Matthieu Ricard

Humanitarian, bestselling author, scientist, Buddhist monk, photographer, speaker at TedTalks, Davos, UN, Matthieu Ricard is the founder of the Karuna-Shechen.org. Recent books: Beyond the Self (2017) A Plea for the Animals (2016) and Altruism: The Power of Compassion to Change Yourself and the World (2015). Matthieu Ricard is a Buddhist monk who left a promising career in cellular genetics in France to study Buddhism in the Himalayas 45 years ago. As a trained scientist and Buddhist monk, he is uniquely positioned in the dialogue between East and West. He is an active participant in the current scientific research on the effects of meditation on the brain. His books include, Beyond the Self (2017) A Plea for the Animals (2016); Altruism (2015); Happiness; Why Meditate?: A Guide to Developing Life’s Most Important Skill, The Monk and the Philosopher; The Quantum and the Lotus; Buddhist Himalayas; Tibet: An Inner Journey, Motionless Journey, and Bhutan: Land of Serenity. Matthieu Ricard donates all the income from his work to the humanitarian projects of Karuna-Shechen, an non-profit organization he co-founded. Karuna-Shechen’s projects provide health care, education, social services, and cultural preservation for under-served communities in India, Nepal, and Tibet. Founded in 2000 by Matthieu Ricard, the organization's core mission is Compassion (Karuna) in Action. For more information: http://karuna-shechen.org