Columbia University Department of Anesthesiology -Reviews ‘CHALLENGER DEFENDER’
I was immediately intrigued and almost mesmerized by the visuality of these debates. I knew there was nothing rehearsed or staged about them, yet they were intensely focused and alive with intellectual energy. --photographer and author, Nancy A. Scherl
‘CHALLENGER DEFENDER The Great Tradition of TIbetan Buddhist Monastic Debate’ (MW Editions, October 2025) includes a Preface by His Holiness, The Fourteenth Dalai Lama, a Foreword by Tashi Tsering, as well as essays and insights by eastern and western scholars. (Essays: Nicholas Vreeland, Dadul Namgyal, Carol M Worthman, Richard K. Raker, Paul Garcia and Arri Eisen; Texts: Thupten Khetsun, Jampa Gyalsten, Kalden Gyatso, Dadul Namgyal, Rigzin Nurbu, Lobsang Dhondup, Ngawang Norbu and Tenzin Topden; Introduction by Nancy A. Scherl) and photographic documentation of the unique culture including scripture studies and all of the daily chores which the monks engage in.
Lisa A. Eicher, Director of Communications, speaks about two of the essayists, who are members of the department and sums up their specific essays, and also provides a review with information about how this project was born.
Columbia University, Department of Anesthesiology Alumni Newsletter and website
Faculty Perspectives in New (Old) Places
Two Columbia Anesthesiology faculty, Richard Raker, MD, retired, and Paul Garcia, MD, PhD, Chief of the Neuroanesthesia Division, contributed essays to a new photography book examining Tibetan monastic debate, bringing neuroscientific and scientific perspectives to an interdisciplinary project they helped shape from its earliest stages.
Why it matters: Their involvement highlights how anesthesiology faculty contribute beyond the clinical setting to global conversations about inquiry, education, and disciplined reasoning.
Alumni newsletter:
Off the Beaten Path: Three Unexpected Publications
Three recent publications highlight the many ways we engage with art, culture, and science beyond the operating room.
Tibetan monastic debate through a scientific lens
Challenger and Defender: The Great Tradition of Tibetan Monastic Debate pairs photographer Nancy A. Scherl’s images with essays from contributors, including retired Columbia Anesthesiology faculty member Richard Raker, MD, and Paul Garcia, MD, PhD, Chief of the Division of Neuroanesthesia. Their essays connect the physical, highly structured practice of Tibetan monastic debate to familiar modes of scientific inquiry, highlighting shared themes of critical thinking, disciplined reasoning, and composure under pressure. The volume, which includes a preface by His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, invites readers to see debate as both an educational tool and an exploration of mind and behavior. (Link)