Thomas Merton

[Akita Suggagaki]

As I mentioned in another thread, I started to read his “New Seeds of Contemplation “
If anyone would like to join me and discuss:

https://www.fisheaters.com/srpdf/xThomasMertonNewSeedsOfContemplation.pdf

 

[JacquelineDeane55]

Who is Thomas Merton?

 

[Akita Suggagaki]

“Contemplation is the awareness and realization, even in some sense experience, of what each Christian obscurely believes: "It is now no longer I that live but Christ lives in me."

Hence contemplation is more than a consideration of abstract truths about God, more even than affective meditation on the things we believe. It is awakening, enlightenment and the amazing intuitive grasp by which love gains certitude of God's creative and dynamic intervention in our daily life. Hence contemplation does not simply "find" a clear idea of God and confine Him within the limits of that idea, and hold Him there as a prisoner to Whom it can always return. On the contrary, contemplation is carried away by Him into His own realm, His own mystery and His own freedom. It is a pure and a virginal knowledge, poor in concepts, poorer still in reasoning, but able, by its very poverty and
purity, to follow the Word "wherever He may go."

 

[Akita Suggagaki]

What if his own realm, mystery, and freedom seems to threaten our idea of God? No wonder it seems so dangerous… as dangerous as the memory of Jesus.

 

[David Lamb]

Who is Thomas Merton?

Apparently, so Wikipedia tells me, he was an American Trappist monk.

 

[Akita Suggagaki]

He was also a prolific writer on spirituality

 

[Akita Suggagaki]

“There are many other escapes from the empirical, external self, which might seem to be, but are not, contemplation.
For instance, the experience of being seized and taken out of oneself by collective enthusiasm, in a totalitarian parade: the self-righteous upsurge of party loyalty that blots out conscience and absolves every criminal tendency in the name of Class, Nation, Party, Race or Sect. The danger and the attraction of these false mystiques of Nation and of Class is precisely that they seduce and pretend to satisfy those who are no longer aware of any deep or genuine spiritual need. The false mysticism of the Mass Society captivates men who are so alienated from themselves and from God that they are no longer capable of genuine spiritual experience. Yet it is precisely these ersatz forms of enthusiasm that are "opium" for the people, deadening their awareness of their deepest and most personal needs, alienating them from their true selves, putting conscience and personality to sleep and turning free, reasonable men into passive instruments of the power politician.”

P 11 New Seeds of Contemplation

 

[Aussie52]

He was also a prolific writer on spirituality

There is some evidence that he was going to leave Catholicism and embrace Buddhism just before his death.

 

[Tom Aumen]

Merton is a controversial figure.

This is what Anthony Clark of CA said of him:
"Nevertheless, some of his ideas are dangerous. His later writings are more confusing than helpful, for they conflate and confuse Buddhist and Christian teachings. One example of that confusion is seen in a popular icon sold in many Christian and Buddhist stores that depicts him sitting in the lotus posture in Zen meditation. The night before his death, Merton told John Moffitt that, 'Zen and Christianity are the future.' This is precisely what the Holy Father has expressed grave concerns about." (Can You Trust Thomas Merton?)

I never recommended him to people.

 

[Akita Suggagaki]

Merton is a controversial figure.

This is what Anthony Clark of CA said of him:
"Nevertheless, some of his ideas are dangerous. His later writings are more confusing than helpful, for they conflate and confuse Buddhist and Christian teachings. One example of that confusion is seen in a popular icon sold in many Christian and Buddhist stores that depicts him sitting in the lotus posture in Zen meditation. The night before his death, Merton told John Moffitt that, 'Zen and Christianity are the future.' This is precisely what the Holy Father has expressed grave concerns about." (Can You Trust Thomas Merton?)

I never recommended him to people.

