Matthieu Ricard, PhD, is a Buddhist monk who went from a scientific career as a molecular biologist in France to the study of Buddhism in the Himalayas 40 years ago.
Born in Savoie, France, Matthieu, son of noted French philosopher Jean-Francois Revel grew up in the French intellectual circles. His mother Yahne Le Toumelin, an abstract painter has been a Buddhist nun since 1968.
Matthieu is a board member of the Mind and Life Institute which is devoted to collaborative research between scientists and Buddhist scholars. He is an active participant in the scientific research on the effects of meditation on the brain. His photographs of the spiritual masters, the landscape, and the people of the Himalayas have appeared in numerous books and magazines.
Author of several books, including “The Monk and the Philosopher”, with his father J.F. Revel, “Happiness”, “How to Cultivate Life’s Most Important Skill” and “Why Meditate”? Matthieu is the French interpreter for the Dalai Lama since 1989.
Matthieu Lives in Nepal and runs Karuna-Shechen which oversees 120 humanitarian projects, to which he donates all the proceeds of his books and activities.
