Thomas Merton, Meditating with Fireflies

Dear friends,

Over the years, as I delved into the life and work of THOMAS MERTON (1915-1968), I've been astonished by the limited local recollection of this captivating personality, despite his detailed narration of the profound "Illumination" experience during a short stay in Sri Lanka in December 1968.

Born in the South of France, he became a Trappist monk in America, and his life ended suddenly in Asia, a continent which truly fascinated him. His brief but rich stay in Sri Lanka, particularly in Kandy and Polonnaruwa, is one of the highlights of his Asian Journal, if not its zenith.

Continuing its tradition of annual literary events, Suriyakantha Centre presents a bilingual (English and French) visual and live musical program to celebrate this extraordinary humanist : Thomas Merton, Le moine foudroyé 
(Meditating with Fireflies).

This marks the first-ever tribute to the life and work of Thomas Merton organized in Sri Lanka, one that benefits from the support of the Thomas Merton Center based at Bellarmine University (USA).

The event will be preceded by the opening of a photographic exhibition on the Cistercian Art by Janaka Samarakoon.

The cultural evening will be followed by a cocktail.

All are welcome as we come together for this special occasion, which promises to be both literary and memorial.

We wish you an excellent year 2024!

Sincerely,

Jacques Soulié
Co-founder & Director - Suriyakantha Centre for Art & Culture