Photo: Jon Schmidt / CC BY-SA 4.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
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
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- Private
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- Buddhist monk / photographer / writer / translator / philosopher
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Private
- University
- Private
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. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
5. Works & records
| Category | Title | Role | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notable work | Beyond the Self: Conversations between Buddhism and Neuroscience | — |
6. Links
- Official sitehttp://www.matthieuricard.org/
- Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/matthieu_ricard/
- Xhttps://x.com/matthieu_ricard
- Wikipedia (Japanese)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthieu%20Ricard
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.
Photographer — see all → · More people from France →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-23
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.