In this episode from the Mind & Life archive, Wendy spoke with the renowned Buddhist practitioner and author Matthieu Ricard. Matthieu was integral to the founding of contemplative science, serving as both a participant and co-investigator in many early studies, and has deep expertise in compassion, altruism, and well-being. This conversation covers many topics, including:

• his roots in both science and Buddhism, and his appreciation for rigorous inquiry;


• his role as a participant and collaborator in contemplative science;


• lessons from research on compassion vs. empathy;


• how the self shows up (or doesn't) in compassion;


• links between self-focus and vulnerability;


• hedonia, eudiamonia, and self;


• altruism and our current crises;


• reconciling three time scales of concern;


• sentience, life, and interdependence;


• caring for our whole interconnected system;


• the practice of awe;


• using photography to share basic human goodness;


• balancing fame and monastic life;


• and a poignant example of his own personal experience of care.

Full show notes and resources