Matthieu Ricard, the French-born Buddhist monk, is known to be the happiest man in the world. However, not only is he extremely joyous; he follows a vegan lifestyle as well.
Ricard participated in a study that lasted 12 years led by neuroscientist Richard Davidson, in which 256 sensors were used to record his brain’s signals.
Davidson discovered that when Ricard was meditating on compassion, his gamma ray readings were very high. Furthermore, this showed that there was a very high level of activity in his left prefrontal cortex. This, as Davidson describes, shows Ricard’s ability to sense happiness. This is the first time in the history of neuroscience that such an event has been reported.
However, what is compassion for Ricard? Well, this Buddhist monk shows compassion towards all types of living creatures, which then leads him to happiness. He describes this further in his TED Talk: The Habits of Happiness.
However, when Ricard means compassion towards all beings, he means that animals are included. In fact, Ricard believes that this small act is the “most reasonable, ethical, and compassionate point of view.”
In addition, Ricard encourages others to also follow the vegan lifestyle, stating that: “We can find means to survive without causing suffering to others.”
In fact, Ricard will be making his only appearance in the United States in New York on November 5, 2016, where he will be meeting Laurie Anderson, the filmmaker behind Heart of a Dog, at a conference. There, he will be discussing his book, A Plea for Animals.
© Featured image courtesy of Raphaele Demandre
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