Abbreviated Biography

1971

0 yr

I was barely a baby when I was born.

Born to a Swiss father (a printer) and a French mother (a decorator), I cried my first cry on Saturday, January 9, 1971, in Zurich, Switzerland.

1972

1 yr

Memories of this period are not exactly flooding back…

1973

2 yrs

I am almost three when my sister appears. Although we have followed different paths, we always take great pleasure in seeing each other.

1974

3 yrs

I already show little interest in social relations, preferring my inner world.

1975

4 yrs

The language barrier only contributes to my isolation and unsociable temperament.

In Zurich, people speak a Germanic dialect, while my parents are French-speaking.

1976

5 yrs

The teacher teaches us about social life with her monetary system. Each child is assigned a mini business and plastic money… except me, who is quietly left out.

Marked by this experience, I understand that my place is not within society, but outside it.

1977

6 yrs

Regularly, I ask myself the following questions:

• Why does life exist?

• Why wasn't there "nothing"?

• Am I the only one in the world, and everything else a unified whole?

In the summer, we move to France, in Lyon, and my parents retrain in the clothing business. After several years in the trade, aware of the power of appearance, my father will declare, as a sales argument:

• The robe makes the monk!

1978

7 yrs

I spend my holidays in my parents' shop basement, converted into an office. Sketching illustrations and definitions in a large notebook, I create my own dictionary. Example:

1979

8 yrs

Great passions drive me, including the sea, by and in which I spend all my summers.

Completely unable to cook an egg, I nonetheless have the conviction that I will become the greatest cook in the world, and that the roof of my restaurant will be adorned with a giant crown.

1980

9 yrs

Move to a village 25 km from Grenoble. The joy of being in the countryside and being able to climb trees all the time.

1981

10 yrs

I create in comic strips the adventures of Pouf, my little stuffed monkey.

1982

11 yrs

Although I seek company, I often remain alone. People mock me, hit me. Violence, cruelty and injustice disgust me.

I create another comic strip character: Froc. My new future plan is therefore to become a cartoonist.

1983

12 yrs

I create the Froc magazine newspaper, which I photocopy and sell door-to-door in neighboring neighborhoods.

1984

13 yrs

I design board games from A to Z, with the laminated board, pawns, cards, paper money…

1985

14 yrs

Since I was ten, I have been passionate about classical music and dream of playing the piano. It will be a saxophone that I get, but I will abandon it because of music theory.

1986

15 yrs

We live in Grenoble. New passions follow one another: stamps, vintage cars, science fiction.

I become a handlebar fiend. In the city, I slalom at full speed between cars and trucks, to the horrified eyes of drivers.

1987

16 yrs

In middle school, the lessons increase my disinterest in studies. I withdraw into my thoughts, create maps.

Discovery of the Sahara Desert. The vast expanses of sand dunes fascinate me.

First kiss, first dumping, first disappointment. Welcome to the painful world of romantic feelings!

1988

17 yrs

After two years of 8th grade, I do two years of 9th grade. To avoid repeating 9th grade again, I enter a private graphic design school, which will hardly fulfill me any better.

1989

18 yrs

Frustrated by a world where I cannot find my place, I let myself rot in smoky bars.

1990

19 yrs

Military service in Germany, in an officers' mess. Extract from my logbook, a typical evening:

1991

20 yrs

My great ambitions at this time: sex, alcohol and weed.

1992

21 yrs

Return to Switzerland. I become a "poison seller" (bartender) in pubs where alcohol flows freely. I then imagine that there is nothing better than partying.

Discovery of the fairy-tale world of rave parties. From 100% classical music, I switch to 100% techno trance acid. I experience the sensation of existing ten times more.

I explore extremes. In the frenzy of these crazy nights, I become acquainted with a powerful hallucinogen: LSD. I now live only for these evenings with indescribable mental sensations.

1993

22 yrs

My psychotic experiences suggest to me that the universe is governed by natural laws and that everything fits together in perfect logic. This leads to the strong intuition that life is a great enigma to be solved in order to escape continuous dissatisfaction, and that these things are not knowable through ordinary senses. However, my reflections are still drowned in an ocean of wrong ideas.

Those around me do not arrive at the same conclusions at all, which only contributes to isolating me further.

