NAMGYAL INSTITUTE OF TIBETOLOGYUnder the Auspices of the Government of Sikkim

Gangtok - Sikkim

༄༅། །རྣམ་རྒྱལ་བོད་ཀྱི་ཤེས་རྱིག་ཉམས་ཞྱིབ་ཁང་།

Programme

INTERNATIONAL SEMINARON

QUANTUM PHYSICS AND EMPTINESS IN BUDDHIST

PHILOSOPHY

27-28 MARCH 2018

CONTENTS

Two-Day Programme 3 - 12Abstracts 13 - 26Participants 27 - 38Observers 39

We welcome delegates to Sikkim for the International Seminar

on Quantum Physics and EmPtinEss in

Buddhist PhilosoPhy

TWO-DAY PROGRAMME

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DAY ONE:Tuesday, 27 March 2018

Inaugural Ceremony: 10:00 AM – 1:00 PMVenue: Chintan Bhavan

Time Program

10:00 AM – 10:05 AM Lighting of lamps & Auspicious chanting by the NIT Sowa Rigpa Students

10:05 AM – 10:10 AM Welcome Address by Mr.Tashi Densapa, Director, NIT

10:10 AM – 10:20 AM Brief overview of the Seminar to be presented by Prof. Sisir Roy, the Convener

10:20 AM – 10:50 AM Keynote Address by Prof. Nicolas Gisin from Science perspective

10:50 AM – 11:20AM Keynote Address by Prof. Alan Wallace from Buddhist perspective

11:20 AM – 11:30AM Address by Ven. Geshe Ngawang Samten, Vice Chancellor, CIHTS

11:30 AM – 11:50 AM Inaugural Address by Hon’ble Chief Minister

11:50 AM – 12:00 PM Address by Hon’ble Governor, President, NIT

12:00 PM – 12:05 PM Vote of Thanks

12:05 PM –01:00 PM Lunch Break

PROGRAMME

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Session I: 1:00 PM – 2:20 PMTheme I: Identity & Individuality

Chairperson: Prof. Sisir Roy Speakers: 1. Prof. Michel Bitbol 2. Ven. Geshe Tenzin Damchoe

Time Program

01:00 PM – 01:30 PM Do Particles Inherently Exist? About the lack of individuality and spatio-temporal identity of elemen-tary particles – Prof. Michel Bitbol

01:30 PM – 02:00 PM Identity & Individuality from Pramanavatika Point of View –Ven. Geshe Tenzin Damchoe

02:00 PM – 02:20 PM Q & A

02:20 PM – 02:40 PM Tea Break

PROGRAMME

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Session II: 02:40 PM – 04:00 PMTheme II: Paradigm Shift in the Presentation of the Reality

Time Program

02:40 PM – 03:10 PM Correspondence Principle - Prof. N. Mukunda

03:10 PM – 03:40 PM Different Levels of Realities: Selflessness of Autonomous Substantial Reality and Selflessness of Intrinsic Reality-Mr. Pranshu Samdarshi

03:40 PM – 04:00 PM Q & A

Chairperson: Prof. Vesna A.WallaceSpeakers: 1. Prof. Prof. N. Mukunda 2. Mr. Pranshu Samdarshi

PROGRAMME

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Session III: 04:00 PM – 05:50 PMTheme III: Special Lecture

Chairperson: Prof. Michel BitbolSpeakers: 1. Prof. Nicolas Gisin 2. Prof. Alan Wallace

Time Program

04:00 PM – 04: 45 PM Quantum Non-Locality, Randomness and Free-Will – Prof. Nicolas Gisin

04:45 PM – 05:30 PM Similarities and Differences between Buddhist Concepts of Emptiness and Dependent Origination versus Quantum Theory – Prof.Alan Wallace

05:30 PM – 05:50 PM Q & A

PROGRAMME

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DAY TWO:Wednesday, 28 March 2018

Venue: NIT Conference Hall

Time Program

09:00 AM – 09: 45 AM Quantum Theory as a Participatory Realism - Prof. Christopher Fuchs

09:45 AM – 10:00 AM Q & A

Session IV: 09:00 AM – 10:00 AMTheme IV: Special Lecture

Chairperson: Prof. Vesna A. Wallace Speaker: 1. Prof. C. Fuchs

PROGRAMME

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Session V: 10:00 AM – 11:20 AM Theme V: Concept of Relation & Interpre- tation of Emptiness and Depen- dent Origination in the Context of Shree Kalachakra Tantra

Chairperson: Ven. Geshe Ngawang SamtenSpeakers: 1. Prof. Sisir Roy 2. Prof. Vesna A. Wallace

Time Program

10:00 AM – 10:30 AM Quantum Entanglement and Metaphysics of Relation à la Dharmakirti –Prof. Sisir Roy

