Jeff Shore of Tokyo’s Hanazono University will present the first lecture of the new year to members of the Socratic Society, UALR’s department of Philosophy’s student association, at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 23, in the Arkla Room (Room 119) in Ross Hall.

Shore completed his masters in comparative philosophy from the University of Hawaii and further graduate work at Temple University before moving to Japan in 1981 to study Zen Buddhism. He has studied and practiced Zen Buddhism for over 30 years, 14 of which were spent as a monk in the Rinzai training monastery of Tofukuji.

In addition to teaching at Hanazono University, Shore lectures and leads meditation retreats. His aim is to articulate a form of “international” Zen–that is, a non-sectarian form of Zen not bound by a particular culture.