“Dangerous” if one considers questions dangerous. It is true that he searched for truth beyond dogmas. In new Seeds ge wrote:

“Let no one hope to find in contemplation an escape from conflict, from anguish or from doubt. On the contrary, the deep, inexpressible certitude of the contemplative experience awakens a tragic anguish and opens many questions in the depths of the heart like wounds that cannot stop bleeding. For every gain in deep certitude there is a corresponding growth of superficial "doubt." This doubt is by no means opposed to genuine faith, but it mercilessly examines and questions the spurious "faith" of everyday life, the human faith which is nothing but the passive acceptance of conventional opinion.

“ This false "faith" which is what we often live by and which we even come to confuse with our "religion" is subjected to inexorable questioning. This torment is a kind of trial by fire in which we are compelled, by the very light of invisible truth which has reached us in the dark ray of contemplation, to examine, to doubt and finally to reject all the prejudices and conventions that we have hitherto accepted as if they were dogmas. “

So if one is not open to exploring and questioning their own beliefs he can be both “dangerous” and threatening.

 

[Aussie52]

I am no expert on Merton but I think he went beyond just questioning to rejecting revealed truth and an embracing of Eastern philosophy.

 

[Akita Suggagaki]

I am no expert on Merton but I think he went beyond just questioning to rejecting revealed truth and an embracing of Eastern philosophy.

He certainly probed more deeply into what revealed truth could mean and share with other philosophical wisdom. Most people with interest in Interreligious dialogue have that curiosity. Even Eastern religions and philosophy have wisdom to share. The important thing is to be aware of differences and know when a line is being crossed.

 

[Akita Suggagaki]

I am comparing “Seeds of Contemplation “ with New Seeds of Contemplation “. They we both written before his books dealing with Buddhism. seeds 1949 and New Seeds 1962.

New Seeds seems to have more references to “false self”. That is impermanent, exterior and ego centered. (Sounds Buddhist). True self is more hidden, mystic and Christ centered. Nothing Buddhist about that.

 

[Aussie52]

I am comparing “Seeds of Contemplation “ with New Seeds of Contemplation “. They we both written before his books dealing with Buddhism. seeds 1949 and New Seeds 1962.

New Seeds seems to have more references to “false self”. That is impermanent, exterior and ego centered. (Sounds Buddhist). True self is more hidden, mystic and Christ centered. Nothing Buddhist about that.

Yes, I think the concept of a 'false self' has problems. But maybe I haven't understood him or later Trappists.

 

[Bob Crowley]

I read "New Seeds of Contemplation" a couple of years ago. I'd have to reread it to be able to say anything useful.

The problem with reading Merton is that he was writing for contemplatives in general, and I'm not a contemplative. Obviously we can all learn something, but the really deep mystics are operating at a level most of us know almost nothing about.

St. John of the Cross for example used the concept of "Nada" (nothing in Spanish) which was summarised in The Ascent of Mount Carmel as ...

"To reach satisfaction in all, desire satisfaction in nothing.
To come to possess all, desire the possession of nothing.
To arrive at being all, desire to be nothing."

There are similarities between John's "Nada" for example and Buddhism's "sunyata" (emptiness) but they are different.

From an AI summary -

Key Parallels - The Approach: Both traditions emphasize a negative way (apophasis) of letting go of everything to reach truth—a "meditation without subject" in Christianity and "without object" in Zen.

Nada vs. Sunyata: St. John of the Cross (in Ascent of Mount Carmel and Dark Night) insists the soul must pass through a "dark night" or "annihilation" (nada) of all desires to be filled with God. Similarly, Buddhism holds that understanding emptiness (sunyata) releases one from suffering.

Experiential Reality: Both are experiential, not just theoretical; both describe a feeling of emptiness as a necessary stage in the spiritual journey.

Core Differences - The Ultimate Goal: John of the Cross seeks the soul's union with a personal God, while Buddhism seeks the cessation of clinging and the realization that the "self" is empty of intrinsic existence.

The Role of 'Nothing': In Christianity, "nothing" is a stage leading to "everything" (God). In Buddhism, empty emptiness is not a void to be filled, but the inherent nature of reality.