10:30AM – 11:00 AM Seeing the World through the Subtle Body and Elemental Parti-cles: a view from the perspective of the Kalachakra Tantra– Prof. Vesna A. Wallace

11:00 AM – 11:20 AM Q & A

11:20 AM – 11:40 AM Tea Break

PROGRAMME

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Session VI: 11:40 AM – 01:00 PM Theme VI: Presentation of Ontological

Reality of Phenomena

Time Program

11:40 AM – 12:10 PM Quantum Views on Reincarnation- Prof. Arun Kumar Pati

12:10 PM – 12:40 PM Ontological Reality Pertaining to Two Truths According to Arya Nagarjuna – Ven. Geshe Ngawang Samten

12:40 PM – 01:00 PM Q &A

01:00 PM – 2:00 PM Lunch Break

Chairperson: Prof. Christopher FuchsSpeakers: 1. Prof. Arun Kumar Pati 2. Ven. Geshe Ngawang Samten

PROGRAMME

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Session VII: 02:00 PM – 03:20 PM Theme VII: Origin and the Substrate of Universe

Chairperson: Prof. Nicolas Gisin Speakers: 1. Prof. R. Ramanathan 2. Ven. Sonam Wangchuk

Time Program

02:00 PM – 02:30 PM The Plausible Emergence of the Universe from Nothing – Prof. R. Ramanathan

02:30 PM – 3:00 PM Concept of Relation and Relativity in Buddhism and Particularly in Madhyamaka and Pramanavatika– Ven. Sonam Wangchuk

03:00 PM – 03:20 PM Q & A

03:20 PM – 03:35 PM Tea Break

PROGRAMME

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Session VIII: 03:35 PM – 04:40 PM Theme VIII: Foundation of Quantum Theory, Quantum Information and Quantum Crytography

Time Program

03:35 PM – 04:00 PM Quantum reality and POVM – Dr. Samyadeb Bhattacharya

04:00 PM – 04:25 PM Quantum cryptography – Dr. R.Srikanth

04:25 PM – 04:40 PM Q & A04:40 PM – 04:45 PM Stage Setting for Valedictory

function

Valedictory Function: 04:50 PM – 05:15 PM

Time Program

04:50 PM – 04:55 PM Mr. Tashi Densapa, Director, NIT, Sikkim - Chairperson

04:55 PM – 05:00 PM Ven. Geshe Ngawang Samten 05:00 PM – 05:05 PM Prof. Sisir Roy05:05 PM – 05:10 PM Prof. Nicolas Gisin05:10 PM – 05:15 PM Prof. Alan Wallace

Chairperson: Prof. Alan Wallace Speakers: 1. Dr. Samyadeb Bhattacharya 2. Dr. R. Srikanth

PROGRAMME

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ABSTRACTS

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sEssion - IIdentity and Individuality

dr. michEl BitBol

Title: Do particles inherently exist? About the lack of indi-viduality and spatio-temporal identity of elementary particles

Abstract: Since the advent of Quantum Theory, the nature of the elementary particles that are deemed to be constituents of matter has been a subject of perplexity. At first, Einstein and De Broglie were puzzled by the apparent association of wave and corpuscle properties in one and the same entity (such as a photon or an electron). Then, with Bose statistics, it became clear that these particles are strongly indiscern-ible and cannot be considered individual. And Heisenberg’s uncertainty relations further showed that there is no way to reidentify a given particle by following continuously its tra-jectory across space and time. But what is a particle that has no individuality and no criterion of identity? According to Schrödinger and several physicists since then, such strange objects “do not exist in the old naive sense”. The concept of an elementary particle has thus been entirely transformed in contemporary Quantum Field Theory. Here, the old model of particles mutually interacting through a field of forces is replaced with a model in which particles are nothing else and nothing more than quantized modes of excitation of the field. Moreover, these modes of excitation are relative to the

DAY 1TUESDAY, 27 March 2018

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“activation device” that is used to measure them. Elementary particles are then construed as having neither inherent existence nor inherent inexistence, but a mode of non-indi-vidual and relative existence. This new concept of particle is best understood in terms of dependent arising

VEn. GEshE tEnzin damchoE

Title: Identity & Individuality from Pramanavatika Point of View

Abstract: Buddhism does not accept the concept of a Creator God but emphasizes instead self-reliance and the in-dividual’s own power and potential. Buddhist thinkers take the Buddha’s word not so much as an ultimate authority but rather as key to assist their own insights for the ultimate au-thority must always rest with the individual’s own reason and critical analysis. It shows that Buddhism is not dogmatic but rather logic-based. Buddha told to his followers:

Dear Sanghas, don’t follow me ignorantly, blindly by saying that I am Buddha and greatly learned. Like the goldsmith melts the gold, tear the gold and keep the pure Gold. Likewise, analyze my teachings and if it is helping you, practice it and otherwise forget it.

