Matthieu Ricard – Compassion and Care [From the Archive]

In this episode from the Mind & Life archive, Wendy spoke 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;