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New Seeds of Contemplation

by Thomas Merton

4.27 · rating details · 1,023 ratings · 94 reviews

New Seeds of Contemplation is one of Thomas Merton's most widelyread and best-loved books. Christians and non-Christians alike havejoined in praising it as a notable successor in the meditative traditionof St. John of the Cross, The Cloud of Unknowing, and themedieval mystics, while others have compared Merton's reflections withthose of Thoreau. New Seeds of Contemplation ...more

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Published by New Directions Publishing Corporation (first published 1972)

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Aug 17, 2011

Cheryl rated it

· review of another edition

We are heirs to the wisdom of Athens and Jerusaleum. The Greeks asked, "What is the good life?". The answer was significantly weighted on the happiness generated by virtues of the soul. They postulated that our external needs were a lesser part of happiness, but nevertheless significant. The Jews offered morality narratives stressing dogma that placed us in right relationship with God. Reason was the vehicle for the Greeks; faith for the Jews and Christians.

Neither were funda...more

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Apr 07, 2007

Andi rated it

· review of another edition

Recommends it for: Anyone who Needs Quiet Time

For a few years, I fostered a very robust fascination with Thomas Merton, a Trappist monk who was a prolific writer. I can’t remember how I found Merton, maybe some long ago professor of mine or a reference in someone else’s book, but since I started reading him almost a decade ago, he has, more than any other writer, influenced my way of seeing the world. He was a pacifist and a political activist, at least in the sense that he spoke out boldly against things he found immoral or une...more

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Jan 05, 2011

Ben rated it

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If I could rate this as higher than 5 stars, I would. This is probably the most impacting and thoughtful book I have read (aside from the Bible), and I keep coming back to it over and over again for fresh insight.

Thomas Merton was both a contemplative monastic as well as a radical activist. His life of solitude and contemplation did not cause him to turn inward, but called him to look out into the world. He was an advocate of civil rights, a critic of Vietnam and nuclear proliferati...more

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May 10, 2009

Michael VanZandt rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: theology

Ok,so, let me say to begin that I think Thomas Merton is a brilliant mind. If there were a dozen more Mertons in the world, I'm convinced there would be peace on earth.

That being said, Brother Tom plunges into a book in which he attempts to lay the groundwork, or to set the vibe for one's odyssey into contemplation. Tricky thing is that you cannot really describe contemplation. Merton says so himself. The best we can do is to label it "the darkness" and say, well, it's...more

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Nov 24, 2011

Amanda rated it

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I have some mixed feelings about this book.

It reads like one long prayer, which is lovely. Thomas Merton clearly has a very intimate, very passionate relationship with God. And of course, there were some things that were relevant to me, and some that were not. However, sometimes when I was reading, I just felt lost. Like I was missing something. Maybe some of it was just over my head, because I don't have that kind of relationship with God. I partly wish that Merton would have used ...more

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Jan 27, 2010

Ali Miller rated it

Shelves: soul-food, favorites

Exemplifies, especially toward the end, a fascinating paradox: trying to explain in words how futile it is to explain God in words.

"One who has a very little of this prayer, the mere beginning of contemplation, and who scarcely even realizes anything of what he has, can do immense things for the souls of other men simply by keeping himself quietly attentive to the obscure presence of God, about which he could not possibly hope to formulate an intelligible sentence. And if he did...moreExemplifies, especially toward the end, a fascinating paradox: trying to explain in words how futile it is to explain God in words.

"One who has a very little of this prayer, the mere beginning of contemplation, and who scarcely even realizes anything of what he has, can do immense things for the souls of other men simply by keeping himself quietly attentive to the obscure presence of God, about which he could not possibly hope to formulate an intelligible sentence. And if he did try to start talking about it and reasoning about it, he would at once lose the little that he had of it and would help no one, least of all himself."

This passage, which comes late in the book (Seed 37) struck me with force, because it made me think of Merton himself, who spends many, many words (and impressively intelligible sentences) talking about "the obscure presence of God". And yet, I would argue, he does immense things for the souls of many men and woman through his words. It's that wonderful paradox we stumble across whenever we dig deep into the divine mysteries: our Lord is utterly beyond all language, and yet, he chooses to speak to us through Christ, a human being like us. And through the Bible - itself a collection of human voices throughout history, echoing God in eternity.

