About
Matthieu Ricard, born in 1946, is a French Buddhist monk, author, and photographer. After earning a PhD in cell genetics at the Pasteur Institute, he moved to the Himalayas and became a monk, studying under great masters. French interpreter for the Dalai Lama since 1989, he resides at Shechen Monastery in Nepal. Co-founder of the humanitarian association Karuna-Shechen, he donates all his royalties to this cause. Author of bestsellers such as The Monk and the Philosopher and The Art of Meditation, he is known for his research on the effects of meditation on the brain, earning him the nickname 'the world's happiest man'. A renowned photographer, he has published several books on the Himalayas.
* 1946-02-09
Major works
- Le Moine et le Philosophe (1997)dialogue
- Happiness: A Guide to Developing Life's Most Important Skill (2006)essay
- Altruism: The Power of Compassion to Change Yourself and the World (2015)essay
- A Plea for the Animals: The Moral, Philosophical, and Evolutionary Imperative to Treat All Beings with Compassion (2016)essay
- Notebooks of a Wandering Monk (2023)memoir
Key milestones
- 1972Earned a PhD in cell genetics at the Pasteur Institute.
- 1989Became the French interpreter for the 14th Dalai Lama.
- 2000Co-founded the humanitarian association Karuna-Shechen.
Themes
altruismmeditationhappinesscompassionBuddhism
Sources: matthieuricard.org · catdir.loc.gov · mitpress.mit.edu