A French-born Tibetan Buddhist monk and a central figure in the Dalai Lama’s dialogue with scientists, Matthieu Ricard was dubbed “The Happiest Man in the World” after his brain was imaged. But he resists this label. In his writing and …

Scientific studies have shown that you can train your brain to be more compassionate; and coupling compassion with altruism can generate a positive outlook in individuals and society. French Buddhist monk Matthieu Ricard—who used to be a biochemist—has been studying …