Photo: Jon Schmidt / CC BY-SA 4.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
Matthieu Ricard is a Buddhist monk, photographer and writer, born on February 9, 1946 in Aix-les-Bains, France. That puts Matthieu Ricard at 80 years old in 2026. Awards on record include Knight of the National Order of Merit, Knight of the Legion of Honour, Prix Alexandra-David-Néel/Lama-Yongden (1997) and 1 more. Notable works include Beyond the Self: Conversations between Buddhism and Neuroscience.
My Take
Matthieu Ricard fascinates me as a living bridge between worlds that rarely speak. Before becoming a Buddhist monk based in Nepal, he earned a PhD in molecular genetics at the Pasteur Institute, and rather than abandoning rigor for faith he kept both, helping fuse neuroscience with contemplative practice. His book Beyond the Self captures exactly that dialogue. Often dubbed the happiest man alive, he interests me less as a feel-good headline than as a rare thinker who holds reason and compassion in the same hands. The Legion of Honour and his honorary doctorate feel wholly fitting.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Matthieu Ricard
- Name (Japanese)
- マチウ・リカール
- Reading
- まちう・りかーる
- Born
- February 9, 1946 (age 80)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Aquarius / Dog
- Origin
- Aix-les-Bains, France
- Occupation
- Buddhist monk / photographer / writer / translator / philosopher
2. Background
Awards & achievements
- Knight of the National Order of Merit
- Knight of the Legion of Honour
- 1997 Prix Alexandra-David-Néel/Lama-Yongden
- 2015 Honorary doctor of the University of Liège
3. Works & records
| Category | Title | Role | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notable work | Beyond the Self: Conversations between Buddhism and Neuroscience | — |
4. Links
- Official sitehttps://www.matthieuricard.org/
- Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/matthieu_ricard/
- Xhttps://x.com/matthieu_ricard
- Wikipedia (English)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthieu%20Ricard
- Wikidatahttps://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q732418
5. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-23
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.
Frequently asked questions
When was Matthieu Ricard born?
Born February 9, 1946 (age 80).
Where is Matthieu Ricard from?
Matthieu Ricard is from Aix-les-Bains, France.
What does Matthieu Ricard do?
Matthieu Ricard works as Buddhist monk, photographer, writer, translator, philosopher.
What is Matthieu Ricard known for?
Notable works include Beyond the Self: Conversations between Buddhism and Neuroscience.