These experiences become immensely fruitful when I remain still. However, the following year, perceiving their limit and preferring to avoid artificial conditioning, I will put an end to them. Moreover, even a "soft" drug remains harmful to the body.

1994

23 yrs

On the train, I hear for the first time about a certain Buddha (no internet at the time, and I didn't read).

This is a radical turning point in my existence. A book teaches me what meditation is and what it brings. It also explains the principle of karma, the natural law of cause and effect.

The only things I had heard of before were levitation and the nail board (Tintin). For the rest, I only had a strong intuition that there must be "something" behind "all this".

From then on, thanks to this book, I let everything go, I let nature take its course. I try to develop benevolence in every situation. Of course, sometimes I meditate, but it's hard, especially after smoking a cone!

I often change location, but reside mainly in Haute Provence. With a friend, we found the association Bien pour tous (Good for everyone), to help the homeless, and we are the "most badly shod cobblers".

Then return to Switzerland, in Lausanne, where I continue my life as a homeless person. Since I'm going to go around in circles anyway, I tell myself, I might as well do it without stress and keeping my free time.

1995

24 yrs

While surviving by selling newspapers for the homeless, I settle down with a girlfriend who will be my last. I still get drunk a little, but from now on I maintain honest behavior.

With my savings, I organize a rave in the heart of Lausanne, with the idea of earning enough to leave for Tibet, but that evening ruins me.

1996

25 yrs

Birth of my daughter. Her mother had so desired her, although she knew my departure for Asia was near, with a "one-way ticket".

I become interested in Zen, whose "direct and stripped-down" aspect pleases me.

By mail, a friend tells me that there is a center in Burma where one can meditate at length, without having to worry about anything.

I soon go there and learn that practice is carried out there in accordance with the instructions given by the Buddha.

My first intensive meditation retreat. A profound experience: .

1997

26 yrs

In this vast shaded center, I devote myself non-stop for 4 months to mindfulness meditation. Lucidity increases, wrong ideas fall like dead leaves.

Back in Switzerland, attachments remain, I find my partner and baby again. I hope to be able to reconcile family life with meditation, but it's a failure. Daily domestic scenes, incessant screaming from the little one… Everything pushes me to run away.

In the summer, I treat myself to a walk across France on foot, alone, without a penny, from North to South (1550 km in 41 days). A wonderful experience!

Then return to Burma for a longer period.

1998

27 yrs

During a 10-month intensive retreat, I join the Buddhist monastic community (on 12.04.98), as it offers me optimal conditions to progress on the path of renunciation.

Then, detailed study of the monastic discipline, then the Burmese language.

1999

28 yrs

Project to create a website to teach the dhamma. During a stay in the Paris region, I teach myself computer science. Before returning to Burma, I receive an old laptop (10-inch screen, 64 MB RAM and a 700 MB hard drive). A windfall that will allow me to develop the first draft of the future website dhammadana.org.

2000

29 yrs

Translation of a thick book on monastic discipline, compilation of a Burmese-French dictionary.

Malaria infection.

2001

30 yrs

In France, in a Sri Lankan convent, then a Cambodian one, where I lead a few meditation retreats.

2002

31 yrs

Online publication of the monastic work The Manual of the Bhikkhu, avalaible in English.

Participation as the main character in a documentary film about my renunciation, broadcast on Arte (filmed in Paris, but mostly in Burma): The Forest School, but for ratings reasons, the channel imposed another title: Paris-Rangoon, Metamorphosis of a Homeless Person.

Back in Burma, I settle in Mandalay.

2003

32 yrs

From my translations, I publish two books online, one on meditation teachings, the other on monastic discipline.

2004

33 yrs

Online publication of three other books: on the life of the Buddha, on meditation retreats, and The 13 Ascetic Practices.

I discover and settle in a school for the poor, welcoming thousands of children! I have an internet connection, unstable and censored, but I can finally communicate with Europe and make my updates.

2005

34 yrs

With an old friend, we create a kitchen section in the large Mandalay school, building an oven. The Little Restaurant is open to everyone, and the customer sets the price, according to their means and satisfaction.

I teach a few subjects to young Burmese (computer science, drawing, languages).

Online publication of The Itinerary of a Renunciant, my autobiography (detailed version, but stops in 2005).

2006

35 yrs

Journey to Japan. During this stay, I create a blog to tell the story: A French Monk in Japan.

