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Spiritual Direction And Meditation with What Is Contemplation?
This booklet contains revised and expanded versions of the material on spiritual direction and meditation which appeared, in installments, in the magazine 'Sponsa Regis'.
112 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1960
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About the author
Thomas Merton
556 books1,878 followersThomas Merton, religious name M. Louis, was an American Trappist monk, writer, theologian, mystic, poet, social activist and scholar of comparative religion. In December 1941 he entered the Trappist Abbey of Gethsemani and in May 1949 he was ordained to priesthood. He was a member of the convent of the Abbey of Our Lady of Gethsemani, near Bardstown, Kentucky, living there from 1941 to his death.
Merton wrote more than 50 books in a period of 27 years, mostly on spirituality, social justice and a quiet pacifism, as well as scores of essays and reviews. Among Merton's most enduring works is his bestselling autobiography The Seven Storey Mountain (1948). His account of his spiritual journey inspired scores of World War II veterans, students, and teenagers to explore offerings of monasteries across the US. It is on National Review's list of the 100 best nonfiction books of the century.
Merton became a keen proponent of interfaith understanding, exploring Eastern religions through his study of mystic practice. His interfaith conversation, which preserved both Protestant and Catholic theological positions, helped to build mutual respect via their shared experiences at a period of heightened hostility. He is particularly known for having pioneered dialogue with prominent Asian spiritual figures, including the Dalai Lama XIV; Japanese writer D.T. Suzuki; Thai Buddhist monk Buddhadasa Bhikkhu, and Vietnamese monk Thich Nhat Hanh. He traveled extensively in the course of meeting with them and attending international conferences on religion. In addition, he wrote books on Zen Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism, and how Christianity is related to them. This was highly unusual at the time in the United States, particularly within the religious orders.
Merton wrote more than 50 books in a period of 27 years, mostly on spirituality, social justice and a quiet pacifism, as well as scores of essays and reviews. Among Merton's most enduring works is his bestselling autobiography The Seven Storey Mountain (1948). His account of his spiritual journey inspired scores of World War II veterans, students, and teenagers to explore offerings of monasteries across the US. It is on National Review's list of the 100 best nonfiction books of the century.
Merton became a keen proponent of interfaith understanding, exploring Eastern religions through his study of mystic practice. His interfaith conversation, which preserved both Protestant and Catholic theological positions, helped to build mutual respect via their shared experiences at a period of heightened hostility. He is particularly known for having pioneered dialogue with prominent Asian spiritual figures, including the Dalai Lama XIV; Japanese writer D.T. Suzuki; Thai Buddhist monk Buddhadasa Bhikkhu, and Vietnamese monk Thich Nhat Hanh. He traveled extensively in the course of meeting with them and attending international conferences on religion. In addition, he wrote books on Zen Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism, and how Christianity is related to them. This was highly unusual at the time in the United States, particularly within the religious orders.
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January 23, 2021
Thomas Merton’s hundred-or-so page manual Spiritual Direction and Meditation is one of a few palm-sized paperbacks published by the Liturgical Press in Minnesota that outline and clarify some of the basic questions that novitiate Catholic monks or curious non-Christians like myself would have about Christian contemplation and prayer. There are few authors I would trust with this sort of purpose. I don’t need to mention the vast and mostly useless proliferation of Christian ‘self-help’ books, prayer manuals, and spiritual ‘guides,’ which instead of assisting any of those pursuits actually serves two rather unfortunate ends: namely, filling the heads of avid and aching Christians with clichés and pseudo-spiritual hokey-pokey and discouraging intelligent readers from taking Christianity seriously – both of which do injustice to the resilient and simple wisdom of Christian teachings and their possibilities for the modern (or is it post-modern now?) individual.
