La Source Manager
July 2, 2026
Tibetan Book of Living and Dying
September 17, 2026
You are looking for a first book about meditation, and the word “Buddhism” puts you off slightly. This one is probably the right choice. The Art of Meditation asks for no prior knowledge, and sets out to convince nobody.
Matthieu Ricard makes a simple case: meditation is learnt, much as reading or swimming is learnt. It is not reserved for monks, nor for people who are calm by nature. It asks for method and regularity, nothing more.
A scientist who became a monk
Before moving to the Himalayas, Matthieu Ricard completed a doctorate in cellular genetics at the Institut Pasteur. That double training shows on every page.
He explains rather than prescribes. Where other books assert, he describes what happens, invites you to try, then leaves you to judge. The habit of observing before believing is easy to recognise.
He is also the French interpreter for the Dalai Lama, and a photographer. He founded the humanitarian association Karuna-Shechen. He has taken part in neuroscience research devoted to meditation.
Why meditate, on what, and how
The book follows these three questions, in that order. That is what makes it clear.
The first part answers the most common objection: what is the point. The second sets out what attention rests upon, since meditating is not a matter of emptying the mind. The third gives concrete instructions, with exercises you can follow at home, without equipment and without guidance.
The book is short. You can read it over a few evenings. You can also take a single chapter, practise it for a week, then carry on. That is what the author suggests, placing more weight on regularity than on length.
Who it is for, and where to find it
Someone who is still hesitating. If you already have an established practice, you will find little that is new. If you have never tried, this is probably the most accessible entry point in this section.
One useful caveat: the book does not replace the presence of a teacher, and the author says so himself. It is there to help you begin, and to begin alone, which is already a great deal.
The book is available in bookshops and at the centre shop. [TO CHECK: publisher, year, page count, and the English edition title]
If reading it makes you want to try in a group rather than alone, our meditation page explains how we approach it here. The full programme of retreats and weekends lists the coming dates.
