Ricard, who was in the Capital for a daylong workshop on meditation by the Foundation for Universal Responsibility, has been the Dalai Lama’s French interpreter since 1989. The foundation is run by the Dalai Lama.

“The Himalayas may seem a more privileged area than urban subways for meditation. But it’s not only the monks, everybody can dedicate at least 20 minutes to train his mind,” says Ricard, who attended a seven-month retreat in the mountains of Nepal recently.

“There, I did some meditation and spiritual exercises to ‘cultivate’ compassion,” he says.

Ricard, who is a member of a monastery in Kathmandu, says, “The search for happiness is not selfish. When you reach this state of mind, you can help others in a better way. It’s just like a prisoner who has to be free himself before acting for the freedom of the others.”

The monk has written a couple of books; among them is Happiness, Cultivating Life’s Most Important Skill. Ricard is also coordinator of the Karuna Asia humanitarian project, which runs 16 clinics and 10 schools in Tibet.

Quoting a seven-year long study by American universities on meditation, Ricard—who was also a part of the study—says, “People practicing meditation are more unlikely to be stressed and distracted. Experience proves that the more people meditate, the more they feel relaxed and attentive.”