Merton knocks on the door of all these juxtapositions with more grace, humility, and startling insight than any philosopher or theologian I have ever read. Perhaps it is precisely because he would not call himself either that he is not bound like they are. He freely denounces his own efforts to explain the unexplainable, sympathizing with Aquinas that all his theology "reminds him of straw" in the end. And yet? He is dogged in at least explaining the (often deceitful) heart of humanity - we who are seeking so desperately after the heart of our God, and yet so often go about it in all the wrong ways. Merton deftly points out what those wrong ways are, all the while making sure we do not judge ourselves too harshly for falling prey to them. For self-judgment ends in nothing but despair.

Parts of "New Seeds of Contemplation" were - dare I say? - a comfort to read, especially the passages on wordless prayer. Parts were a challenge. Others were a window to another age ("The Root of War is Fear" speaks specifically of WWII). Most were a window into my own self. I have never more clearly understood myself (both the "external" self that fails me, and my true self hidden in Christ) than I do now, thanks in large part to Merton's writings, which have prompted much prayer and meditation over the early days of this new year.

I cannot recommend this book enough.(less)

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Mar 29, 2011

Suzy rated it

· review of another edition

I am rereading this. Actually, I don't think I got past the first few chapters, probably some 25 years ago. I seem to be waxing religious again. One of my trainees--a 60-something immigrant from Argentina--talks to me sometimes about her personal religious/spiritual/Catholic revival, specifically, her practice of contemplative prayer. I can't talk (I can listen) to her much on the topic, given our relationship, but she re-piqued my interest in this topic, which is perhaps a tiny bit less mys...moreI am rereading this. Actually, I don't think I got past the first few chapters, probably some 25 years ago. I seem to be waxing religious again. One of my trainees--a 60-something immigrant from Argentina--talks to me sometimes about her personal religious/spiritual/Catholic revival, specifically, her practice of contemplative prayer. I can't talk (I can listen) to her much on the topic, given our relationship, but she re-piqued my interest in this topic, which is perhaps a tiny bit less mysterious to me now than it was in my 20's.

So, now I have finished. There were a lot of great parts to this book--ahas and eye-openers. You can really sense what a struggle it was for Merton to put into words something that can't be put into words. He even seemed fussy, crotchety. You had to appreciate that.
Much of what he does is say what contemplative prayer is NOT. Just in case you think you're doing it. Because you're probably not.
Merton makes the point that it is not by one's own doing, but by God's that one enters into a relationship with God through contemplative prayer. This somewhat gets you off the hook. But then, you have to be receptive, waiting, expectant. My favorite chapter was called "Faith." Faith is not a feeling, not a hunch, not a subconscious urge, not "soul force," etc., but also not an opinion, not a rational decision:
"You can only believe what you do not know. As soon as you know it, you no longer believe it, at least not in the same way that you know it."
"Faith is first of all an intellectual assent. It perfects the mind, it does not destroy it. It puts the intellect in possession of truth which reason cannot grasp by itself...The statements which demand the assent of faith are simply neutral to reason. We have no natural evidence why they should be true or...false. We assent to them because of something other than intrinsic evidence. We accept their truth as revealed and the motive of our assent is the authority of the God who revealed them." It sounds a bit like a circular argument, but then, it's not an argument, and that's what you love about Merton. He even hastens in the next chapter to say that it's not "by authority" alone, but that there must be an infusion of light. Always, he is shaping, then re-shaping his explanation. It's like a sighted person trying to describe sight to someone born blind.
I'm not sure Merton ever convinces me of anything, but I truly admire what seems to be a brilliant mind trying to put a experience just right. Beyond that, i even got the feeling that maybe I AM deserving--humble and confused as I am. Why, maybe I am in just the right place! (Down, Ego!)
I could go on. In short, I think there's a lot in this book that the skeptic could like, because it turns a lot of "religion" on its head, in its discussion of humility, ego, doubt, feel-good religion, assuredness versus elusiveness of faith, and the nature of love, to mention just a few of the topics explored. If you have ever studied Zen Buddhism, you will see a lot of similarities (indeed, Merton has written on the topic). I turned down many corners on this book--so much on which to ruminate.(less)

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Jun 13, 2010

Kate rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: spiritual-formation

"Hence contemplation is a sudden gift of awareness, an awakening to the Real within all that is real. A vivid awareness of the infinite Being at the roots of our own limited being. An awareness of our contingent reality as received, as a present from God, as a free gift of love" (3).