This is why we find various conceptions of reality. In Buddhist literature each is based on different level of under-standing of the ultimate nature. When by applying appropri-ate meditative techniques and practices, the individual is able to fully experience this clear light nature of mind, free from the influence and conditioning of the afflictive states, he or she is on the way to true liberation and full enlightenment. Everyone wants happiness and nobody wants suffering but what kind of happiness, short term happiness or ultimate happiness?

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sEssion - iiParadigm Shift in the Presentation of the

RealityProf. n. mukunda

Title: Correspondence Principle

Abstract: An account is given of the role played by the Correspondence Principle of Niels Bohr in the process of development of the quantum theory. The contributions of Max Planck and Albert Einstein, followed by Bohr, are recalled as being the highlights of the Old Quantum Theory. Bohr’s revolution-ary ideas on atomic structure and radiation processes are sketched, and the path to quantummechanics pointed out. The Correspondence Principle is seen as a bridge from the old to the new. Some possible comparisons to the processes of philosophical inquiry are mentioned.

mr. Pranshu samadarshi

Title: Different Levels of Realities: Selflessness of Autono-mous Substantial Reality and Selflessness of Instinsic Reality

Abstract: ‘Selflessness’ (Pāli anattā; Skt. anātman) is one of the central doctrines of Buddhism—it is the nega-tion of an intrinsic nature of any material or mental phe-nomenon. Moreover, the ‘interdependent origination’ (Pāli paţicca-samuppāda; Skt. pratītya-samutpāda) of all phe-nomena has been propounded as the theoretical basis for the functionality of the empirical world. Nevertheless, different schools of Buddhism vary slightly in their interpretation of

ABSTRACTS

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‘selflessness’ and ‘interdependent origination’.

This paper discusses the two different world views of reality as delineated by the Sautrāntika School and the Prāsangika Mādhyamika School of Buddhism. The Sautrāntika School posits the existence of an inherent on-tological reality. According to this school, the reality is out there and it is existent but the subtle impermanence nature of this reality makes it inapprehensible to our sense percep-tion. Therefore, for anordinary cognition, all apprehended phenomenal reality is based on the assembly of after-image of sensory inputs and the ascertaining mind. On the other hand, the Prāsangika Mādhyamika School highlights the contradictory nature of the Sautrāntika view in its assump-tion of an inherent nature of ontological reality. According to the Prāsangika Mādhyamika School, the reality is empty of any sort of intrinsic nature (Skt.svabhāva-śūnya); the per-ceived reality is just a mental construct (Skt. vikalpa) that aligns with the subjective representation to form the external reality. This paper also highlights the redundancy of any epistemological or ontological determinism, as pointed out by Prāsangika Mādhyamika philosophers.

sEssion - IIISpecial Lecture

Prof. nicolas Gisin

Title: Quantum Non-Locality, Randomness and Free-Will

Abstract: Quantum theory is a fascinating master work of human intelligence, allowing one to enter the marvelous world of atoms and photons (particles of light). At that scale Nature operates in very different ways than those we are ac-

ABSTRACTS

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custom to in our everyday life. The most surprising (at least to physicists) is that Nature is intrinsically non- deterministic. Somehow, Nature is able of acts of pure creation. Moreover, these random events may manifest themselves at several locations, allowing thus for non- local quantum correlations. Such correlations are stronger than any correlations in our everyday life. They, seem to emerge from outside space-time in the sense that no story in space-time that tell how they happen.

Non-determinism and non-locality allow for seem-ingly impossible applications, like quantum random number generators and the secure distribution of cryptographic key, both already commercialized.

Finally, non-determinism and non-locality force us to completely reconsider our world-view. In particular the old question about the (in-)compatibility of free-will with scien-tific determinism has to be replaced by the new question of the (in-)compatibility of free-will with non-determinism.

Prof. alan WallacE

Title: Similarities and Differences between Buddhist Concepts of Emptiness and Dependent Origination versus Quantum Theory

Abstract: According to leading, contemporary theo-retical physicists, there is no such thing as space-time, fundamentally in the actual, underlying description of the laws of physics. Moreover, experiments attempting to iso-late and measure the properties of a single elementary particle reveal that it is nowhere to be found as an entity existing prior to and independent of the act of measure-ment. The attributes of elementary particles, such as their

