Notebooks of a Wandering Monk

“This book is not a travelogue or mere diary of an extraordinary life. It is more like a mountain, saturated with rich veins of pure dharma gold for those motivated to follow the unfolding life of the remarkable (although he would deny this) Matthieu Ricard. Matthieu's fortunate karma and utter commitment to awakening carries readers to places we will probably never go, introduces us to authentic teachers we will never meet or connect with as he did, and shows us the purity and goodness of a life committed to selflessness, wakefulness, and compassion—all with a sense of levity and good will that honors the beautiful differences among the people we encounter through Matthieu along the way."

Jon Kabat-Zinn, founder of MBSR (mindfulness-based stress reduction); author of Full Catastrophe Living and Mindfulness Meditation for Pain Relief

“Matthieu Ricard, scientist-turned-monk, brilliantly documents his remarkable years of dedication to spiritual pursuits. I highly recommend Notebooks of a Wandering Monk as an immersion in the contemplative mode, with plentiful lessons for the well-lived life.”

Daniel Goleman, coauthor of Why We Meditate

“This autobiography of Mathieu Ricard is fascinating for two reasons. First, it gives a touching account of the conversion of a molecular biologist, impregnated with Western culture, into a Buddhist monk. Second, the detailed portrayals of the most influential spiritual teachers of Buddhism, including the Dalai Lama, and the descriptions of monastic traditions, all based on personal experience, grant the reader authentic insights into Buddhist philosophy and the Tibetan cultural heritage.”

Wolf Singer, Max Planck Institute for Brain Research and Ernst Strungmann Institute for Neuroscience