This month (June 2006) we talk to Pat Lawman.

Pat Lawman, Ph.D., is the CEO of Morphogenesis, Inc., a biotechnology company that specializes in developing cellular therapies. She is the Foundaiton Program teacher at Parbawatiya Center, and is enrolled in TTP (Teacher Training Program).

When were you first attracted to Buddhism?

I became interested in Buddhist thought when I read Siddhartha, by Hermann Hesse in the 1970’s.

What made you come to this Buddhist Center?

The notion of finding peace and tranquility within my own mind through mediation was particularly appealing to me at the time because I was finding it difficult to identify a way to extract meaning from my everyday activities, my spiritual path and my life in general. I came to this Buddhist Center in particular because the website stressed Buddha’s teachings rather than the cultural aspects emphasized in other traditions.

Were you apprehensive about coming? What did you expect?

I have to admit that my first visit was not without trepidation. I wasn’t sure what to expect or even what to wear.

What were your first impressions when you arrived?

The first thing that struck me was the peaceful feeling in the meditation room. The atmosphere almost invited me to take a deep breath and relax. However, it was the friendly, happy people and the logical and practical aspects of Buddha’s teachings that made me want to go back the very next time class was offered.

What do you like best about coming here? 

I like the fact that there is no pressure to believe anything that is taught and in fact, you are encouraged to question everything that is said. I love the pure Buddhadharma and the amazing people.

How would you explain the benefits of meditation to someone new?

? I would say that meditation takes you to a place few of us have ever been. It is a journey into our own mind. When we realize that it is our mind that determines the quality of our experiences in this life, we are then compelled to use this powerful tool of meditation to develop a deeper understanding of the way things really exist and to thereby gain some degree of control of our life and our experience of life.

How has what you have learned here made a difference in your everyday work and home life?

I think that I am much better equipped to take the good with the bad, to feel more compassion toward all living beings and to put everything into a more realistic perspective.

What do you feel that Buddhism can offer to the world today?

The most immediate thing Buddhism can offer is peace and happiness in this life. If everyone in the world today prioritized love and compassion instead of materialism and selfishness, they would experience inner peace and through this, the work would be a more loving and peaceful place.

What is your favorite Kadampa Buddhist quotation?

Atisha, the founder of Kadampa Buddhism said,:

"Since you cannot tame the mind of others until you have tamed your own, begin by taming your own mind."

What is your favorite Dharma movie?

The Way Home is a Korean movie about a spoiled, selfish little boy who goes to stay with his grandmother in the country while his mother looks for a job in the city. The grandmother has absolutely nothing to offer her grandchild except unconditional love. In the end, this love changed the boy’s heart as nothing else could. The qualities in the grandmother exemplified the Bodhisattva’s way of life.

What is your favorite book by Geshe Kelsang?

This is the most difficult question on this questionnaire, but I would have to say that my favorite book that Geshe-la has written so far is Great Treasury of Merit. I’m not sure exactly why although one reason may be because this book is a commentary to my favorite practice, Offering to the Spiritual Guide.

With which historical Kadampa Buddhist practitioner do you most identify, and why?

I would have to say Milarepa because he had such a far way to go when he began practicing the Dharma. I just hope I can make a much progress as quickly as he did.

What aspect of the Bodhisattva's way of life most inspires you?

The most inspiring aspect of the Bodhisattva’s way of life is the motivation that lies behind every action a Bodhisattva takes, i.e. the mind of enlightenment—the wish to become enlightened in order to help all other living beings be free from suffering and to have lasting happiness.

What's the first thing you're going to do when you become a Buddha? 

I suppose I would do what a Buddha does best, to help all the living beings still suffering down the path that others have been so kind to share with me.