September 4, 2023 – Gethsemani was host to a group of travelling Buddhists.

Gethsemani welcomed a group of Tibetan Buddhists to the monastery. They have come from India and are travelling to various places in order to raise money for their monastery back home. They are staying in Lebanon at the moment and will be creating sand mandalas to be shown to the public.

They were accompanied by a group of friends, all of whom are pictured below. While they were here at Gethsemani, we took them on a tour of the monastery, then walked out to the hermitage where Br. Paul and Fr. Lawrence passed around some of the treats we make here. Everyone attended Sext and then had a picnic out on the front lawn of the monastery.

As most of those who visit our website know, Thomas Merton visited the Dalai Lama in India when he was travelling in the East. They spoke for two days. The Dalai Lama considers his encounter with Thomas Merton a significant event in his life and counts Merton as his friend. When Tibetan Buddhists visit here, they almost always stop at Merton’s grave and sing some hymns in his honor.