Running Toward Mystery

September 15, 2019
The director of the Ethics Initiative at the MIT Media Lab tells the compelling story of how he evolved away from his Hindu Brahmin background to become a Buddhist monk. Priyadarshi was 10 years old when he first received the call to abandon "the comfort zone of the familiar, with its false sense of certainty and complacent promises." After awakening from a recurring dream of a Japanese Buddhist monk, he left his school dormitory in Kolkata and traveled to a Buddhist temple several hours away in Rajgir. There, he found a photograph of the man he had seen in his dreams and met a monk named Nabatame who told Priyadarshi that he had been "expect[ed]." By the time his uncle found him, Priyadarshi knew that his mission was to follow the teachings of the Buddha. Forced to return home, he fought to carry on with a plan that went against what was expected of him as the member of a Brahmin family. He reached an uneasy truce with his parents only after he promised to continue his schooling by day and attend prayer sessions at the local Buddhist temple before dawn and at night. In the years that followed, he traveled to other Buddhist temples in India and Nepal. Later, he failed his university entrance exams so that he could become a fully ordained monk. His family then sent him to live with an uncle in New York, where he attended college and studied world religions. A scholarship to study abroad for a year returned him to India, where he continued the monastic education that would culminate in ordination. Later, the author attended Harvard Divinity School and became a visiting scholar at MIT, where he began an interdisciplinary dialogue about ethics that evolved into the Dalai Lama Center for Ethics and Transformative Values. In this wise and searching journey Priyadarshi fearlessly engages with the mystery of life and explores the visible and invisible connections that comprise our "vast web" of being. A spiritual memoir with plenty of food for thought.

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October 21, 2019
Priyadarshi, president and CEO of the Dalai Lama Center for Ethics and Transformative Values at MIT, explores his lifelong pull toward spirituality in his remarkable debut. Priyadarshi does not offer spiritual teachings or meditation instructions, but instead opens up his life as a living example of what it means to engage in “aesthetics of relationship.” At the age of six, he first had visions of monks meditating on a mountain. At 10, he ran away from home and found the place of his vision—a monastery in Rajgir, India—and began training as a monk. Later, he attended universities in Varanasi, India, where he studied under Samdhong Rinpoche, who introduced him to Tibetan Buddhism as well as Tibetan “diaspora and politics,” which became an interest of his and helped to fuel his work with conflict resolution and international peace efforts. By recounting the deep relationships he cultivated with “virtuous friends” across religious, social, and geographic boundaries, he reveals the motivation, discipline, and sense of purpose required for spiritual development and courageous “interconnectedness.” While the lack of explicit teachings or instructions may be a turn off for some readers, this is nonetheless a deeply moving account of a life dedicated to friendships formed through a common interest in spirituality.

Starred review from January 1, 2020

Here unravels the adventurous life of the Venerable Priyadarshi, founder and CEO of the Dalai Lama Ctr. for Ethics and Transformative Values, MIT, and director of Ethics Initiative at MIT Media Lab. Born in India to a Hindu Brahman family, Priyadarshi left boarding school at age ten to enter a Buddhist monastery in Rajgir. Family prohibited his stay; however, Priyadarshi knew he had found a glimpse into visions and dreams that began when he was six years old. A spiritual odyssey ensued, as he continued his academic studies. Priyadarshi chronicles interreligious dialogs that have transpired over the years, receiving guidance from Mother Theresa, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, the Mamos of Columbia, and Father Thomas Keating. After undergoing formative Buddhist training, Priyadarshi continued to be mentored by the Dalai Lama. VERDICT The purpose of this memoir, which is highly recommended for all spirituality collections, is not to impress but to inspire readers to find a thread connecting them to humanity and the courage to explore the many facets of oneself. A cross between Paramahansa Yogananda's Autobiography of a Yogi and Pema Chödrön's When Things Fall Apart, this more than succeeds.--Angela Forret, State Lib. of Iowa

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Starred review from November 15, 2019
Priyadarshi's fascinating story begins with him at age six and recounts his memories, dreams, and visions. A Hindu Brahman, he ran away to a Buddhist monastery at 10, certain that was his place. Although his parents brought him home, his path was set. In the years that followed, he was ordained by the Dalai Lama, mentored by Mother Teresa, and currently serves many roles, including as the first Buddhist chaplain at MIT, and president and CEO of MIT's Dalai Lama Center for Ethics and Transformative Values. While his experiences are extraordinary, Priyadarshi presents his life in a humble way. In the epilogue, we hear a great insight from his father who, in the midst of one of their last conversations said, you have become a teacher to the world. Readers of any background may appreciate the insight he has gained as a student, teacher, world traveler, and man who has experienced life on Earth while exploring the mysteries of the universe.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)