News
Act with altruism for social justice
If we evince more concern for others, we will all act with the view of remedying injustice, discrimination, and poverty.
If we care about the fate of future generations, we will not blindly sacrifice their well-being to our ephemeral interests, leaving only a polluted and impoverished planet to those who come after us.
We will, on the contrary, try to promote a caring economy that enhances reciprocal trust and respects the interests of others. We will imagine the possibility of a different kind of economy, which is advocated for by many modern economists11, that rests on the three pillars of true prosperity: nature, whose integrity we must preserve; human activities, which should flourish; and financial means, which ensures our survival while meeting our reasonable material needs.
- Matthieu Ricard, Altruism
Inequality and injustice, at the heart of current social issues, have to be eradicated in order for humankind to live in peace and prosperity. Learn how Karuna-Shechen, the NGO founded by Matthieu Ricard, has been promoting social justice for 20 years now in India, Nepal and Tibet:
blog
Action Alone Does Not Define Altruism
By Matthieu Ricard on February 18, 2020The blog below is an excerpt from Matthieu Ricard's book Altruism. If you wish to know more about it, please follow the following link: https://www.matthieuricard.org/en/books In her book entitled The Heart of Altruism, Kristen Monroe, professor of political science and philosophy at the University of Irvine at California, suggests we re...
What Mental State Leads to Altruism ?
By Matthieu Ricard on February 04, 2020The blog below is an excerpt from Matthieu Ricard's book Altruism. If you wish to know more about it, please follow the following link: https://www.matthieuricard.org/en/books Among the eight types of empathy listed by Daniel Batson, only empathic concern was necessary and sufficient to engender an altruistic motivation. What about the ...
About patience
By Matthieu Ricard on January 21, 2020True patience isn't a sign of weakness, but of courage. It certainly doesn't mean to let everything happen passively. Patience gives you the capacity to act correctly without being blinded by hatred and a thirst for revenge, which deprive you of any capacity for judgment. As the Dalai Lama often says, true tolerance isn't a question of sayin...
This week
Thought of the week
Since we were born, we have let our mind do what it likes, like a spoiled child, and we have to admit that nothing really positive has come of it. To take control of it is indispensable. That is something worth spending time on, even if it is just a little bit each day.
JIGME KHYENTSE RINPOCHE (b. 1964)
Oral advice transcribed by the author.
Articles
WGS 2018: World-Renowned Author opens Landmark Summit with Plea for Compassion and Altruism
Published on February 11, 2018Sharjah 24: Matthieu Ricard, philosopher and best-selling author of books on happiness and compassion, inaugurated the first day of the World Government Summit 2018 by asking the assembled audienc...
3 lessons I learned from the Tibetan monk who works with the Dalai Lama and went viral as 'the happiest man alive'
Published on January 08, 2018I sat down with Matthieu Ricard, a Tibetan Buddhist monk who found himself famous among the TED Talk set and reluctantly decided to use the spotlight to share teachings.
Videos
A conversation with Matthieu Ricard
| 37'26The Science of Mind & Reality - Matthieu Ricard and Wolf Singer
| 9'16Right now in Karuna-Shechen
Together, let’s write our next chapter
Published on December 05, 2019Twenty years ago, Matthieu Ricard set out to build a better world for the people of the Himalayan region through the founding of Karuna-Shechen. Working in remote and underserved villages, made poss...
Two decades of Impact
Published on December 05, 201920 years ago, Matthieu Ricard decided to use his share of the proceeds from his best-selling book The Monk and the Philosopher to undertake humanitarian projects in the Himalayan region. Inspired ...