While some authors see the "empty" experiences as quite similar, they arise from different metaphysical frameworks.

I can see why Thomas Merton might have been attracted to Buddhism, and he had close friendships with several prominent Buddhist figures. Obviously he saw a lot of similarities between deep Christian spirituality and deep Buddhist spirituality.

 

[Akita Suggagaki]

“While some authors see the "empty" experiences as quite similar, they arise from different metaphysical frameworks.”

That acknowledgement of different metaphysical frameworks has to be a starting point when comparing what seem to be similar concepts in Interreligious conversation.

Emptiness and nada are good examples. Another is “false self” and self we must die to. Of course in Buddhism and other Eastern forms of religion, self is illusion. In Christian thought it is more complicated. It is part of our image and likeness we share with God and is eternal. And yet it is also in need of redemption and Jesus tells us must die. Sounds like two very different things.

Merton and I think St Paul describe two selves, one of the flesh the other, spirit. An old man and a new man. A false self and a true self in Christ.

I also like to read David Tracy. He mentions a process in which exploring themes in other religions helps us to deepen our understanding of our own as long as ww are clear about the metaphysical frameworks of each.

 

[Akita Suggagaki]

“THE secret of my identity is hidden in the love and mercy of God. But whatever is in God is really identical with Him, for His infinite simplicity admits no division and no distinction. Therefore I cannot hope to find myself anywhere except in Him. Ultimately the only way that I can be myself is to become identified with Him in Whom is hidden the reason and fulfillment of my existence. Therefore there is only one problem on which all my existence, my peace and my happiness depend: to discover myself in discovering God. If I find Him I will find myself and if I find my true self I will find Him.” P 35-36

I can see how some might see this as panchristic. We are all identical with God and just don’t know it?

Is this dangerous thinking? Or does it takes us to the inevitable limits of language. Tracy speaks of our “Analogical Imagination” that enables us to say anything at all about God. And we can’t really talk about our own identity without talking about God.

 

[Akita Suggagaki]

“IT is not only our hatred of others that is dangerous but also and above all our hatred of ourselves: particularly that hatred of ourselves which is too deep and too powerful to be consciously faced. For it is this which makes us see our own evil in others and unable to see it in ourselves.” P 16

 

[Aussie52]

“IT is not only our hatred of others that is dangerous but also and above all our hatred of ourselves: particularly that hatred of ourselves which is too deep and too powerful to be consciously faced. For it is this which makes us see our own evil in others and unable to see it in ourselves.” P 16

I would question if anyone truly 'hates themselves' from a Biblical point of view. The Bible clearly shows that one of the main manifestations of sin is 'self-love'. The average sinner loves himself/herself inordinately. This is seen in selfishness, self-worship, and an unhealthy self-esteem. Any so called 'self-hatred' is more evidence of self-pride being wounded than a hatred of oneself.
Thomas Merton jettisoned Christian perspectives away early in his career and adopted psychology and Eastern philosophy as the source of his belief system.

 

[Akita Suggagaki]

I would question if anyone truly 'hates themselves' from a Biblical point of view. The Bible clearly shows that one of the main manifestations of sin is 'self-love'. The average sinner loves himself/herself inordinately. This is seen in selfishness, self-worship, and an unhealthy self-esteem. Any so called 'self-hatred' is more evidence of self-pride being wounded than a hatred of oneself.
Thomas Merton jettisoned Christian perspectives away early in his career and adopted psychology and Eastern philosophy as the source of his belief system.

Well, again we can consider the false self or ego centered self with all it’s contradictory feelings and thoughts, the self Jesus tells us to bury. And the true self when we find ourselves in Christ. I think what he is talking about is the mechanism resulting in our denial and projection of the evil we hate in ourselves. At some level don’t even the most self absorbed really hate themselves and not conscious of it?

I don’t know. They certainly seem to love themselves at the conscious level.