It is with immense sadness that we heard of the untimely death of our dear friend and mentor Gene Smith.
Gene was one of those luminaries that come once or twice in a century, unbelievably learned, entirely dedicated, entirely selfless.
Archive du blog pour Matthieu Ricard
Rights and Aspirations
Thorbjorn Jagland, the Chairman of the Nobel Prize Committee said at the recent ceremony in Norway: ‟People like Liu Xiaobo are not dissidents, they represents the world’s common values and standards.” Pointing to Liu Xiaobo’s empty chair, Jagland said: ‟This
What does Buddhism mean by “Enlightenment”?
Enlightenment is a state of perfect knowledge or wisdom, combined with infinite compassion. Knowledge in this case does not mean merely the accumulation of data or a description of the world of phenomena down to the finest details. Enlightenment is
The (modified) Proust Questionnaire — 5
From an interview recently published in the French press (end).
For what cause would you be ready to die?
If it could save a few lives. I hope that I will have the courage to do so, would such circumstances
The (modified) Proust Questionnaire — 4
From an interview recently published in the French press (continued).
According to you, the height of luxury is ?
It is spending a few months in retreat, facing the Himalayas.
Which object is indispensable according to you?
There are only
The (modified) Proust Questionnaire — 3
From an interview recently published in the French press (continued).
What do you think is the most important ecological step we can take?
We should not live off the death of sentient beings who ask only to remain alive. Although
The (modified) Proust Questionnaire — 2
From an interview recently published in the French press (continued).
What is your first thought in the morning?
‟May I progress on the spiritual path and be of benefit to others.”
What moral quality do you regard as essential?
Benevolence.
The (modified) Proust Questionnaire — 1
From an interview recently published in the French press.
‟What are the underlying principles of practicing meditation?”
• Give rise to an altruistic motivation: transforming oneself in order to alleviate others’ suffering.
• Try to savor the freshness of the
An Arch of Light
It is not easy to photograph through the window of a commercial airplane, since one must go through a double plastic glass, with a lot of reflections and frequent scratches. It is nevertheless possible as shown on this image taken
Knowledge and Moral Values
The mere accumulation of knowledge is not enough. My teacher, Khyentse Rinpoche said: ‟If you amass intellectual learning just so that you will be influential and famous, your state of mind is no different from that of a beggar sponging