Matthieu Ricard, PhD in Biochemistry and a Tibetan Buddhist monk, will deliver a series of lectures at UBC, the Ridge Theatre, and the Tung Lin Kok Yuen Canada Society Temple (March 9 to 11, 2007), connected to his new book Happiness: A Guide to Developing Life’s Most Important Skill (2007):
- “Training the Mind: Science and Spirituality.”
- “Change Yourself, Change the World.”
- “Contemplative Life and Active Life.”
- “Cultivating the Inner Conditions for Authentic Happiness.”
Thirty-five years ago, Matthieu Ricard was a cellular geneticist mapping E.coli chromosomes in the Institut Pasteur lab of Nobel Laureate, Francois Jacob. At age 26, Ricard left Paris to study Buddhism in India. Today he lives at the Shechen Monastery in Nepal, where he works on humanitarian projects and also serves as the French interpreter for the Dalai Lama. He recently returned to his scientific roots, participating in research on the effects of meditation on the brain.
In one study, the electrical activity in the brains of long-time meditation practitioners was measured. MRI scans have shown that long-term meditators experience high levels in the left pre-frontal cortex of the brain, correlated with happiness. Mr. Ricard’s abilities were the highest levels ever documented, leading some to label him the “World’s Happiest Man.” A resulting research paper co-authored by Ricard and describing these remarkable results—that meditation can change the neural makeup of the brain—has become the fifth most downloaded scientific publication in history.
Matthieu Ricard is co-director of the Buddhist Shechen monastery in Nepal. He dedicates his activities to fulfilling Khyentse Rinpoche’s vision. “I’ve made a partial return to science after 35 years,” says Ricard. “I spend at least a full month a year going to labs to collaborate on researching and studying the mind. The combination gives me a unique way to approach things.”
With his father, philosopher Jean Francois Revel, Ricard co-authored the 1999 French bestseller The Monk and the Philosopher, which was translated into 21 languages. He is co-author of The Quantum and the Lotus and the author and photographer of a number of photography books, including his latest, Tibet: An Inner Journey. He devotes much of his time to the preservation of Tibetan literature and culture and to humanitarian projects in Tibet, India, and Nepal.
This event is made possible by UBC’s College for Interdisciplinary Studies, the Institute of Asian Research, the Department of Asian Studies, and The Tung Lin Kok Yuen Canada Foundation.
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