive science, neuroscience, health, emotions, consciousness, death, dreaming, sleep, ethics, physics, cosmology, biology, meditation, Buddhist philosophy, and Western psychology. The meetings have resulted in a number of books narrating the proceedings of several of the conferences. More recently, the Institute has begun to create a network of scientists, Buddhist practitioners, and scholars to engage in interdisciplinary research on meditation, emotional balance, the brain, and health. The website features the history and mission statement of the Institute, information on past and future meetings and events, references to relevant books and publications, an outline of current research initiatives, connections to the Mind & Life email groups, and profiles for all the participants in the Institute. (Zach Rowinski 2004-05-09)