Tucked away between China and India in the heart of the Himalayas, Bhutan remains a relatively little-known country. Matthieu Ricard, a monk and photographer, went to Bhutan to study with Dilgo Khyenste Rinpoche, a highly revered Tibetan Buddhist master and teacher. This book documents his encounters and experiences.



Tucked away between China and India in the heart of the Himalayas, Bhutan remains a relatively little-known country. Few photographers have been granted permission to enter this obscure and long-inaccessible kingdom, where life quietly unfolds to the rhythm of traditions amidst the magnificent, unspoilt landscape. Nearly twenty-five years ago, Matthieu Ricard, a monk and photographer, went to Bhutan to study with Dilgo Khyenste Rinpoche, a highly revered Tibetan Buddhist master and teacher, with whom he spent nearly eight years. During this time, he also came to know Bhutan’s royal family. He has continued to return to the ‘land of the dragon’ – or Druk-yul as Bhutan is known in Tibetan – throughout his life, discovering on each occasion another of its invaluable treasures. As a Buddhist monk, he has not only witnessed religious ceremonies, the life of a great Buddhist master, and exceptional works of art, but has also participated in the daily lives of local villagers. His encounters and experiences are recorded here in this exceptionally beautiful book.