Merton’s Christianity is a rare kind, as is evident metonymically in anything one reads by him. It is simultaneously steeped in critical study of what seems to be the entire Christian intellectual, theological, philosophical, mystical tradition, while curious and knowledgeable too about Eastern religions and practices; it is informed by poetry and an appreciation of literature — in the tradition of Milton, Blake, Emerson to name a few — which gives it a sharp and idiosyncratic nature; and most importantly of all: it is grounded in a simple yet serious practical awareness of life. A quote on the book’s jacket describes his attitude as “no-nonsense,” a distinction which some might believe dubiously awarded to any Christian writer. And yet, it is true. The prescience of Merton’s writing stems from this mentioned genius. It is his insistence on the nature of the soul and its longing, and his fidelity to the honest and difficult life that corresponds with the possibility (however unlikely) of its fulfillment. A rare pragmatism and rigorous skepticism enlivens and vitalizes a book that could otherwise be disregarded as just another production of a diseased and irrelevant tradition.
The book focuses on two practical elements of this practical spiritual life: the contemplative practice of meditation and the role of spiritual direction (which could faithfully be translated to mentorship or even spiritual friendship). The message in the portion of the book concerned with spiritual direction is simple: true spiritual direction is personal, just as religion is, finally, personal. A sensitive and judicious guide can encourage us to develop, “our natural simplicity, sincerity, and forthright spiritual honesty,” keeping in, “vital contact with the reality of our vocation and of our lives, instead of losing ourselves in a maze of abstract devotional fictions.” It is clear that this person, in Merton’s mind, is not a doleful administrator of some distant allegedly sacred rite but is one who, “in all actions is free from the superficial automatism of conventional routine… [and who] in all that he does he acts freely, simply, spontaneously, from the depths of his heart, moved by love.” Merton dances around the targets for these pointed statements but it is clear, like Emerson before him, that Merton is concerned with the ‘living’ church – with the inscrutable and spontaneous will of the Holy Spirit as it inspires through the impulses of the church’s awakened members - not with empty convention. Addressed especially to those with a monastic or institutionally religious vocation, an inspired director is necessary to safeguard against ‘deformation’ or repression of the free religious impulse. It is a skeptical and sensitive guard against the tyranny of conventions and orthodoxies that suckle their adherents in an unfortunate lassitude. To put it most clearly, the direction is not really ‘religious’ in the same way that Merton’s Christianity is not really ‘religious.’ It is about human life, and all of its desires, doubts, and disappointments – not an affect of some pseudo-saintly paragon of holiness and certainly not mere rule-following.
His advice on meditation is much the same, stressing its personal and unaffected nature. One reads Merton and gets the feeling that he might’ve been better off in a Zen monastery. And it is true that Merton had sought Zen and the simple yet difficult wisdom of its tradition. But alas he becomes, and it seems always was, truly, a Christian. His attempted instructional writing on meditation rings everywhere with theological and mystical ideas on the nature of contemplation and prayer. This is where the book proves its originality and its invigoration. The most important aspect of meditation to Merton is a person’s sense of their own need for it; in his words: an understanding of one’s ‘indigence.’ It is necessary, to Merton, that we recognize the impoverishment of our spirits in the world we’ve made for ourselves, and recognize that the purpose of our meditation is to seek, understand, and finally reconcile with God. What is latent here is a judgement of a trend in ‘secular’ meditation (yes, TM was around when Merton wrote this…) which Merton describes as being to the meditator, “complacent, comfortable, reassuring, and inconclusive.” In other words: it does nothing to change the state of our indigence; we remain in exile like the prodigal son, “starving in a distant land, far from our Father’s House.”
Although Merton believes (I’ll admit, convincingly) that the ‘way’ to God, or reality, is through Christ, what is perhaps more important is that we recognize our need for this truth, and for a way to it – that amidst all the confusion of modern life that we crave a life and a reality that is really real – and that we apply ourselves sincerely to this goal – perhaps not towards ‘God’ and through ‘Christ’ as you imagine those figures, but towards being, in our own way, finally, ourselves.
Merton’s Christianity is a rare kind, as is evident metonymically in anything one reads by him. It is simultaneously steeped in critical study of what seems to be the entire Christian intellectual, theological, philosophical, mystical tradition, while curious and knowledgeable too about Eastern religions and practices; it is informed by poetry and an appreciation of literature — in the tradition of Milton, Blake, Emerson to name a few — which gives it a sharp and idiosyncratic nature; and most importantly of all: it is grounded in a simple yet serious practical awareness of life. A quote on the book’s jacket describes his attitude as “no-nonsense,” a distinction which some might believe dubiously awarded to any Christian writer. And yet, it is true. The prescience of Merton’s writing stems from this mentioned genius. It is his insistence on the nature of the soul and its longing, and his fidelity to the honest and difficult life that corresponds with the possibility (however unlikely) of its fulfillment. A rare pragmatism and rigorous skepticism enlivens and vitalizes a book that could otherwise be disregarded as just another production of a diseased and irrelevant tradition.
