Contemplative PrayerIn this classic text, Thomas Merton offers valuable guidance for prayer. He brings together a wealth of meditative and mystical influences–from John of the Cross to Eastern desert monasticism–to create a spiritual path for today. Most important, he shows how the peace contacted through meditation should not be sought in order to evade the problems of contemporary life, but can instead be directed back out into the world to affect positive change. Contemplative Prayer is one of the most well-known works of spirituality of the last one hundred years, and it is a must-read for all seeking to live a life of purpose in today’s world. In a moving and profound introduction, Thich Nhat Hanh offers his personal recollections of Merton and compares the contemplative traditions of East and West. |
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
abandon action and contemplation active Augustine Baker awareness Basil beams of love become Benedict Benedictine Bernard bring Buddhists called canonical hours Christ Christian Church conflict contemplative prayer dark night deep deepest Desert Father desire devotio moderna devotion dread efforts emptiness enter Evagrius Ponticus existential experience face fact faith Father freedom Garcia de Cisneros God's grace Gregory he/she Holy Spirit humility images imagination Jakob Boehme John John Tauler kind knowledge light liturgical prayer liturgy live Lord means meditation mental prayer mercy mind monastery monastic prayer monasticism monk mystery mystical name of Jesus ness never nothingness one's oratio ourselves perhaps personal prayer Philokalia practice pray prayer and meditation presence private prayer Psalms pure purity of heart quietism reality realize religion religious sacrifice seeds of joy seek sense silence simple solitude soul speak Tauler things Thomas Merton tion tradition true understanding vocation words