Matthieu Ricard PhD

He is a Buddhist monk, Author, Translator, and Photographer. His journey to the Himalayas began in 1967, where he met remarkable spiritual masters from Tibet. After earning his PhD in Cellular Genetics at the Pasteur Institute (France) in 1972, he relocated to the Himalayan region. Since 1989, he has served as the French interpreter for His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama. He has translated several books from Tibetan into English and French, including “The life of Shabkar,” and “The heart of compassion”. As a Founding Steward of the Mind and Life Institute, he has contributed to research on the effects of meditation on the brain at various universities in the USA and Europe. He is also a co-author of multiple scientific publications.

In recognition of his humanitarian work in the East with Karuna-Shechen, the non-profit organization he co-founded in 2000 with Rabjam Rinpoche, he received the French National Order of Merit.