"[Contemplation:] is the gift of God Whom in His mercy, completes the hidden and mysterious work of creation in us by enlightening our minds and hearts . . . and that Creating Spirit (Cre...more

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Oct 18, 2008

John rated it

· review of another edition

Recommends it for: Spiritual seekers

This spiritual classic of Christian writing (Pearl's favorite) is divided into 39 brief chapters (seeds), each written in a meditative style modeled after similar works by Pascal, St. John of the Cross, and Thomas à Kempis. It is the most widely read of Merton's works. It contains many wonderful entries on the true and false self and the metaphor of the seed as gifts and grace. The book covers a diverse range of subjects, "Faith," "The Night of the Senses," "Renunciation...moreThis spiritual classic of Christian writing (Pearl's favorite) is divided into 39 brief chapters (seeds), each written in a meditative style modeled after similar works by Pascal, St. John of the Cross, and Thomas à Kempis. It is the most widely read of Merton's works. It contains many wonderful entries on the true and false self and the metaphor of the seed as gifts and grace. The book covers a diverse range of subjects, "Faith," "The Night of the Senses," "Renunciation," and it moves the reader through certain traditional "phases" of contemplation, and gives an idea of what to expect in this spiritual process (including despair and darkness). In this highly quotable work, here is but one example:

Every moment and every event of every man's life on earth plants something in his soul. For just as the wind carries thousands of invisible and visible winged seeds, so the stream of time brings with it germs of spiritual vitality that come to rest imperceptibly in the minds and wills of men. Most of these unnumbered seeds perish and are lost, because men are not prepared to receive them: for such seeds as these cannot spring up anywhere except in the good soil of freedom, spontaneity and love. . . . But every expression of the will of God is in some sense a "word" of God and therefore a "seed" of new life. (p. 14).

Thomas Merton (1915-1968) was a Cistercian (Trappist) monk, a branch of the Benedictines, who, though raised with limited exposure to Christianity, found himself inexorably drawn to Roman Catholicism and the life of a priest and monk. His life before the monastery was filled with loss, raucous behavior, brilliant academics, and the ever deepening call of Christ. (See his autobiography, The Seven Storey Mountain). Within the monastery and the Church, he was a rebellious and creative force for change, writing on behalf of the civil right's struggle, poverty, against the Vietnam war (until silenced by the Vatican and then lifted at the start of Vatican II), and pushing the monastery into the return to a more contemplative life style against its growing dependancy on the business and "noise" of making and selling products to the public. As an ecumenist, he was largely responsible for today's Christian-Buddhist connection, and the reintroduction of Christian Meditation often called Centering Prayer.

There is much in this work of Merton - writing as a mystic - one who aims at the unitive experience with God through self transformation. Mysticism goes back to the earliest Christian times even in the New Testament where Paul wrote in Galatians: I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Mystics are hard to grasp by nature, as Merton can be at times in this book, because they are trying to capture the ineffable through paradox, compressed phraseology, nuance and allusion.

For the contemplative there is no cogito ("I think") and no ergo ("therefore") but only SUM, I Am. Not in the sense of a futile assertion of our individuality was the sense of a futile assertion of our individuality as ultimately real, but in the humble realization of our mysterious being as persons in whom God dwells, with infinite sweetness and inalienable power. (p. 9)

Merton was a world figure who, aside for medical trips into Louisville, KY, left Gethsemane Abbey only once on a fatal trip to a Bangkok conference where he was accidentally electrocuted coming from a shower and grasping a poorly grounded floor fan. Merton was a mental giant whose 60-some books, five hundred-plus articles, journals, letters, translations and poetry influenced millions including Pope John XXIII, Nobel Laureates, the Dalai Lama, Thich Nhat Hanh, and Martin Luther King, Jr who planned to visit Merton following his fateful Memphis trip.