The book focuses on two practical elements of this practical spiritual life: the contemplative practice of meditation and the role of spiritual direction (which could faithfully be translated to mentorship or even spiritual friendship). The message in the portion of the book concerned with spiritual direction is simple: true spiritual direction is personal, just as religion is, finally, personal. A sensitive and judicious guide can encourage us to develop, “our natural simplicity, sincerity, and forthright spiritual honesty,” keeping in, “vital contact with the reality of our vocation and of our lives, instead of losing ourselves in a maze of abstract devotional fictions.” It is clear that this person, in Merton’s mind, is not a doleful administrator of some distant allegedly sacred rite but is one who, “in all actions is free from the superficial automatism of conventional routine… [and who] in all that he does he acts freely, simply, spontaneously, from the depths of his heart, moved by love.” Merton dances around the targets for these pointed statements but it is clear, like Emerson before him, that Merton is concerned with the ‘living’ church – with the inscrutable and spontaneous will of the Holy Spirit as it inspires through the impulses of the church’s awakened members - not with empty convention. Addressed especially to those with a monastic or institutionally religious vocation, an inspired director is necessary to safeguard against ‘deformation’ or repression of the free religious impulse. It is a skeptical and sensitive guard against the tyranny of conventions and orthodoxies that suckle their adherents in an unfortunate lassitude. To put it most clearly, the direction is not really ‘religious’ in the same way that Merton’s Christianity is not really ‘religious.’ It is about human life, and all of its desires, doubts, and disappointments – not an affect of some pseudo-saintly paragon of holiness and certainly not mere rule-following.
His advice on meditation is much the same, stressing its personal and unaffected nature. One reads Merton and gets the feeling that he might’ve been better off in a Zen monastery. And it is true that Merton had sought Zen and the simple yet difficult wisdom of its tradition. But alas he becomes, and it seems always was, truly, a Christian. His attempted instructional writing on meditation rings everywhere with theological and mystical ideas on the nature of contemplation and prayer. This is where the book proves its originality and its invigoration. The most important aspect of meditation to Merton is a person’s sense of their own need for it; in his words: an understanding of one’s ‘indigence.’ It is necessary, to Merton, that we recognize the impoverishment of our spirits in the world we’ve made for ourselves, and recognize that the purpose of our meditation is to seek, understand, and finally reconcile with God. What is latent here is a judgement of a trend in ‘secular’ meditation (yes, TM was around when Merton wrote this…) which Merton describes as being to the meditator, “complacent, comfortable, reassuring, and inconclusive.” In other words: it does nothing to change the state of our indigence; we remain in exile like the prodigal son, “starving in a distant land, far from our Father’s House.”
Although Merton believes (I’ll admit, convincingly) that the ‘way’ to God, or reality, is through Christ, what is perhaps more important is that we recognize our need for this truth, and for a way to it – that amidst all the confusion of modern life that we crave a life and a reality that is really real – and that we apply ourselves sincerely to this goal – perhaps not towards ‘God’ and through ‘Christ’ as you imagine those figures, but towards being, in our own way, finally, ourselves.
May 24, 2019
A spiritual director shared this little book with me and I found it to be very helpful. The meditation section in particular was full of practical ideas of how to grow in the practice of silence and contemplation.
December 13, 2021
nothing to write home about :) i like the cover and the art more than the book
read if you like the way merton writes; read something else for a fuller and more universal treatment of spiritual direction (merton is very much a catholic, meaning his spiritual direction promotes and is founded on penitential systems, which is fine if you’re into that — but it’s generally a bad idea to tell non-catholics to pray to Our Holy Mother 20x’s because you missed church for the Dodgers.)
read if you like the way merton writes; read something else for a fuller and more universal treatment of spiritual direction (merton is very much a catholic, meaning his spiritual direction promotes and is founded on penitential systems, which is fine if you’re into that — but it’s generally a bad idea to tell non-catholics to pray to Our Holy Mother 20x’s because you missed church for the Dodgers.)
