darren milligan

curriculum vitae
portfolio
biography

smithsonian learning lab
smithsonian education online
edtech strategy
education metadata
talk with me toolkits
world of your senses
smithsonian in your classroom
create:smithsonian
idealabs: sizing up the universe
idealabs: prehistoric climate change

His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet and other monks, dressed in red, view one of the panels of the World of Your Senses exhibition

The "World of Your Senses" exhibition was a unique collaboration between the Smithsonian Institution, the Exploratorium in San Francisco, and the Library of Tibetan Works & Archives (LTWA) in Dharamsala, India, as part of the Science for Monks program. The exhibition was shown in a variety of locations, primarily in India and the United States, including New Delhi (the exhibition premiered at the India Habitat Center in November 2010), Dharamsala, Tibetan monasteries, Bodhgaya, Mundgod, Tawang, and the Exploratorium hosted the exhibition in May 2012. The exhibition included:

Cross-cultural Dialogue: It explored the parallel perspectives of Western science and Tibetan Buddhism on the five senses (sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch) and the mind as the sixth sense.

Thangka Art: The exhibit featured 15 hand-painted panels in the traditional Tibetan Thangka style. This style was chosen to visually represent both Buddhist and Western scientific concepts related to sensory perception.

Interactive Elements: The Exploratorium's involvement included hands-on activities to complement the panels and engage visitors more interactively with the concepts presented.

Monastic Involvement: The project was initiated by a group of Tibetan Buddhist monks living in India and was a key part of their science education within the Science for Monks program.

Dalai Lama's Vision: The exhibition was inspired by the Dalai Lama's long-standing interest in fostering dialogue between Western science and Buddhist philosophy.

"The World of Your Senses" was a groundbreaking exhibit that brought together art, science, and spirituality to explore the nature of sensory experience from diverse perspectives.

Organization: Smithsonian Institution, Exploratorium, Library of Tibetan Works & Archives

Audiences: Monastic communities in India, museum goers

Roles: Exhibition co-designer

View The World of Your Senses Project →



Four monks dressed in red and yellow view and discuss panels of the World of Your Senses exhibition, including one showing an enormous ear canal.

A thangka artist sits in front of a large canvas with a pencil sketch of a large open mouth.

A thangka artist sits in front of a large canvas with a large sections of blue color.

A thangka artist sits in front of a large canvas painting a representation of a human head without skin.

A finished panel from the exhibition of a human head without skin. Tibetan and english text is shown.

One panel of the World of Your Senses exhibition showing a man holding and smelling food.

One panel of the World of Your Senses exhibition showing a a disected eyeball and brain, with tibetan and english text.

One panel of the World of Your Senses exhibition showing a man listening to the sound of a waterfall, holding his hand to his ear.

Group photo within the exhibition of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama and the project team.