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