November 30, 2024
It's Merton, so I always walk away feeling enlightened and peaceful. A good direction for playful meditation.
November 21, 2017
Before reading this book, I have to admit that approached it with a bit of skepticism. Some of the more louder voices in liberal theology have championed Thomas Merton as someone who played a key influence in their theological development.
But as I read through this book, I found myself truly enjoying this short, concise treatise on "direction" (peer discipleship) and "meditation" (connecting deeply with the Lord). I think it gives some great insights into these two topics. Merton urges the readers to engage the Lord both through feeling and thought. He deeply values Scripture, and a dynamic prayer life. There are a few minor areas where he and I do not quite see eye to eye, but I found him to be a thought-provoking writer who will challenge you in how you relate to God. Definitely worth reading over an afternoon or two.
"Above all, our life should always be seen in light of the Cross." p. 99
But as I read through this book, I found myself truly enjoying this short, concise treatise on "direction" (peer discipleship) and "meditation" (connecting deeply with the Lord). I think it gives some great insights into these two topics. Merton urges the readers to engage the Lord both through feeling and thought. He deeply values Scripture, and a dynamic prayer life. There are a few minor areas where he and I do not quite see eye to eye, but I found him to be a thought-provoking writer who will challenge you in how you relate to God. Definitely worth reading over an afternoon or two.
"Above all, our life should always be seen in light of the Cross." p. 99
March 16, 2018
I was recommended this brief two-part text by my spiritual director as a "primer" for receiving spiritual direction. Turns out this was a very wise move. Merton's assessment of what a spiritual director is, is not, and should and should not be expected to provide is very rational and well-articulated. His words are not intellectually ambitious, and are perfectly graspable by the average layman (yours truly).
The second portion of the text, on meditation and mental prayer, was perhaps less obviously necessary but even more intriguing, since it is not a direction that I had pointedly attempted to take myself. The Church always recommends silence, and so little of it is to be found in modern America. Merton is cognizant of this and summarizes the practice in a way that is as applicable in 2018 as it surely was in the 1950's.
The second portion of the text, on meditation and mental prayer, was perhaps less obviously necessary but even more intriguing, since it is not a direction that I had pointedly attempted to take myself. The Church always recommends silence, and so little of it is to be found in modern America. Merton is cognizant of this and summarizes the practice in a way that is as applicable in 2018 as it surely was in the 1950's.
September 30, 2022
As the title indicates the book is about the value of spiritual guidance and obstacles in one's meditation. And everything from a Christian point of view of course. I didn't really get into this book, read it off and on, and hence don't think I can judge it fairly. There were some gems in it though, ideas and thoughts that made me stop and ponder.
"The mind must ascend, by reasoning, to the threshold of intuition".
"Meditation is the idea of awakening our interior self and attuning ourselves inwardly to the Holy Spirit, so that we will be able to respond to His grace". So even if you are a non-Christian you can get something out of this book by simply supplementing certain words.
Meditation is the idea of awakening our interior self and attuning ourselves inwardly to our subconsciousness, so that we will be able to respond to the Universal Consciousness.
"The mind must ascend, by reasoning, to the threshold of intuition".
"Meditation is the idea of awakening our interior self and attuning ourselves inwardly to the Holy Spirit, so that we will be able to respond to His grace". So even if you are a non-Christian you can get something out of this book by simply supplementing certain words.
Meditation is the idea of awakening our interior self and attuning ourselves inwardly to our subconsciousness, so that we will be able to respond to the Universal Consciousness.
December 27, 2018
Oddly no nonsense take on faith for a Catholic monk. I expected more flowery language and self-laceration but Merton's directions are simple, clear, and doable (if not easy). He is fully aware that we are all human yet also fully believes we can be something more than that through an intentional connection to the divine.
July 11, 2017
I just re-read the first half of this book - the section on Spiritual Direction. I first read this book 15 years ago. It still holds little gems that I need to mine!
