Carlisle, Ontario, CA / Summer 2026

“I stand before you tonight to represent the people who do not count: The poor, the poets, and monks.  As long as there are people who are trying to realize the divine in themselves, there shall be hope in the world.”

Thomas Merton, 1968; quoted in Tales of Wonder by Huston Smith

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A little over 60 years ago, on July 12, 1966, Zen scholar D.T. Suzuki died. Merton drew much of his study of Buddhism, Zen, and Japanese culture from the writings of Suzuki. He received permission in 1964 to travel to New York for Suzuki's last visit to the United States. (social media post / 2026)

Photo of Merton and Suzuki taken by Mihoko Okamura, June 1964