Matthieu Ricard lives in Shechen monastery, Nepal. He has been the French interpreter for His Holiness the Dalai Lama since 1989. Among his other books are the bestselling The Monk and the Philosopher, which he co-wrote with his father, and Buddhist Himalayas, which he co-wrote with Olivier Follmi.

A moving journey into the heart of Buddhist spirituality and into the daily life and festivals of people in the Tibetan interior.

"Matthieu's spiritual life and his camera are one and the same, and it is from this unity that these fleeting yet eternal images spring."—Henri Cartier-Bresson

Matthieu Ricard has lived in Nepal for over thirty years. During this time he has forged close ties with some of Buddhism's greatest spiritual masters, from Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche to His Holiness the Dalai Lama, for whom he is the official French interpreter.

Ricard's status as a monk and his knowledge of the Tibetan people and culture have opened many doors to him: he has been able to follow pilgrimages made by the great lamas of eastern Tibet; to bear witness to the artistry of wood-engravers at the gigantic, mysterious Dege printing press; and to meet hermit monks in extremely remote regions of Kham. These experiences and many others are recorded here in 191 sublime color photographs.