Amma (Mata Amritanandamayi) took part in Stanford University's acclaimed Conversations on Compassion series, joining neurosurgeon Dr. James Doty — founder and director of Stanford's Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education (CCARE) — for a wide-ranging dialogue. Held in the 1,700-seat Memorial Auditorium, the ninety-minute conversation drew the largest audience in the series' history.
Responding to Dr. Doty's questions, Amma spoke of compassion not as mere sentiment but as the very foundation of a meaningful life:
For me, compassion is the most important factor in our lives. It is the first step. If we take this first step courageously, without fear, then all of our decisions and subsequent actions and their results will have a special beauty, spontaneity and power.
— Amma
CCARE, established with an initial gift from His Holiness the Dalai Lama, investigates how compassion and altruism can be cultivated through rigorous scientific research. The dialogue offered a rare meeting of contemplative wisdom and modern science — a fitting reflection of a life that has embraced and consoled tens of millions of people around the world.