ABSTRACTS

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mass or velocity, arise only relative to the measurement of them. From their own side, they are empty. Prior to the act of measurement, one can describe only a probability that some value will be observed. This implies that neither space-time nor any configuration of mass-energy in the universe exists by its own inherent nature. Buddhist philosophers and con-templatives have likewise found through logical analysis and experiential inquiry that all phenomena throughout the uni-verse—including both physical and mental phenomena—are empty of inherent nature. They arise as dependently related events existing only relative to the conceptual imputations of them. While the above scientific finding has profound impli-cations for the entire scientific worldview and for technolo-gy, the Buddhist discovery of emptiness and dependent orig-ination cuts the root of all mental afflictions, which are the fundamental causes of suffering, and reveals the profound role of consciousness in the natural world. The scientific discovery of emptiness remains at a conceptual level and is unrelated to any ethical framework, while Buddhist insights are directly experiential and are embedded within the frame-work of ethics, the cultivation of mental balance and inner well- being, and wisdom.

ABSTRACTS

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ABSTRACTS

sEssion - IVSpecial Lecture

Prof. christoPhEr fuchs

Title: QBism: Quantum Theory as a Participatory Realism

Abstract: Long before the discovery of quantum theory, there happened to be a short-lived philosophical movement known as “New Realism”. The key mark of that philosophy was that it attempted to use William James’s radical empiri-cism as a springboard to a full-fledged ontology. Like James, the New Realists wanted to take the neutral concept of “pure experience”—a category that was neither mind nor matter—to be the basic stuff of the universe, but they did not feel it was sufficiently de-anthropocentrized to be up to the job. This, in spirit, if not in technique, is a concern quite familiar to the modern-day interpretation of quantum theory known as QBism. QBism feels that it has demystified the subject matter of quantum theory by being forcefully single-minded about the role of the formalism: It is purely to allow deci-sion-making agents like ourselves to make better decisions (concerning the personal consequences of our actions—i.e., our experiences) in the light of a world whose character we have come to call “quantum.” If the world were a different world, we would use a different calculus from the quantum theory for making our best decisions. But then, what does that teach us about the stuff of the world? Well, a lot actually. The very resistance of the formalism to a cheap and easy realist reading of it signifies that there is something quite

DAY 2WEDNESDAY, 28 March 2018

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new and unique going on here. Those things we gamble on when we use quantum theory are fleeting in a way that no classical, materialist conception of the universe can come close to capturing. They are like James’s pure experiences where “new being comes in local spots and patches”, and the universe is not uni-, but rather pluri-: We for the first time in science are confronted with having to ask, what might it mean to be immersed in a pluriverse where parts of it are of our own making, and what de-anthropocentrized extract we might nevertheless draw from these considerations.

sEssion - VConcept of Relation and Interpretation of Emptiness and Dependent origination of

Shri Kalachakra TantraProf. sisir roy

Title: Quantum Entanglement and Meta-physics of Relation à la Dharmakirti

Abstract: Quantum entanglement is a property of a quantum state consisting of two or more microscopic ob-jects like photons, electrons, neutrons, etc. The objects pro-ducing the joint state i.e., entangled state is not separable but makes a non-local connection between the objects sep-arated by arbitrary distance. The concept of non- locality is a metaphysical concept. This non-local connection or quantum correlation has been experimentally verified in laboratory experiment by Gisin et al where the distance of separation between the two such objects is over a distance more than 12 km. This connection or so to say, the relation between the two microscopic entities contains the informa-tion about the relata (here, the microscopic objects) though

ABSTRACTS

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the relata do not necessarily need to have intrinsic proper-ties. If the relata do not have intrinsic properties or shavaba, they are not considered as real. On the other hand the quan-tum entanglement or the relation has been shown to be used in laboratory experiment and considered to be real. So it raises the important debate whether relation is equally real with relata?

This kind of issues have been raised and critically analyzed by various Indian schools of philosophy for many centuries. Buddhist scholar Dharmakirti raised a lot of de-bate about the reality of the relations. In this presentation we discuss the issue of relation as real from Dharmakirti’s perspective.

Prof. VEsna a. WallacE

Title: Seeing the World through the Subtle Body and Elemental Particles: a view from the perspective of the Kālacakra Tantra

Abstract: Similarly to the manner in which the quantum physics departs from classical physics, the early eleventh- century Kālacakra tantric tradition’s theory of the quantized space and other elemental particles constituting the cosmos departs from the classical Indic theory of atoms as expounded in Vasubandhu’s Treasury of Abhidharma (Abhidharmakośa, 4th-5th cent.) and its commentary ( Abhidharmakośabhāṣya), which assert the ontological reality of the smallest atomic units. This presentation will provide a comparative analysis of the two mentioned, Buddhist theories of elemental particles, and it will demonstrate how the Kālacakrantra’s theory of subtle energies and the habitual propensities of the observer influence the observer’s perception of what appears as a physicality of the external world and one’s own body

ABSTRACTS

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can engage in a meaningful dialogue with the contemporary quantum theory.

sEssion - VIPresentation of Ontological Reality of

PhenomenaProf. arun kumar Pati

Title: Quantum Views on Reincarnation.

