When Gary Snyder returned from Japan, where he had studied Zen Buddhism for twelve years, he found that his popularity and influence had not waned. His emphasis on spiritual quietude, and his advocacy of a simple life lived in the wilds of nature, resonated among those who were dropping out of society to seek a simpler existence. He was often in attendance at the various rallies with Allen Ginsberg, Timothy Leary, and Alan Watts. People seeking inspiration in the wilds, starting communes, or living in teepees in the mountains, looked to Snyder's poetry for inspiration and guidance. Unlike most of his peers who eventually dropped back into society, Gary Snyder still lives as he always did, high in the remote mountains of northern California