Matthieu Ricard is a renowned French writer and Buddhist monk. During his first trip to India in 1967, he met spiritual masters such as Kangyur Rimponche.

After completing his thesis on Cellular Genetics at the Pasteur Institute, under the supervision of the Nobel Prize winner François Jacob, he decided to settle in the Himalayas. He studied Buddhism and photographed life in monasteries, as well as the art and landscapes of Tibet, Bhutan and Nepal.

Ordained a monk in 1978, he has been the French interpreter for the Dalai Lama since 1989. He participates in the research of the Mind & Life Institute and founded the humanitarian association Karuna-Shechen. He lives in the Shechen monastery in Nepal.