Abstract: The notion of reincarnation is a philosophical concept which adhere that a living being starts a new life in a different physical body after it’s cessation. It is also called as rebirth and is a central doctrine in Buddhism. In this talk, I will give a quantum mechanical view of reincarnation. In particular, I will discuss how Quantum mechanics actually allows us to recover the lost information about a physical entity. Whenever some information is lost from a quan-tum system, it simply moves from one physical body and reappears in another physical body. If quantum mechanics is a fundamental theory of Nature, then reincarnation is inevitable.

Prof. GEshE nGaWanG samtEn

Title: Mādhyamik Perspective of the World

Abstract: According to Buddhist Philosophy, the gap be-tween reality and perception is the source of problem. Entire world can be seen in three categories: physical, mental and non-concurrent formations. Buddhist philosophical schools have rejected substantiality of these phenomena either par-

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tially or in entirety. Negation of reificationism culminates at the level of Prasaṅgika MādhyamikaSchool according to which every phenomena is mere designated by conceptual thought and verbal language. However, this does not negate the conventional world.

sEssion - VIIOrigin and the Substrate of Universe

Prof. r. ramanathan

Title: The Plausible Emergence of the Universe from Nothing

Abstract: The big bang model of the universe is the consistent model in agreement with data available presently. There is a possibility that it emerged spontaneously from an underlying quantum vacuum. What are the bewildering outcomes of this speculation is the subject of this presenta-tion.

VEn. sonam WanGchuk

Title: Concept of Relation and Relativity in Buddhism and Particularly in Madhyamaka and Pramanavatika

Abstract: 1) Pratiyasamutpada (dependent arising), in Tibetan is called བརེན་ནས་སྐེ་བ་ This concept is the basic structure of the twelve linkages of dependent origination and it has an empirical practicality in our daily life, such as being more generous because its effect for the next life.

2) Idampratyayata (dependent existence). In Tibetan is called, བརེན་ནས་བཞག་པ་ The principle of this concept can be

ABSTRACTS

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introduced in various ways. For example, every river has two banks and we usually call them, this side of the river bank and that side of the river bank. If there is no one side of it, then it is impossible to have other side of it. Another example is that when talk about the size of any object, such as big or small, short or long, we can talk about these things only in relation of one to another. Therefore, these are dependently existent.

3) Prajnaptir Upadaya (dependent designation). In Tibetan it is referred to as བརེན་ནས་བཏགས་པ་ To present this con-cept, we have one popular example and that is the chariot. A chariot is merely designated as such based on its parts and compositions by our concepts and there is no one single thing that can be considered as a ‘chariot’ from the chariot itself. Therefore, similar to this, all the physical phenomena and mental entities are just designation of our concepts and de-pendently existent. 4) These three concepts are being used as a very strong antidote to eradicate the notion of “ absoluteness or intrinsic existence,” which is referred as “ Svabhava” in Sanskrit and རང་བཞྱིན་ in Tibetan. This existence of intrinsic nature is completely objected in the logical.

sEssion - ViiiFoundation of Quantum Theory,

Quantum Information and Quantum Cryptography

dr. samyadEB Bhattacharya

Title: Quantum reality and POVM

Abstract: The advent of Quantum Mechanics has created a uniquely puzzling situation in physics. Though it turned

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out to be enormously successful in explaining the behaviour of matter at all scales—from the level of elementary parti-cles to even cosmic phenomena; still researchers have not been able, in more than eight decades, to reach a consensus on its interpretation. There is no agreement over uniquely quantum features as incommensurability, indeterminacy, indeterminism, and non-locality. Here we will try to address the issue of quantum realism from the perspective of Positive Operator valued Measurement—which is the most general-ized version of quantum measurement.

Prof. r. srikanth

Title: Quantum Information, Quantum Cryptography

Abstract: Quantum cryptography promises to be the most important application of quantum information theory. At the heart of this strange and impressive power that quantum me-chanics bestows on us lies the quantum feature that certain properties of physical systems don’t seem to possess reality or definiteness prior to the act of measurement. The talk will focus on the conceptual aspects of quantum mechanics that enable secrecy to be possible and reflect on the ontological and philosophical implications of those aspects, including the nature of causality and free will.

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PARTICIPANTS

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Prof. nicolas Gisin: born in Geneva, Switzerland, in 1952. His interests cover a wide range of top-ics, from the foundations of quantum physics and philosophy, to applica-tions in quantum communications. He was awarded many large projects and prizes, authored hundreds of sci-entific papers and a popular book on

Quantum Chance and Non-Locality, and is a co-founder of a successful company in Quantum cryptography.