This book is full of wisdom. Merton had a knack for expressing spiritual truths plainly and clearly. Of course, his focus is on spiritual direction in a Catholic setting, so non-Catholics may have to work a little to understand exactly what he is saying. That effort is worth the gems one finds in this brief treatment of spiritual direction.
Spiritual direction is sorely lacking in most Protestant circles. Some may read this book and find the concept foreign to their idea of spirituality and Christianity. Hopefully Merton's brief treatment of the origins of spiritual direction among the dessert fathers will be sufficient to show this is not a recent development, nor exclusively a Catholic practice.
His treatment of the relationship between a spiritual director and directee is only a couple of paragraphs long. However, his distinction between prudence and obedience is fascinating.
If you are interested in a brief treatment of spiritual direction, Merton's offers much insight in the first half of this book. Enjoy!
This book is full of wisdom. Merton had a knack for expressing spiritual truths plainly and clearly. Of course, his focus is on spiritual direction in a Catholic setting, so non-Catholics may have to work a little to understand exactly what he is saying. That effort is worth the gems one finds in this brief treatment of spiritual direction.
Spiritual direction is sorely lacking in most Protestant circles. Some may read this book and find the concept foreign to their idea of spirituality and Christianity. Hopefully Merton's brief treatment of the origins of spiritual direction among the dessert fathers will be sufficient to show this is not a recent development, nor exclusively a Catholic practice.
His treatment of the relationship between a spiritual director and directee is only a couple of paragraphs long. However, his distinction between prudence and obedience is fascinating.
If you are interested in a brief treatment of spiritual direction, Merton's offers much insight in the first half of this book. Enjoy!
March 21, 2018
Easy to read and inspiring.
June 21, 2018
Short, direct, pithy just like Merton.
August 2, 2019
Very easy to use as Lectio Divina.
June 8, 2020
I just read this after Henri Nouwen’s book, “Spiritual Direction” (collected from various works of his) and I would say that Nouwen’s is more practical for those looking into Spiritual Direction.
March 9, 2024
Interesantă partea despre meditație. Foster a împrumutat mult de la Merton, însă calugărul acesta catolic prezintă mai multe, mai profund, în pagini mai puține.
July 12, 2025
A short, concise explanation and reflection all about Spiritual Direction - then a section on Meditation. A great follow up from my school reading
October 8, 2010
On Spiritual Direction:
The concept of spiritual direction (also called spiritual friendships or other things) has been on my mind for a while now – my imagination captivated by the experiences of a spiritual direction relationship.
Our call as Christians is to spread the lifestyle of discipleship – the lifestyle of living by faith in Jesus, the Way, Truth and Life. Permeated by God’s grace, we move and breathe. But, what does this lifestyle look like? Who will show us in tangible ways what it might look like to walk and follow after Jesus? Who will ask us the questions that open new doors of insight and help us see God’s promises in Scripture even more clearly?
In informality, I think we’ve all had a spiritual director or two in our lives – a person who has asked us questions that really affected who we are. A person who listened far more than they spoke and was a gift of God to us in a time in life. A person who we seemed drawn to, looking forward to our next conversation because with them, Jesus and everything of God seemed to become quite tangible, thanks to God at work in the relationship.
Thomas Merton’s book gets at spiritual direction, what it means, and why it’s needed. His book is written for both the “professional religious (monks)” and everyone who isn’t a monk or nun.
From the book:
The whole purpose of spiritual direction is to penetrate beneath the surface of a man’s life, to get behind the facade of conventional gestures and attitudes which he presents to the world, and to bring out his inner spiritual freedom, his inmost truth, which is what we call the likeness of Christ in his soul. (p.16)
In essence, the direction relationship is about listening and walking together to be encouraged to walk like Christ. Having someone present with you, acting as a second pair of eyes, is so helpful, so needed. It’s hard to see so much of what we need to see in order to turn and walk with Jesus, like Jesus.
Yet, as you might imagine here, there’s a great deal of humility that needs to surround this relationship and relationships like it. It takes a lot of gusto to drop the pretenses or to allow someone to probe into our inner lives and challenge us where we perhaps thought we had things figured out. It’s not always about being comforted but also about transformation, which takes us to the greater comforts – the love of God.
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The concept of spiritual direction (also called spiritual friendships or other things) has been on my mind for a while now – my imagination captivated by the experiences of a spiritual direction relationship.