In print for more than forty years, New Seeds of Contemplation is one of his most accessible and timeless books. It is as fresh today as when it was penned. Contemplation means taking time to get behind the busyness, noise, wordiness, and information overload of today's world. Contemplative prayer does not replace all other types of prayer; it simply balances words and activity with silence and repose.

Countless books have been and continue to be written about his life and ideas. For a list of such works visit the web site of The Thomas Merton Center at [...] as well as a unique bookstore dedicated to him: Bardstown Art Gallery * 214 West Stephen Foster Ave. * Bardstown, KY (502) 348-6488 jcantrell@thomasmertonbooks.com.

Merton was troubled by what he saw as the de-sacralization of the world. Humans had been so overtaken by industrialization that they had traded in their role as workers and creators to become tools of production and profit. Can we not say the same today? If you are seeking and cannot find, let this penetrating collection of observations concerning the life of prayer and the search for God be your guide.

(less)

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Jul 28, 2008

Wayne rated it

· review of another edition

One word that describes this book and any book I've read by Thomas Merton: depth. This book is still on my currently-reading list because although I have read every chapter, I haven't "finished" any chapter. I have to return to chapters again and again to because that's the only way I've found to fully explore the nuances of thought that pour out of this mans mind.

Reading this book is like exploring a cave that you think you know the size of, then suddenly it opens up to r...more

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Mar 20, 2008

Daniel rated it

· review of another edition

Recommended to Daniel by: mgerard!

chapters that represent reflective meditations on "contemplation," through a judeo-christian lens, but a lens wide enough for any reader interested in cultivating contemplative, mystical, & spiritual aspects to their lives. the nuggets of epiphany come in small digestible tidbits that are best read as once-a-day parables as opposed to a narrative to be read in a sitting or two. perks my interest in thoas merton.

wonderfully written -- quotes galore :

"Con...more

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Aug 05, 2011

Adam rated it

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Shelves: christian-spirituality

What can one say about this now classic work on Christian spirituality and, in particular, the gift of God that is contemplation. Merton's reflections provided this reader with too many aha moments to even mention. At other times I had no other option but to simply rest in the general ethos of a passage and let it do its quiet work in my soul.

In the end what can we say about contemplation other than what Merton writes,

Contemplation is the awareness and realization, even in ...more

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Sep 12, 2011

Ana Cabrales rated it

· review of another edition

In new seeds, Merton challenges with a sense of contradiction that can only be resolved by the deep truths he presents, which simultaneously underlie and transcend ideas seemingly in conflict. At times he is harsh, but necessarily so - causing one to deeper spiritual examination, in a way that feels empowering and lovingly guided. This book, like all great books, invite the reader to revisit it again and again - discovering new treasures each time.

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Oct 17, 2010

Charles Lewis rated it

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This is one of the only books I've read that coherently describes contemplation as an act of life rather than something done cross legged in a room. The great thing about Merton is he wanted prayer to be like breathing. But I also love that he didn't dodge the Catholic Church here and make it a bland book about "spirituality." His ode to Mary is one of the most beautiful things written about the Mother of God.

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Dec 26, 2010

Renee Yesso rated it

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Shelves: catholic, god-and-religion, philosophical

Meditations and thoughts on what it truly means to be a contemplative. I might go through it again and highlight the really good quotes. It says that it is a good book for Christians and non-Christians alike in one of the reviews on the back, but it seemed pretty Catholic to me. I am Catholic, so I liked it, but I don't think that all of it would be relatable to everyone, but some of it would.

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Mar 20, 2008

Frank rated it

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Recommends it for: Those searching for God

Thomas Merton is one of my favorite authors, a Trappist monk, now dead. He has a lot of published works out. This is an older book but still well read and loved by millions. It is about 300 pages and puts thoughts down to think about. He has a way to really get you to think. Chapter 7 is "Learn to be Alone," not something that today's world digs. He, being a contemplative is writing about a contemplative way of life but you don't need to be a contemplative to gain so much for a busy li...more

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Dec 26, 2009

Elaine rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: spiritual

To read and appreciate Merton I feel that is helpful to have read Seven Story Mountain first.
I found in Chapter 22 that TM wrote thhe original before he was ordained a priest. though written before Vatican II Chappte 22 voices many of the thoughts of the Mass in Vatican II.

