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Thomas Merton's Path to the Palace of Nowhere: The Essential Guide to the Contemplative Teachings of Thomas Merton
A former student of Thomas Merton, the beloved Trappist monk, author and student of Zen, shares the gifts and lessons he received from his teacher, showing how to bridge both Eastern and Western spiritual thought so as to directly experience the divine and discover our true self.
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First published November 30, 1977
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 75 reviews
March 4, 2015
This excels my expectations and then some. I appreciate and reveled in the concepts and deep spiritual analysis of what comprises the true self as opposed to the false self. This quote struck a cord in me:
"We run and run in our squirrel cage, thinking the constant squeaking of the wheel of our achievements is a verification of our reality and worth. But in actual fact our frantic efforts to move on to the 10 more tasks that have to be done are nothing but a lasting ditch effort to drown out the haunting fears that surreptitiously twist like a will-o’-the-wisp about all our happy hours. The false self, sensing its fundamental unreality, begins to clothe itself in myths and symbols of power. Since it intuits that it is but a shadow, that it is nothing, it begins to convince itself that it is what it does. Hence, the more it does, achieves and experiences, the more real it becomes. Merton writes:
“All sin starts from the assumption that my false self, the self that exists only in my own egocentric desires, is the fundamental reality of life to which everything else in the universe is ordered. Thus I use up my life in the desire for pleasures and the thirst for experiences, for power, honor, knowledge, and love to clothe this false self and construct its nothingness into something objectively real. And I wind experiences around myself and cover myself with pleasures and glory like bandages in order to make myself perceptible to myself and the world, as if I were an invisible body that could only become visible when something visible covered its surface.”
The depth of the concepts were at times mind boggling and I had to go back and read a section several times. This is a book that I plan to buy and mark it up with underlines and notes, it is that good! All I can say is that it was an amazing read!
"We run and run in our squirrel cage, thinking the constant squeaking of the wheel of our achievements is a verification of our reality and worth. But in actual fact our frantic efforts to move on to the 10 more tasks that have to be done are nothing but a lasting ditch effort to drown out the haunting fears that surreptitiously twist like a will-o’-the-wisp about all our happy hours. The false self, sensing its fundamental unreality, begins to clothe itself in myths and symbols of power. Since it intuits that it is but a shadow, that it is nothing, it begins to convince itself that it is what it does. Hence, the more it does, achieves and experiences, the more real it becomes. Merton writes:
“All sin starts from the assumption that my false self, the self that exists only in my own egocentric desires, is the fundamental reality of life to which everything else in the universe is ordered. Thus I use up my life in the desire for pleasures and the thirst for experiences, for power, honor, knowledge, and love to clothe this false self and construct its nothingness into something objectively real. And I wind experiences around myself and cover myself with pleasures and glory like bandages in order to make myself perceptible to myself and the world, as if I were an invisible body that could only become visible when something visible covered its surface.”
The depth of the concepts were at times mind boggling and I had to go back and read a section several times. This is a book that I plan to buy and mark it up with underlines and notes, it is that good! All I can say is that it was an amazing read!
August 23, 2010
At age 18,James Finley went off to spend six years learning and living with Thomas Merton at the Abbey of Gethsemani. Finley attempts to bridge Merton's thoughts/beliefs with more conventional Christianity. Not being one for organized religion in general, I was apprehensive about reading this book. However, Merton's ideas are universal, timeless and so practical it does not matter what your faith is.
The themes of love, charity, and tolerance are profoundly expressed by Merton. The idea of sin is defined as not living as your authentic self. The false self is ego driven, power-crazed and insatiable. Living as our true self brings us closer to God. We are all made in God's image and God is love, so we are love. "Identification by love leads to knowledge, recognition, intimate and obscure but vested with an inexpressible certainty known only in contemplation." (Thomas Merton) This book has some brillant perspectives to consider.
September 8, 2009
Great book to read before you read Merton.
March 16, 2022
The “nowhere” of Finley’s title h is paradoxical in that the “nowhere” becomes a “somewhere”, the transcendence of the ego. Finley writes of Thomas Merton’s thought and life, as an ongoing process of “becoming” through immersion in the life of Christ. Key to what Merton saw as a transcendence of the ego is the distinction that Merton felt was crucial between the false self and the true self.
The false self is made up of a striving for possessions, influence, accomplishments, and power, symbolized by Adam who reached for power for himself. All of these graspings prop up an ego-centered notion of ourselves. The true self, on the other hand, rejects all of these enticements, except as secondary, and leaves us with the humility that they are far from the core of who we really are. Our true self, faced with inevitable death, realizes that we are nothing, that all of the trappings of material life only create sense of a false self. We owe our existence to influences beyond us, and our ultimate fulfillment as human beings is beyond our control as well.
What can we do then to achieve our potential as complete human beings? For Merton, the answer lies in a Christianity where each individual seeks his own fulfillment by relying on faith, selfless love, and humble prayer. He doesn’t accomplish this on his own, but only through asking for help in imitating the life of Christ. As Merton puts it, in life we learn to expect nothing out of anything, and everything out of nothing. Or as Christ stated, the last shall be first, and the first shall be last.
