At 26, Matthieu Ricard left a promising scientific career in France to become a Buddhist monk in the Himalayas. Now 79 years, he is a philosopher, photographer and a lifetime partner of Dalai Lama, with the demonal dudor to the “happiest man in the world”, a title that does not hug. The label comes from a 12 -year neuroscience study in the University of Wisconsinwhere 256 sensors mapped their brain during meditation, revealing extraordinary lightness when it focused on compassion. In an interview with Sneha Buura During his visit to India for a science and technology conference last month, the Nepalese-French monk insists that cultivating wisdom and compassion leads a lifetime.
1. Your transition from a ph.D. In cell genetics to become a Buddhist monk is rare. Find intersections between these two kingdoms? What is a vision of Buddhist philosophy that you think modern science is still struggling to understand?
My commitment to Buddhism has never distanced me from a scientific perspective. One of the fundamental principles of Buddhist philosophy is the effort to close the gap between appearance and reality. Buddhism reveals how, through deception, we accept a distorted vision of the world, in search of transitory for permanent, it does not recognize the interdependent nature of phenomena. Like science, Buddhism emphasizes the search for valid knowledge, although its main approach is the exploration of the mind. For this reason, I have never perceived any conflict between my scientific research and my learning in Buddhism under the guidance of my teachers.
2
. You have called the ‘happiest man’ tag ‘absurd. However, in a world where happiness is increasingly marketed, through self -help books, therapy and even AI -promoted humor applications, are formulas for happiness there?
A lifetime is needed to become a good human being and build internal resources to deal with the ups and downs of life and to cultivate wisdom and compassion, so that we can transform ourselves to be better at the service of others. A lifetime is needed, but that is the best and most rewarding that we can do.
3.
India, like many parts of the world, is seeing an increase in mental health challenges, especially among young people who fight with professional anxiety, stress for examination, students suicide rates, relationships and digital overestimulation. How would you translate your understanding of happiness into something practical for a presence of urban Indian navigation?
Of course, there are multiple and complex causes behind these problems. However, certain factors exacerbate them, one of the most significant is excessive of egocentrism. An incessant concern with “me, me,” not only leads to personal misery, but also makes everyone around us. In addition, excessive emphasis on extrinsic values, such as social state, wealth, famePhysical appearance and material possessions: often occurs at the expense of intrinsic values: deep friendships, inner peace, kindness, a sense of responsibility for others and the environment, and the search for a significant life. A change of focus on these intrinsic values can serve as a powerful antidote for modern psychological anguish.
4. Do you see activism as a modern form of altruism?
Activism is a force for good when it manifests as altruism and compassion in action. However, when it focuses on amplifying differences instead of promoting an awareness of our shared humanity, it runs the risk of fragmenting society. Excessive egocentrism results in innumerable forms of singularity, contributing more to an epidemic of narcissism than to genuine social justice. Therefore, let’s cultivate a deeper awareness of what unites us instead of what distinguishes us.
5 There is a growing biohacking trend and the use of supplements, brain stimulation and extreme productivity tricks to optimize well -being. What do you think of these modern strategies for well -being?
The search for well -being cannot be reduced to mere shortcuts. No trick or trick can replace sincere and sustained training of the mind. The changes that come too easily are often superficial, unable to resist the evidence of life. In contrast, the true internal transformation strengthens us against external fluctuations, which makes us much less vulnerable to the inevitable ups and downs of life.
6. Meditation is often marketed in India as a rapid solution for stress. Particularly in high pressure races, people resort to meditation applications and full corporate care programs. Do you think that the commercialization of full attention is diluting its essence?
I firmly advocate “affectionate mindfulness”; full attention that remains infused with compassion at each stage and, as much as possible, of wisdom. Without this, full attention runs the risk of reducing a mere tool for selfish purposes, such as allowing people to work harder while avoiding exhaustion. Full attention, in essence, should be a path to greater awareness, ethical responsibility and internal transformation, not just a means to increase performance.
7. With the AI to return to the form of human interactions, automating works, replace personal conversations with chatbots, even generating art, do you think that machines will develop something similar to human compassion?
The rapid advance of AI only serves to highlight the fundamental difference between intelligence and consciousness, and between mere knowledge and wisdom. AI can solve extraordinarily complex problems, but it is not a being. It does not rejoiced in success or afflict in failure. He does not feel love or compassion, nor fear death or contemplates the meaning of life. These qualities belong only to the Senient Beings.
8. From his perspective as a Buddhist and humanitarian monk, what ethical guidelines should they regulate the development of AI to ensure that humanity benefits humanity without compromising our values?
A hammer can be used to build or destroy. AI, like any powerful tool, has the potential to bring an immense good or inflict great damage. The more powerful the tool is, the more crucial the intention behind its use. The AI must be developed with ethical considerations in its nucleus. Just as we educate children to act with kindness and responsibility, we must instill in the systems of AI a framework that prioritizes the well -being of humanity and the other eight million species that share this world with us. There is no time to lose to guarantee that AI serves
greater good.
9. If you were a young man in the hyperconnected and accelerated world today, do you think you would still make the same change of science to be a monk?
I don’t feel that I ever left science. Rather, I hugged with all my heart the science of compassion and wisdom offered by Buddhism. At the same time, I have remained dedicated to the well-being of others through Karuna-Shecen, the humanitarian organization that I founded 25 years ago. Today, it serves more than 500,000 people annually in India and Nepal.