Prof. alan B. WallacE: began his studies of Tibetan Buddhism, language, and culture in 1970 at the University of Göttingen and then continued his studies over the next fourteen years in India, Switzerland, and the United States. During most of that time he trained as a Tibetan

Buddhist monk, ordained by H.H. the Dalai Lama, for whom he has often served as interpreter. After graduating summa cum laude from Amherst College in 1987, where he studied physics and the philosophy of science, he went on to earn his Ph.D. in religious studies at Stanford University in 1995. He then taught for four years in the Department of Religious Studies at the University of California at Santa Barbara and is the founder and president of the Santa Barbara Institute for Consciousness Studies (http://sbinsti-tute.com). He has edited, translated, authored, and contrib-uted to more than forty books on Tibetan Buddhism, medicine, language, and culture, and the interface between science and Buddhism, including Meditations of a Buddhist

PARTICIPANTS

29

Skeptic: A Manifesto for the Mind Sciences and Contemplative Practice,Mind in the Balance: Meditation in Science, Buddhism, and Christianity, and Hidden Dimensions: The Unification of Physics and Conscious-ness.

Prof. christoPhEr fuchs: is a Professor of Physics at the Uni-versity of Massachusetts, Boston. Previously,he held research posi-tions at Raytheon BBN Technolo-gies, the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics, and the leg-endary Bell Laboratories. From

1996-1999 he was the Lee DuBridge Prize Post doctoral Fellow at the California Institute of Technology. He is an author or co- author of over 100 scholarly pieces, with nearly 12,000 citations on Google Scholar. One of his co- authored papers “ Unconditional Quantum Teleportation” was voted a top-ten “breakthrough of the year 1998” by the editors of Science. He was a 2010 winner of the International Quantum Communication Award and in 2012 elected a Fellow of the American Physical Society for his work in the foundations of quantum theory. On top of physics, Prof. Fuchs’s human-istic interests come through in his Cambridge University Press book Coming of Age with Quantum Information. In a recent posting, he described himself as “for the last 25 years having lived and breathed the question of what quantum theory is trying to tell us about the world.” He calls his current understanding QBism.

PARTICIPANTS

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Prof. sisir roy: is a theoretical physicist now working as T.V.Raman Pai Chair Visiting Professor, National Institute of Advanced Studies, IISc Campus, Bangalore. Previously he worked as Professor, at Physics and Applied Mathematics Unit, Indian Statistical Institute, Kolkata during 1993-2014. Prof. Roy did his post-

doc in Institute Henri Poincare, Paris, France. He worked as Distinguished Visiting Professor in many US and European Universities. He collaborated mainly with Prof. J.P. Vigier, France; Prof. Bo Lehnert, Alfven Laboratory, Sweden; Prof. MenasKafatos, George Mason University, Prof. Ralph Abraham, University of California and Prof. Rodolfo Llinas, New York University School of Medicine, NY,USA.

His main field of interests includes Foundations of Quantum Theory, Theoretical Astrophysics, Brain Function Modeling and higher order cognitive activities. He published more than one hundred fifty papers in various peer- reviewed international journals, twelve monographs and edited volumes published by Kluwer Academic Publishers, World Scientific, Singapore and others. Now he is working as member of editorial boards of various international journals and editor of e-book series.

His recent books include :

1. Sisir Roy and Ralph Abraham (2011) Demystifying Akasha: Quantum Vacuum and Consciousness, Epigraph, NY, USA

2. Sisir Roy (2016) Decision making and modeling in cognitive science, Springer

3. B.V.Sreekantan and Sisir Roy (2017) Empiricism and

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Introspection : quest for reality in modern physics and ancient Indian wisdom ( submitted for publica-tion)

National Institute of Advanced Studies, IISC Cam-pus, Bengaluru – 560012. E-mail: sisir.sisirroy@gmail.com

Prof. r. srikanth: is an Associate Professor in the Theoreti-cal Sciences Department of Poornaprajna Institute of Scientific Research, Bengaluru and obtained his PhD from the Astrophysics Dept., IISc, Bengaluru. He has over 70 pub-licationsin reputed, international

peer-reviewed journals, and serves as a reviewer for several journals. He is on the editorial board of the international journalQuanta. His main areas of research interest are: Foun-dations of quantum mechanics, Quantum information theo-ry, Quantum cryptography, Solar physics: super granulation, Consciousness, free will and causality. He is the founding coordinator of the Center for Foundational Studywithin PPISR, which aims to explore ways to bridge science and philosophy (including conscious-ness studies, foundations of mathematics, etc.).

