Meditation and Speaker Panel with Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche

Join the Buddhist Community at Stanford (BCAS) for a day with Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche on Saturday, October 3, 2026, featuring meditation, Buddhist teaching, and a conversation across contemplative wisdom, artificial intelligence, and economics. Co-sponsored by the Stanford Speakers Bureau.

9:45–11:30 a.m. — Meditation and Dharma Talk
CIRCLE Sanctuary, 3rd floor, Old Union, 520 Lasuen Mall.
A guided meditation and Buddhist teaching led by Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche, exploring practical methods for meditation practice and awareness.

1:30–2:30 p.m. — Small-group meetings with Rinpoche
Memorial Church Round Room; enter at the back of the church.
Limited capacity and currently open to Stanford affiliates only. Submit interest through the event registration form. Your place is confirmed only when you receive a follow-up email.

3:00–5:00 p.m. — The Human Compass: Finding Direction in an Age of AI and Upheaval
Memorial Church, 450 Jane Stanford Way, Building 500.

How can we shape AI with care and stay grounded in a changing world?

Join a conversation across contemplative wisdom, artificial intelligence, and economics about the intelligence we cultivate in machines, ourselves, and our societies. Together, we will explore how powerful technologies can serve long-term human well-being, and how wisdom and compassion can guide us through uncertainty, polarization, and rapid change. The panel will be followed by audience Q&A.

Speakers

• Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche — Tibetan Buddhist teacher, scholar, and meditation master; founder of Nalandabodhi and Nitartha Institute.
• Myron Scholes — Professor of finance, emeritus, at Stanford Graduate School of Business and Nobel laureate in Economic Sciences.
• Benjamin Van Roy — Stanford professor of Electrical Engineering and Management Science & Engineering; DeepMind research team lead.
• Moderator: Johnathan Bi — Public intellectual and interviewer whose conversations explore philosophy and culture.

Reserve your free afternoon-panel ticket on Eventbrite. Select the afternoon speaker-panel ticket. Separate tickets are required for the morning and afternoon in-person sessions.

Registration: The morning meditation and afternoon panel are open to the public. Please reserve a separate free Eventbrite ticket for each in-person session you plan to attend. Both sessions will also be streamed on Zoom; no ticket is required to join online. See the event details page for online access and the full schedule.

Recording notice: The morning meditation and afternoon panel will be recorded and shared online. Audience members may be visible or audible, especially during Q&A.

Contact: bcas-officers@lists.stanford.edu