Merton beautifully divided his book into short chapters, each with its own purposse and message as he built a model for deepening meditation and contamplation. My favorite chapter was 30- "Distractio...more

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May 04, 2011

Joseph Shuffield rated it

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Shelves: bedside, spiritual

Whatever your spiritual persuasion, this modern Christian mystic, who devoted so much of his life to addressing the pressing issues of his day, from segregation to the Vietnam war, will have something to say to you. This book addresses the theme of contemplation, which for Merton is simply awareness of Reality. For those disillusioned by the apparent lack of mysticism and true spirituality in the Western Christian tradition, Merton will be an unexpected surprise. He wrote several books and es...more

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Aug 11, 2011

h. rated it

· review of another edition

Recommended to h. by: Book karma

Love all these essays. The ones about solitude especially. Such a great companion book to Walden. For a real trip, read one Thoreau and then one Merton particularly on a day when you have nothing at all to do and no one to see. You'll go places!

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Apr 18, 2007

Patrick Oden rated it

· review of another edition

Recommends it for: those seeking a deeper Christian spirituality

Shelves: spirituality

I was getting pretty burned out on working in a church. I was tired of the same old Christianity and while I knew there was something deeper, something more, I was having trouble putting it into words and figuring out what was the pull on my particular heart.

This book was sitting in the back seat of a friend's jeep. I saw it, picked it up, and it immediately grabbed hold of me. It became a perfect book for that moment. I haven't read it again since, so I might gauge it differen...more

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Jun 09, 2009

Maura rated it

· review of another edition

This book is why I didn't become a philosophy major. It plays with your mind intially but towards the end, I was getting it. Tons of great insight. This is like a guidebook for advanced contemplative prayer.

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Jul 25, 2010

Ken rated it

· review of another edition

A book that gets picked up and put down a lot. I've been reading it for 10 years! But that is because I started over. Years will go by and then I will pick up and read a few chapters.

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Nov 12, 2010

Brian rated it

· review of another edition

This was a very difficult read and it took me forever to get through. However, some of the insights and the overall premise are very powerful.

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Jun 08, 2011

Roxanne Galpin rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: cerebral, non-fiction, spiritual, surreal, god

Thomas Merton was a genius, and a sort of modern-day prophet. This book inspires the soul. I so love this book and want to read it again.

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Jan 21, 2009

Debbie rated it

· review of another edition

i find merton thouught provoking,but not the easiest read. this bood was really good and i will definitely re-read it.

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Apr 04, 2011

Alex rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: contemplative, spirituality, theology

I love this book. Very influential on my life. It is marked up and dog-eared. Have read this many times.

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Sep 24, 2009

J.D. rated it

· review of another edition

Once again, Merton has written a book that includes many of his thoughts. This one takes great lengths to determine what contemplation is and what it is not. This is very helpful, because, this seems to be an area that is fairly fad-like at the time and he is very clear in saying that it is not possible to tell someone how to really into contemplation. All he is able to offer are his experiences into the way of asceticism, which may point in a direction but fortunately does not give any speci...more

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Feb 21, 2010

Jim Gero rated it

· review of another edition

Deep thoughts on spiritual realization by Merton. Profound, but a bit abstract after a while.

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May 13, 2009

Joel rated it

· review of another edition

Reading this book almost a decade ago was a turning point in my life. Discover your false self.

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Nov 06, 2009

Maria Lancaster added it · review of another edition

More genius and brilliance here. He always hits the nail on the head!

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About Thomas Merton

Thomas Merton was one of the most influential Catholic authors of the 20th century. A Trappist monk of the Abbey of Our Lady of Gethsemani, in the American state of Kentucky, Merton was an acclaimed Catholic spiritual writer, poet, author and social activist. Merton wrote over 60 books, scores of essays and reviews, and is the ongoing subject of many biographies. Merton was also a proponent of int...more

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Books by Thomas Merton

The Way of Chuang Tzu (Shambhala Library)

The Wisdom of the Desert: Sayings from the Desert Fathers of the Fourth Century (Shambhala Library)

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