Seven Storey Mountain

[joanneh]

I am rereading Thomas Merton’s autobiography. I have not read much else by him. I had heard where toward the end of his life he kind of went off the deep end. I would just like to know more about him in his later years.

 

[Zooey]

The books of Merton’s that were published in his lifetime are generally very good. After his death, a lot of writings were gathered together & published. Many are nowhere near the quality of his earlier work.
I confess to not knowing what may have happened–Whether he, as you say, went off the deep end, or if it is just that his publisher took advantage of his popularity, & published some random thoughts of his, that he would not have approved if he were still with us.
He apparently became very interested in Eastern religions back in the late 50s & into the 60s, when he passed away. So i don’t know if this was just a passing fad. (In the 60s, it seemed like half the people I saw were “interested in Eastern religions”, & the other half were interested in rock& roll, and the drug culture.)
I have always thought it was very sad that the impression that was left of him was nothing like the wonderful insights of his early writings.

 

[jjwilkman]

well, i read the book, and i thought it was insightful. the 7 story mountan might very well be purgatory on earth. i would like to know what happened to him. and his portable vic.

 

[koda]

I have read a great deal of Merton’s work. I am currently reading his journals and am up to the last couple of years of his life. I don’t think he went on the deep end. One thing I’ve learned from studying history is that you have to look at things through the perspective of the times. Yes, he was interested in some aspects of Eastern religions - but it was very popular at the time. But it is abundantly clear from his work that he had a very deep devotion to Christ and was not interested in changing. He was interested in promoting peace and unity among all peoples and it seems some folks want to fault him for that - though I feel he was just following Christ’s example.