Prof. GEshE nGaWanG samtEn: is currently the Vice-Chancellor of the Central Institute of Higher Tibetan Studies, Sarnath, Varanasi where he also earned the titles of Shastri, Acharya and M.Phil. He received his monastic education at Gaden Shartse Monastery

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at Mundgod in Karnataka where he obtained the Geshe Dhorampa and later the GesheLharampa degree, equivalent to Ph.D. degree.

Professor Samten, with his special interest in the philosophy of Nagarjuna, published the definitive critical edition of the Ratnavali with its commentary.He is credited with important publications, such as a critical edition of Abhidhammattha Samgaho, a critical edition of Sanskrit and Tibetan versions of the Pindidrita and the Pancakrama of Nagarjuna, and co-au-thored The Ocean of Reasoning, an annotated English trans-lation of the commentary on Nagarjuna’s Mulamadhyamaka Karika by the Tibetan master thinker Tson-Kha-Pa, pub-lished by Oxford University Press.

He frequently lectures in the United States, Europe, Australia, Russia, some of the Asian countries as well as in India, where he has been instrumental in promoting Buddhist Studies. He has held Visiting Professorial assignments at Hampshire, Amherst and Smith Colleges in the USA and at the Universi-ty of Tasmania in Australia as well as frequently participates in national and international conferences.

Professor Samten has been on numerous academic bodies of Universities and expert committees of the Ministries of Government of India, and as a member on the boards of sev-eral Institutes in USA, Canada, Thailand, France and Austria. He has also served in the Editorial Board of International Association of Tibetan Studies in Harvard. He has been the Vice President of Association of Indian Universities, and has served chairman/member of various expert committees con-stituted by the University Grant Commission of India.

In 2009, he was awarded Padma Shri (one of the country’s highest civilian awards) by the President of India for his dis-tinguished services in the field of education and literature.

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dr. samyadEB Bhattacharya: is currently National Post - Doctoral Fellow (SERB) at S.N. Bose National Centre for Basic Sciences (Kolkata). He was previously Post- Doctoral Fellow, Quantum Information and Computation Group, Harish-

Chandra Research Institute, Allahabad. He earned his Ph.D. on Quantum Tunnelling in Dissipative Systems (supervisor, Prof.Sisir Roy) from the Indian Statistical Institute, Kolkata, West Bengal, which was awarded by University of Calcutta, July 2015.

His current Research interests are:

1. Open Quantum system.

a) Modelling the dynamics of quantum systems interacting with spin environments. Derivation of the exact master equations and their characterization. Study of quantum correlations under the mentioned evolutions.

b) Characterization of non-Markovianity and their appli-cations in Quantum informationand Quantum Thermo-dynamics.

2. Quantum Thermodynamics.

a) Quantum Heat engines and refrigerators. Modelling Quantum absorption refrigerators with non- Markovian reservoir and heat baths.

b) Protocols to achieve fast efficient cooling in Quantum absorption refrigerators. Comparative study of Coeffi-cient of Performance and Quantum speed limits.

c) Thermodynamic characterizations of non- Markovianity.

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Major publications:

1. Universal quantum uncertainty relations between non- ergodicity and loss of information. Natasha Awasthi, S. Bhattacharya, Aditi Sen (De) & Ujjwal Sen. Phys. Rev. A 97, 032103 (2018).

2. Dynamics and thermodynamics of a central spin im-mersed in a spin bath.C. Mukhopadhyay, S. Bhattacharya, A. Misra & A. K. Pati.Phys. Rev. A 96, 052125 (2017).

3. Exact master equation for a spin interacting with a spin bath: Non-Markovianity and negative entropy produc-tion rate. S. Bhattacharya, A. Misra, C. Mukhopadhyay & A.K. Pati, Phys. Rev. A 95, 012122(2017).

4. Energy cost of creating quantum coherence. Avijit Misra, U. Singh, S. Bhattacharya & A.K. Pati, Phys. Rev.A, 93, 052335 (2016).

5. Delineating incoherent non-Markovian dynamics using quantum coherence.T. Chanda & S. Bhattacharya, Annals of Physics, 366, 1 (2016).

Prof. n. mukunda: worked at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research in Mumbai till 1972, and then at the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, till 2001. His areas of research and teaching are classical and quantum mechanics, theoretical optics and mathematical physics. He is currently INSA C. V.

Raman Research Professor based at the Indian Academy of Sciences at Bangalore.

