(Radio Canada interview)  Because they have the notion of a ‟stream of consciousness,” Buddhists see death as a transition, whereas, in the West, death is experienced in a very different way: if at times there are funerals with inspirational moments drawn from the deceased's life, which is then celebrated, we must admit that in general such ...

(Radio Canada interview)  To think about death is a healthy process, which is neither sad nor morbid. It shows lucidity because, otherwise, to mask reality is inevitably a source of frustration: when our death will approach and that of those dear to us will occur, we will be shocked and completely at a loss. But if we understand that death is...

(Radio Canada interview)  Question: The Western world seems to be suffering from a sense of great reluctance regarding both the contemplation of death and its attitude toward it; death has become a taboo subject, one that is increasingly the object of an absurd denial. As a Buddhist, does this situation not trouble you? Matthieu: Indeed. P...

During the recent earthquake which affected the city of Yushu (Kyerku in Tibetan) and the surrounding areas, the monks from our Shechen monastery, located under 150 km away, were among the first of many groups of Buddhist monks who joined the other rescue teams. In particular, the Shechen monks were able to pull off alive a young girl from th...

How should I lead my life? How should I live in society? What is knowable? These three questions have been puzzled over through the ages.  Ideally, our lives should lead us to a feeling of plenitude, so that we have no regrets at the moment when we die. Life in society should inspire us with a sense of universal responsibility. Knowledge shou...

We are like birds that have lived too long in a cage to which we return even when we get the chance to ?y away. We have grown so accustomed to our mental habits that we can barely imagine what life would be like without them: the vast sky of change makes us dizzy.

‟Between the ages of 3 and 17, I lived in an institution for handicapped people and I came to understand the meaning of life, that it was joy [...]. Its source was in the meeting of another.” ‟I have a friend who says, ‟A sperm and an ovum meet, and a moment later, we say ‘It's me!' and latch on.” Generally, this is where it all goes to p...

When we are thrown into confusion by inner troubles, we have no idea how to soothe them and instinctively turn outward. We try cobbling together makeshift solutions and looking for outer conditions that are supposed to make us happy. By force of habit, this way of living becomes the norm and ‟that's life!” our motto. Although the search fo...

Late afternoon, flying over the Irrawaddy River Delta (Burma), on a Thai Airways flight from Bangkok to Kathmandu. To compensate for the atmospheric veil created by the altitude, I increased a bit the contrast and saturation. Canon Mark 3 Ds, 24-70 mm, f.9, 1/400s, ISO 250

In April, 2010, we will begin a forum dedicated to the promotion of a more altruistic society. In this day and age we face many challenges. In particular, it is especially difficult to reconcile three different time scales: the short-term scope related to the economy, the medium-term outlook concerning life satisfaction, and the long-term...