Preparation of a dhamma website for children: dhammadana.fr. Leading a meditation retreat in Belgium.

2007

36 yrs

Production of my first feature film: Deliverance filmed in Geneva and Burma. Landing in Yangon (with my camera and 18 video cassettes) during the demonstrations repressed by army gunfire. The plane (almost empty) narrowly misses a crash.

Online publication of the short story The Exit Door.

2008

37 yrs

Stay in Malaysia, return to Burma. A producer sells my film (without my knowledge) throughout Burma.

Online publication of a short story: Maya the Renunciant.

Departure for a two-year meditation retreat in forest isolation. I discover calm meditation.

2009

38 yrs

Time spent trying to focus my attention on the breath, and treating myself for tuberculosis.

2010

39 yrs

Coming out of this long retreat, I leave the monastic community to become an ascetic (on 10.10.10). This responds to a need for total independence. My practice remains the same, however.

2011

40 yrs

In France, in Grenoble, for the year. Online publication of the novel A Child on the Moon.

2012

41 yrs

Back into the meditation bath, in several monasteries in Burma.

 
Production of my 2nd feature film: The Great Legacy.

2013

42 yrs

Solitary meditation in a natural cave for 45 days.

Online publication of the semi-biographical novel The Ricochet Effect.

Actor in the film Tout un monde lointain (A Whole Distant World), which will only be released in theaters in 2017 (I never had the opportunity to see this film).

2014

43 yrs

Production of my 3rd feature film: The Box of Desires.

2015

44 yrs

Production of my 4th feature film: The Taste of the Dhamma, in which I play a role (that of the ascetic!).

2016

45 yrs

Teaching children.

A wind of general fed-upness (towards city life) begins to blow strong.

2017

46 yrs

Departure for a solitary meditation retreat in different monasteries.

I take back the monastic robe for a while, tired of the looks and criticism from the Burmese, who associate my appearance with a disturbed or even dangerous person.

A brick-colored toga and a razor shave, and everyone treats me like a prince, prostrates themselves with the greatest respect, even though I could well be a mobster. Dad was right: "The robe makes the monk!" In the eyes of others, at least.

Story to read: Monastory

2018

47 yrs

Online publication of the novel The Little Girl and the Ascetic. New long meditation retreat. I take root in a small monastery in Thaton (south-eastern Burma). Conditions are peaceful, and there are a few Westerners there – monks and nuns.

2019

48 yrs

Alternating between meditation, reading, writing and reflection. I start working on dhamma.free.fr (in French and Italian): texts, code, design…

2020

49 yrs

Launch of dhamma.free.fr and writing of the final articles. Then, from May 1st, diving back into the present moment.

Intensive meditation

Creation of isi Dhamma's Blog

2021

50 yrs

Still an ascetic at heart, but returning to a more natural disguise: pants, hair…

Return to Europe. Bike tour of Switzerland

Writing and preparing a feature film.

2022

51 yrs

Meditation in a Swiss apartment.

Foundation of our "super TikTok" and creation – remotely – of numerous humorous short videos (in Burmese): dhamma.p (TikTok). The best ones are on my YouTube account with English subtitles.

2023

52 yrs

Return to Burma, in Mandalay.

Production of my 5th (and last) feature film, Don't Expect Anything!, which will lead the entire film crew to be sequestered by the military, then thrown in prison, because of a scene misinterpreted by the government.

2024

53 yrs

A 14-month stay in Mandalay central prison, followed by expulsion from the country. Farewell Burma! Let us have no attachments!

Forced return, therefore, to Switzerland, where I decide to maintain the 10 basic monastic precepts, which include not possessing or using a single penny.

2025

54 yrs

Publication of the book "My Inner Prison", the detailed account of my prison experience in Burma.

Renovation of this blog and moving it to isiblog.fr.

Living far from any benefactor, "obligatory" passage from 10 to 8 precepts. Settling alone (early August) in a small house in an isolated village in Ticino (Italian Switzerland), which becomes "isi's monastery". You are all welcome there for a retreat or a simple visit.

Resumption of work on the famous en.dhammadana.org.

2026

55 yrs

I walk in the mountains, I concoct a pizza for myself, I watch the snow fall, I meditate, I create this English version of the blog.

Writing of the short story The dangerous girl.

(To be continued...)