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dr. michEl BitBol: is researcher at the CNRS, Paris, France. He received a M.D., a Ph.D. in physics and a “Habilitation” in philosophy. After a start in scientific research, he turned to philosophy, editing texts by Erwin Schrödinger and formulat-ing a neo-Kantian philosophy of quantum mechanics. He then studied

the relations between the philosophy of physics and the philosophy of mind, in collaboration with Francisco Varela. He drew a parallel between Buddhist dependent arising and non- supervenient relations, in quantum physics and the theory of knowledge. And he recently developed a concep-tion of consciousness inspired from an epistemology of first- person knowledge.

mr. Pranshu samadarshi: has been a full-time student of Buddhism for over a decade. His research con-cerns the history and literature of Buddhism in Southern Asia and Tibet. For his Ph.D. research at the Universityof Delhi, he has explored the dynamic relationship between the sacred feminine imagery and Buddhist

Tantra practice. He is also enrolled in the master’s program of Nalanda Buddhist philosophy at Tibet House, Delhi. He has been awarded a Junior and a Senior Research Fellowship by the UGC, India.

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Prof. VEsna a. WallacE: is a senior Professor of Buddhist Studies in the Department of Religious Studies at University of California, Santa Barbara. She received her Ph.D. from the Department of South and South-east Asian Studies at University of California, Berkeley. Her primary area of research is Buddhism in South Asia,

particularly tantric Buddhism and Mahāyāna, and her other area of research is Buddhism in Mongolia. She has published five books, three of which related to the Kālacakratantra, and she also authored numerous articles on Indian and Mongolian Buddhism.

Prof. r. ramanathan: is retired as a senior professor of physics at the University of Delhi after over thirty-four years of teaching and research in November 2016. He continues his research work in the university with his group of co- workers in Delhi University. His interests span across several areas of

theoretical physics in which he has nearly a hundred published papers and a few books in the past four decades. He also has interest in the history and philosophy of science on which he has published numerous articles. He is one of the originators of the interpolative quantum statistics also known as Haldane statistics.

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VEn. sonam WanGchuk: stud-ied at Sera Je Monastery. He is Moolshastra Teacher at the Central Institute of Tibetan Studies at Sar-nath where he currently teaches Pra-manavartika to Acharya classes. Af-ter more than twenty years of study of Buddhist philosophies and mod-ern sciences, he authored a book in 2013 concerned with ‘philosophical

meditation of Madhyamika and descriptions of science’ which is often praised by His Holiness the Dalai Lama. For this reason, he is often invited to talk on this topic.

VEn. GEshE tEnzin damchoE: born in Dharamsala, Ven. Geshe Tenzin Damchoe first attended the Lower TCV School, then TCV Bylakuppe (Commerce) and was awarded by a Bachelor of Commerce from St. Philomena’s College of Mysore University. He then joined the Institute of Buddhist Dialectic

School where he studied Buddhist philosophy for 16 years and was awarded the Geshe degree from Drepung Loseling Monastery of south India. He taught Buddhist Philosophy and practices at Earlham College, USA, as well as at The Tibet Fund for four years. He was a visiting scholar at the Oriental Institute, University of Oxford. At present he is working at Sarah College for Higher Tibetan Studies as a lecturer on Buddhist Philosophy and practices.

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Prof. arun kumar Pati: is a leading Quantum Physicist, present-ly Professor, Quantum Information and Computation Group at the Harish Chandra Research Institute, Allahabad. His research areas in-clude all aspects of Quantum Infor-mation and Quantum Computation, and the Foundations of Quantum

Mechanics. Among his important discoveries are the No-Deletion theorem, Geometric Phases for mixed state, Remote State Preparation, the No-Hiding Theorem and the Stronger Uncertainty Relations beyond Heisenberg’s. He has more than 150 research papers in international journals and conferences on these topics. He has edited two books:(i) Quantum Information with Continuous Variables and(ii) Quantum Aspects of Life. His research papers have been

highlighted in NATURE, NATURE ASIA, SCIENCE, and many national and international newspapers. He has received several awards that include: (i) Recipient of the Indian Physical Society Award for Young Physicists (1996).(ii) Indian Physics Association Award for Young Scientists (2000). (iii) Honorary Research Fellow, University of Wales, Bangor, UK (2001). (iv) Received the `Samanta Chandra Sekhar Award’ from the Orissa Bigyan Academy in the area of physical science (2009). (v) Elected as a Fellow of the Indian Academy of Science, Bangalore (2013). (vi) Elected as a Fellow of the National Academy of Science, Allahabad (2013). (vii) Honored with K. P. Chair Professor at Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China (2013-2015).

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Dr. Malabika RoyMrs. Usha MukundaMr. Dipankar KhannaProf. Konchok WangdueVen. Khenpo ChowangDr. Teinlay TrogawaMr. Amitav MathurMr. Mallay SinhaMr. Ajeer VidhyaMr. Naresh MathurProf. Lobsang Tenzing RagdorDr. Dorjee DamdulDr. Tenpa ChoephelDr. Lobsang DhondupMs. Tenzin Kunsang

OBSERVERS