Merton & Sufism: The Untold Story: A Complete Compendium (1) (The Fons Vitae Thomas Merton Series)

This compendium is a part of the Fons Vitae series on Thomas Merton, each providing a comprehensive examination of one of Merton’s many explorations into religions and philosophies outside of his Trappist vocation and Catholic doctrines. This book is for those wanting to delve specifically into Thomas Merton’s sincere interest and immersion into Sufism. If one is looking more for an overview of Merton’s life, or a text that fully explores one or more aspects of Sufism, then there are better books than this to read. As I truly admire both Sufic thought (especially the work of Ibn ‘Arabi) and Thomas Merton’s rich spiritual life and landscape, I found that this book provides a wealth of information, as well as yet another fascinating glimpse into his much-to-be-admired (and still needed) ecumenism and interfaith dialogue.To a lesser extent, “Merton and Sufism: The Untold Story” also documents his sincere interest in, and correspondence with, the 20th-century Traditionalist School of Sophia Perennis (i.e. the Perennial Wisdom) that included philosopher-scholars such as Frithjof Schuon, Rene Guenon, Ananda Coomaraswamy, Marco Pallis, Martin Lings, Titis Burckhardt, Seyyed Hossein Nasr, William Stoddart, and Huston Smith, to name some of the most famous. It should also be noted that, through Martin Ling’s book, the 1961 classic “A Sufi Saint of the Twentieth Century,” Merton was introduced to the legacy and heritage of Shaikh Ahmad Al-Alawi, who Merton revered as a true Realized Sufi Master and Saint.While not, as far as I know, an acknowledged Traditionalist, Professor Louis Massignon and his remarkable friendship and correspondence with Merton is also looked at in detail, and given a place near the top of the Sufi-related events that transpired for Merton during those years.The book’s essays were all penned by leading people in their respective fields, and throughout the book one encounters an obvious high-level of scholarship that is, in part, supported by copious footnotes. There is some excellent supplemental material in the appendices as well, making this a must-have book for those who, like me, find Merton’s genuine interest in spiritual traditions like Sufism-Islam to be both interesting and inspiring. Regarding his love of Sufism, my favorite quote from the book is his 1966 quip, "I am the biggest Sufi in Kentucky though I admit there is not much competition.” On a more serious note, he also wrote in a letter to his friend Abdul Aziz stating that, “My prayer tends very much to what you (sufis) call fana.” For anyone who might not know, the very important term “fana” means “annihilation,” as in the permanent transcendence of the individual, seemingly-separate-from-everything-else ego. Without an abiding fana of the personal self, there is no Self-Realization.Additionally, for those of you who want to *fully* explore this fascinating area of Merton’s life, I’m recommending two readily available audios. The first is a 2.5 hour talk titled, “Mystics, Muslims, and Thomas Merton” by Sydney H. Griffith, who also wrote this book’s 3rd essay (Merton, Massignon, and the Challenge of Islam) and its 6th essay (As One Spiritual Man to Another: The Merton-Abdul Aziz Correspondence). The second is a “Learn25” production called, “Thomas Merton on Sufism.” This 2014 release features 7 hours (!) of Merton speaking informally on the topic to the novices at the Abbey of Gethsemani during his time there as Novice Master. Both of these make great companions to this book!

thomas merton was a beloved scholar and practitioner of christian mysticism. in his travels, he reached out to many, including those of the buddhist faith and those of the sufi (islamic mystics) traditions. this book contains a number of writings that describe merton's approach to sufism and study thereof. i like the gray and i believe that merton finds or defines it in this book. it is one of merton's finer pieces. it's written in a style that is accessible to most educated adults. as a great fan of merton, i have not yet found a book that i have not liked. it is outstanding. i give this book a solid "A" and i highly recommend it to all mystics, all christians, and all muslims.

I am a lover of the writings of Thomas Merton! I recommend this book to all the spiritual searchers.

Excellent

This is a well written book about a deeply spiritual man. This book is about a monk spiritual journey. A journey that took him to many alien ideas and cultures.In his quest and search for the Real, he refused to disregard other revealed religions and what they can offer in a complete sense of spirituality.His search led him to contact Muslims as well as Muslims saints and other well known and respected writers about the subject of Islam and Sufism in particular.This book reads like story which makes it easy to read. At the end, the reader will be able to find out the influence that Islam and Sufism had on this excellent mind. And how it helped him to become a better Christian.I have enjoyed this book very much. I would recommend this book for all.

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