Our call as Christians is to spread the lifestyle of discipleship – the lifestyle of living by faith in Jesus, the Way, Truth and Life. Permeated by God’s grace, we move and breathe. But, what does this lifestyle look like? Who will show us in tangible ways what it might look like to walk and follow after Jesus? Who will ask us the questions that open new doors of insight and help us see God’s promises in Scripture even more clearly?
In informality, I think we’ve all had a spiritual director or two in our lives – a person who has asked us questions that really affected who we are. A person who listened far more than they spoke and was a gift of God to us in a time in life. A person who we seemed drawn to, looking forward to our next conversation because with them, Jesus and everything of God seemed to become quite tangible, thanks to God at work in the relationship.
Thomas Merton’s book gets at spiritual direction, what it means, and why it’s needed. His book is written for both the “professional religious (monks)” and everyone who isn’t a monk or nun.
From the book:
The whole purpose of spiritual direction is to penetrate beneath the surface of a man’s life, to get behind the facade of conventional gestures and attitudes which he presents to the world, and to bring out his inner spiritual freedom, his inmost truth, which is what we call the likeness of Christ in his soul. (p.16)
In essence, the direction relationship is about listening and walking together to be encouraged to walk like Christ. Having someone present with you, acting as a second pair of eyes, is so helpful, so needed. It’s hard to see so much of what we need to see in order to turn and walk with Jesus, like Jesus.
Yet, as you might imagine here, there’s a great deal of humility that needs to surround this relationship and relationships like it. It takes a lot of gusto to drop the pretenses or to allow someone to probe into our inner lives and challenge us where we perhaps thought we had things figured out. It’s not always about being comforted but also about transformation, which takes us to the greater comforts – the love of God.
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February 18, 2012
Spiritual Direction and Meditation
The first half covers spiritual direction, specifically in a formal religious setting where one is working with another who has an explicit role as a spiritual director for the former. While I do not have a formal relationship of this nature, I found myself feeling enriched by Merton's teaching. These lessons could have invaluable application to the many informal, bi-directional penitent-director relationships I have with others in my spiritual family.
The section on meditation describes an approach which is strict, but not rigid. In other words, in order to benefit from meditation, approach soberly, and give consistent effort, especially in the beginning of practicing. However, the technique used is of secondary importance to devotion to God and commitment to deepening your relationship with him. Make preparation throughout your daily life, as you train yourself to keep your senses collected.
I picked up on a theme throughout the book of stressing how important it is to be honest with yourself, your director, and God. Perhaps this was my personal focus due to my life's current station.
His tone is grounded in a mature love for Christ. Occasionally he becomes a little dismissive of approaches that don't have the same insight that he brings to the practices of direction and meditation. However, he manages to stay respectful.
The first half covers spiritual direction, specifically in a formal religious setting where one is working with another who has an explicit role as a spiritual director for the former. While I do not have a formal relationship of this nature, I found myself feeling enriched by Merton's teaching. These lessons could have invaluable application to the many informal, bi-directional penitent-director relationships I have with others in my spiritual family.
The section on meditation describes an approach which is strict, but not rigid. In other words, in order to benefit from meditation, approach soberly, and give consistent effort, especially in the beginning of practicing. However, the technique used is of secondary importance to devotion to God and commitment to deepening your relationship with him. Make preparation throughout your daily life, as you train yourself to keep your senses collected.
I picked up on a theme throughout the book of stressing how important it is to be honest with yourself, your director, and God. Perhaps this was my personal focus due to my life's current station.
His tone is grounded in a mature love for Christ. Occasionally he becomes a little dismissive of approaches that don't have the same insight that he brings to the practices of direction and meditation. However, he manages to stay respectful.
April 15, 2015
Short Review: This is a combination of two unrelated pamphlet length works by Merton. I was interested in the one about Spiritual direction and went ahead and read the one on meditation as well. The spiritual direction one is helpful but not the best I have read. Both the spiritual direction and meditation works are more about why you should do it than how to do them. Both are against some of the myths around the practices as well (spiritual direction is not about being told how to grow spiritually, but having someone to listen to God with you and help you discern a path to growth closer to Christ. or Meditation is not about emptying yourself or thinking great thoughts but about finding God and reflecting on God throughout the day.)
