Matthieu Ricard, a photographer and Buddhist monk, recently spent one year in retreat at the Pema Osel Hermitage (the place of the lotus of light) near Kathmandu. Surrounded by spectacular scenery, nestled between lush valleys and the towering Himalayas, Matthieu meditated daily, waiting for the light that illuminates the path to awakening. Each day from his sublime viewpoint, he contemplated the different subtleties of light, at morning, before dusk and at evening. At the rhythm of one image per week, he has thus immortalized the magnificent landscapes surrounding him. These photographs, taken from the hermitage's terrace and surroundings, are the fruit of this long 'wait without waiting', and of the elation of bearing witness to nature's harmony mixing intimately with the peacefulness of meditation.

About the Author

Matthieu Ricard is the author of numerous books, including Tibet: An Inner Journey, which Thames & Hudson published in 2006. He has lived in the Himalayas for almost thirty years, and has been the French interpreter for the Dalai Lama since 1989.