Fw: [thomasmerton] Merton/OnHermits/1

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White Wolfe <valemar.1

<thomasmerton>; <>

Monday, August 13, 2001 1:19 PM

Re: [thomasmerton] Merton/OnHermits/1

 

> dear brothers and sisters

>

> ....how interesting it is that those of us who share a 'mystic' bent to

> their perceptions of reality are always cast as either social pariahs or

> demi-gods....Merton in his lifetime found himself at odds within the

> institution (authority) in which he served the divine (freedom) and now

that

> same institution is beginning the process of making him more than he was

> (hence, this discussion group and ones like it dedicated to other

> teachers)....like you and like me he was a sincere pilgrim following the

way

> of the sacred warrior with a noble heart....and yet, i am always reminded

by

> St. Benedict that there is something extremely selfish about the search

for

> salvation....in the end, the mystic/the ascetic is forced by the love it

> seeks and finds to return to those it has abandoned in the name of higher

> love.....love is at our center and love is arising.....Jesus returned from

> the desert to begin his ministry....on a more contemporary front i am

> reminded of Nisaragadatta who returned to his wife and family and

abandoned

> the ascetic life....i am moved by Bede Griffeths who reached out beyond

the

> walls of Christianity to find in Christ in the Purusha of an Interfaith

> Advaitist Ashram in India....i am lead by Thich Nhat Hahn who was a

> spiritual brother of TM and continues his noble work in his teachings, his

> writings and his life celebrating the LIVING BUDDHA, LIVING CHRIST.....i

am

> guided by Arjuna in realizing that love is discovered not in seeking love

> for one self but in devotion service to all creation....love is at our

> center and love lies just beyond the transparent edge.....i celebrate my

> love for my beloved who burns in my heart and in whose eyes i see myself

as

> i am.....^^~~~~~

>

> further up and further in,

>

> white wolfe

>

> Re: [thomasmerton] Merton/OnHermits/1

>

>

> > > Merton was told by the doctor at

> > that time that his desire to become a hermit was a

> > kind of neurotic, narcissistic grandstanding act on his part.

> >

> > It's amazing how quick people are to criticize others whose individual

> desires, needs, or ideas are outside of the mainstream and would neither

> offend nor disturb the well-being of anyone else. I wonder what the good

> doctor would have said about St. John the Baptist.

> >

> > Dolores

> >

> > "Christ came on earth to form contemplatives" Thomas Merton

> >

> > Your use of is subject to

> >

> >

>

>

> "Christ came on earth to form contemplatives" Thomas Merton

>

> Your use of is subject to

>

>