Buddhist Monk, Scientist, To Lecture On Science Of Meditation

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - In the course of his life, Matthieu Ricard has devoted himself to the seemingly opposite disciplines of science and meditation, and in recent years, he has helped bring the two seemingly disparate fields together.

On March 1, the University of Arkansas community will have the opportunity to hear Ricard talk about his participation in scientific research on meditation. Ricard, a trained geneticist, Buddhist monk and French interpreter for the Dalai Lama, will speak at 7 p.m. Monday at the Reynolds Center auditorium. His talk, titled "When the Cognitive Sciences Meet Contemplative Science-From Mind Training to Brain Plasticity, Cultivating the Inner Condition for Genuine Well-Being," will address the science of meditation and its spiritual consequences. His visit is sponsored by the department of chemistry and biochemistry, by the Honors College and by the Office of the Provost.

Although science and religion often have clashed, the Dalai Lama has a longstanding interest in Western science. He and Ricard are members of the Mind and Life Institute, a collaborative project between Buddhist scholars and meditators and scientists. As part of this project, Ricard allowed himself to be tested and scanned during meditation by a team of researchers led by Richard Davidson, a neuroscientist at the University of Wisconsin. Through his work with Ricard and with other Buddhist monks, Davidson has contributed insights into the neuroscience of emotion.

Ricard’s visit was made possible by Lothar Schafer, Distinguished Professor of chemistry and biochemistry, who heard the Buddhist monk speak at a conference last fall. While talking with Ricard after the lecture, Schafer said he wished that Ricard could speak to his honors colloquium. To his surprise, Ricard accepted his invitation.

Schafer’s colloquium addresses the endeavor to understand the nature of reality and examines how science and knowledge of the universe shape spiritual attitudes and vice versa. Provost Bob Smith offered to sponsor the talk so that it could be brought to a broader audience.

Schafer expects that Ricard's message will be of interest to many people because of the unique combination of scientific and spiritual views.

""Our society has neglected the relationship between science and spirituality, even discouraged it," Schafer said.

Ricard received a doctorate in cell genetics from the Louis Pasteur Institute, working with Nobel laureate Francois Jacob. He has lived for more than 30 years in the Himalayas, studying Tibetan Buddhism and acting as French interpreter to the Dalai Lama. He is a successful author, whose latest philosophical book has been on the best seller list in France for the last four months, and he has founded and maintains several schools and hospitals for the Tibetan people.

The lecture is free and open to the public.