Christian Monk Thomas Merton and the Buddhist monks he inspired

[Ahimsa]

[. Xiao Shuang aspires to be like Merton who is thought to have been a reincarnation of the Buddha by many Tibetan and Indian practitioners: He aspires to be a seeker of truth, not a symbol of reverence.

Christian Monk Thomas MertonThe Man in the Sycamore Tree](http://ecumenicalbuddhism.blogspot.com/2008/08/christian-monk-thomas-merton-and.html#links)

 

[bpbasilphx]

There’s no such thing as reincarnation.

 

[Hiromu]

This Rock magazine had a great article on Thomas Merton. It is not on the site yet, but it is a definite read. It sheds light on the life of Thomas Merton and his strong attraction towards eastern religions at the end of his life .

We had a retreat at our parish about Merton and his beliefs. Instead of focusing on great contemplatives like St. John of the Cross and St. Teresa of Avila, we focused on Merton’s beliefs.

I prayed the St. Michael prayer at various times throughout the talk.

 

[Steadfast]

They may think Merton was a reincarnation of Buddha but it is very unlikely that Merton thought so, and again a reading of his biography will reveal a man who was never really “settled” for long and who never claimed to have achieved dzogchen.

Merton was far more interested in convergences of practice and contemplative “themes” in Buddhist and cloistered Catholic monasticism than he was in any essential identity between Christianity qua Christianity and Buddhism