Matthieu Ricard – Compassion and Care

In this episode, Wendy speaks 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 (podcast.mindandlife.org/matthieu-ricard)