I like reading other streams of Christian literature in part to find different presuppositions and this is the case here. These are clearly oriented toward Catholics and to a lesser extent toward monks. I need to work a bit to related these to me.
My full blog review has some quotes to give you a sense of what the book is like. http://bookwi.se/spiritual-direction-...
I like reading other streams of Christian literature in part to find different presuppositions and this is the case here. These are clearly oriented toward Catholics and to a lesser extent toward monks. I need to work a bit to related these to me.
My full blog review has some quotes to give you a sense of what the book is like. http://bookwi.se/spiritual-direction-...
July 16, 2013
Two quotes I liked:
"We must learn to speak according to our own inner truth, as far as we can perceive it. We must learn to say what we really mean in the depths of our souls, not what we think we are expected to say, not what somebody else has just said."
“The director wants to know our inmost self, our real self. He wants to know us not as we are in the eyes of men, or even as we are in our own eyes, but as we are in the eyes of God. He wants to know the inmost truth of our vocation, the action of grace in our souls. His direction is, in reality, nothing more than a way of leading us to see and obey our real Director – the Holy Spirit, hidden in the depths of our soul. We must never forget that in reality we are not directed and taught by men..."
"We must learn to speak according to our own inner truth, as far as we can perceive it. We must learn to say what we really mean in the depths of our souls, not what we think we are expected to say, not what somebody else has just said."
“The director wants to know our inmost self, our real self. He wants to know us not as we are in the eyes of men, or even as we are in our own eyes, but as we are in the eyes of God. He wants to know the inmost truth of our vocation, the action of grace in our souls. His direction is, in reality, nothing more than a way of leading us to see and obey our real Director – the Holy Spirit, hidden in the depths of our soul. We must never forget that in reality we are not directed and taught by men..."
September 21, 2015
Merton is a mixed bag for me. At times he seems a bit vague in his mysticism and at other times he is deeply inspiring in his devotion to Christ. My copy of this book is thoroughly dog-eared with insights to take away but there were also large sections of the book I skimmed through. Well worth read for those interested in the topics at hand.
October 30, 2021
A greater little primer on two very important disciplines: Spiritual Direction and Meditation. i really appreciated Merton's view of Direction from both the point of the Director and Directee, as each director should be both. He did a good job showing what healthy and unhealthy direction look like. Then he moves into Meditation as the pathway to contemplation and the practice of presence.
March 24, 2009
I thought the book was reasonably good, but not up to some of the things I have read from Merton. There was, IMO, too much time spent on what should not be done. I prefer more of his first person narrative and view point.
February 27, 2009
This very short and concise book has two main sections as stated in the title. It closes with a summary of temperment and mental prayer.
I have read this book twice, both times in preparation for lenten reading.
I have read this book twice, both times in preparation for lenten reading.
January 4, 2014
I found the first half of the book spoke to me more, as it was on the subject of spiritual direction. However, I do not agree with some of mertons statements about direction. The second half of the book was equally good, covering the topic of meditation.
July 21, 2015
The first section of this book seems more directed to persons in religious life or who have the benefit of a kind of monastic discipline. The second half, on Meditation is excellent and can benefit anyone. Merton is always worth reading.
Want to read
June 14, 2016I may never be able to finish it because it is an ebook that is downloaded to my account. I think it was a deal on Englewood Books, the review of books I receive in my email on Fridays. But it is there. Might need to make a new category.....long term reading?
February 4, 2017
Fantastic
A well balanced and thoughtful view of the practices of meditation and spiritual direction. Worthy thought and consideration for any Christian seeking a deeper life in the Holy Spirit
A well balanced and thoughtful view of the practices of meditation and spiritual direction. Worthy thought and consideration for any Christian seeking a deeper life in the Holy Spirit
November 7, 2022
This is a beautiful, thoughtful book and reveals a man dedicated to a deep relationship with God. Merton is a very skilful writer and he articulates his experience and what he has learned in a very helpful way.
June 16, 2010
Excellent!
August 11, 2011
Made a translation in Dutch of the part on Spiritual Direction.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews