FEBRUARY 2017GQ.COM.AU 121The brands, the schools, the kind of car –
whatdiditaddupto?
The World Health Organization claimed
that people in wealthy countries were more
depressed, at eight times the rate, than
counterparts in poorer ones. Living in
affluence seemed to mean you never had
enough.Professionalstatuswasonemore
ego-feedandasuselessasthenumberof
likesgarneredforpostingapictureofyour
kidplayingapieceofceleryintheschool
play.ThiswassomethingMatthieuwas
veryclearabout–oncewedeconstructed
ouregos,wecouldtrulybegintoseethe
worldasaplaceinhabitedbyotherpeople,
somewhomightneedourhelp.This
dissolving, then, became all-powerful.
“Ourattachmenttoegoisfundamentally
linkedtothesufferingwefeelandthe
sufferingweinflictonothers,” he said.
“Freedom is the opposite.”
FromDagpo’shermitage,wewalkedto
Ricard’sabode.Themountainwasaswirl
of sun-cloud-wind, hot-cold, grey-green,
smellingofloam,withbirdsongandvillage
voicesbelow.Wescrambleddownasteep
knolltowhatseemedlikeashed,perched
rightatacliff’sedge,withitspanoramicview
ofvalleyandforest.Theplacewastiny,one
room,really.Inside,hehadabedrollanda
smallchestofdrawerswithallhisworldly
possessions: two robes, two jumpers, some
books,awarmjacketortwoforTibet,where
he returned from time to time, in part to
build schools.
Hehadasmallkitchen,apostage-
stamplawn,andifhewaslucky,formaybe
–maybe–atotaloftwomonthsayear,this
wastheplacehecalledhome,theoneplace
he didn’t want photographed or usurped in
anyway,theoneplacethatremainssacredto
himasarefugeandsourceofenergy.Heonly
left here begrudgingly, when the long arm of
needtookhold,whenhewascalledbackto
the monastery in Kathmandu, or to France/
India/Bhutan/Tibet,whenhewasaskedto
explaintothisgatheringorthat,infaraway
ChileorJapan,onemoretime,howallof
usmightchoosehappinessinourlives.
Butthen,hewasOKwiththat,too.
Theonlythingthatseemedtomake
Matthieu Ricard unhappy was the
monikerhehadn’tbeenabletoescape,
norevercourted–‘thehappiestmanin
theworld’.Itreallyrankledhim,though
theranklingcamewithasmile–that
constant bemusement again. It began with
amagazinearticleafterHappinesshad been
publishedandthemediajustranwithit.
“I know happier monks,” he said
emphatically.“Ireallydo.It’sabsurd.”It
posed a mild personal affront, too, becausethesuggestionwasthathewasmoreevolved
somehow,andheknewmonksincaves,literal
caves,who’dbeensittingthereforadecade
andcounting,hunkeredforthelonghaul,
trying to find blissed enlightenment.
Atonepoint,tornbetweenlivingalife
of seclusion or as Buddhism’s second-
biggest media star, he’d asked the Dalai
Lamaifhecouldgoonanextendedretreat,
adisappearancehedreamedofandyearned
for,buttheDalaiLamasaid,“Notyet.
Theworldisinspasm,andwhatyoucando,
what’smostnecessarytodoright now, is to
trytocommunicateacure.”
Ricard knew that among the major
influencesofone’shappinesswasakindof
wistful “if only”. Or: “I wish it was different.”
Andthatwasanothergame,ofcourse.
The Dalai Lama had said, “If they want
youtobethehappiestman,bethehappiest
man.”Ricardacceptedhislot,andopened
thedoorswidetopeoplelikeme,butstillhe
wanted it known. “I’m happy,” he said, “but
Iknowhappier.”
Ricard drew some of his advice on
the matter of happiness from standardBuddhist doctrine: attachment, grasping,
and instrumentalising, all driven by ego,
needed to be acknowledged and smashed
by something called “open presence” and
altruistic loving-kindness. He said this as
we were eating lunch on Dagpo’s porch the
nextday–dhal,soyachunks,broccoli,and
yoghurtwithpomegranateseeds.He’dbeen
upsince4:30am,thehouratwhichhe’d
begunhisfirstmeditationoftheday.When
hesneezed,itwasasifaloudhornwentoff.
He produced a tissue from his sleeve and
wipedhisnose,thenrubbedhisbaldhead,
asifitwasallpartofanautomaticreflex.
(LikeaVegasmagician,hemadepens,scraps
of paper, his smartphone, a lollipop, appear
fromhissleeve.Ikeptwaitingfortherabbit.)
Thiswasprecioustimeforhim,arare
respiteformeditatingandreading,and
yethewasgivingittome–sharingit
with unbothered willingness. Being in his
presencewastobeinfectedbyafloatingkind
of joy, an unthreatened eagerness to see the
world,initsdarktime,ascapableofchange,
asaplacecontaininginfectiousjoyand
happiness as well.Continued on p136.FROM TOP:
THE DALAI LAMA
WITH MATTHIEU
RICARD IN
DHARAMSALA,
INDIA, 2009;
VISITING A
VILLAGE IN
MAHARASHTRA
AS PART OF A
TRAVELLING
CLINIC.PHOTOGRAPHY: COURTESY OF MADISON MAY; KARUNA-SHECHEN; TENZIN CHOEJOR.