Humility is essential in living a Christ-like life. Without it, individuals think they are somehow becoming “spiritual” through their own efforts and thus easily fall back into the trap of the complacent n] false self, proud of their accomplishments.
An example that Merton uses is the story of Lazarus who wakes up, called by Christ, and comes forth from the tomb. He writes, “We are to stumble forth from the tomb of lethargy, blindness, doubt and duplicity into the simple light of God’s call.” That call will result in a transformation of consciousness in which the individual goes beyond himself for the good of others, and if that happens the person is “in communion with God.”
But again Finley stresses that Merton was well aware that this transformation, while we may work hard to attain it, is ultimately a gift. If we try too hard to achieve this “communion” and then attempt to cling to it we are succumbing to a self-consciousness that returns us to the false self. In some sense, these insights are incommunicable. The insight is that we are the insight. Otherwise, we become like Adam and eat the forbidden fruit of the false self all over again.
Finally, Merton was a prolific writer with wide ranging interests that went far beyond the monastery, and he expressed his thinking in various ways, sometimes philosophical, sometimes poetic and anthropological, but the end always in a religious context.
The false self is made up of a striving for possessions, influence, accomplishments, and power, symbolized by Adam who reached for power for himself. All of these graspings prop up an ego-centered notion of ourselves. The true self, on the other hand, rejects all of these enticements, except as secondary, and leaves us with the humility that they are far from the core of who we really are. Our true self, faced with inevitable death, realizes that we are nothing, that all of the trappings of material life only create sense of a false self. We owe our existence to influences beyond us, and our ultimate fulfillment as human beings is beyond our control as well.
What can we do then to achieve our potential as complete human beings? For Merton, the answer lies in a Christianity where each individual seeks his own fulfillment by relying on faith, selfless love, and humble prayer. He doesn’t accomplish this on his own, but only through asking for help in imitating the life of Christ. As Merton puts it, in life we learn to expect nothing out of anything, and everything out of nothing. Or as Christ stated, the last shall be first, and the first shall be last.
Humility is essential in living a Christ-like life. Without it, individuals think they are somehow becoming “spiritual” through their own efforts and thus easily fall back into the trap of the complacent n] false self, proud of their accomplishments.
An example that Merton uses is the story of Lazarus who wakes up, called by Christ, and comes forth from the tomb. He writes, “We are to stumble forth from the tomb of lethargy, blindness, doubt and duplicity into the simple light of God’s call.” That call will result in a transformation of consciousness in which the individual goes beyond himself for the good of others, and if that happens the person is “in communion with God.”
But again Finley stresses that Merton was well aware that this transformation, while we may work hard to attain it, is ultimately a gift. If we try too hard to achieve this “communion” and then attempt to cling to it we are succumbing to a self-consciousness that returns us to the false self. In some sense, these insights are incommunicable. The insight is that we are the insight. Otherwise, we become like Adam and eat the forbidden fruit of the false self all over again.
Finally, Merton was a prolific writer with wide ranging interests that went far beyond the monastery, and he expressed his thinking in various ways, sometimes philosophical, sometimes poetic and anthropological, but the end always in a religious context.
October 20, 2024
Oh, I need to read more Merton. This is a celebration / homage to his work. Merton explored the connection between Christianity and Buddhism. It’s powerful stuff! Finley does a good job getting to the heart of Merton’s work.
December 24, 2014
James Finley shares his unique insight into Merton's spirituality. As a young man, Finley spent time with Merton at the Abbey of Gethsemane and began to learn the basics of monastic spirituality. He shares this first-hand knowledge of Merton's spiritual world-view by highlighting one of Merton's fundamental teachings about the spiritual life: the abandonment of the false self and the acceptance of the true self. The latter, as Finley points out in Merton's writings, is the development of Christo-centric grace in the self, transforming the individual to become more like Christ in all things. There are many other great insights into Merton's spirituality highlighted in this book. If you have an interest in Thomas Merton's spirituality, this book would be a great resource as you read Merton's writings.
June 27, 2008
Good overview of Merton's view of the false self vs. our new self in Christ - I loved the Merton quotes and I found some of Finley's commentary to be helpful, but I guess I'd rather just read Merton himself.
November 24, 2022
(Note: mine looks like this but was published in 1978 -- I paid more for my used copy than it was originally priced in 1978...lol)
I originally bought this book because another writer (or writers) kept quoting from it (not sure who now although Scazzero quotes Merton a lot so it's possible he also quoted Finley). I have struggled for years to read Seven Storey Mountain by Merton so I thought this thinner book might be a better place to start. I'd say it was providential. What I gained most from the book was an insight into prayer, and I didn't think or know that it was going to be a book on prayer.
One reviewer thought Finley's downfall was writing "poetically" -- I felt it was written the way many of the books on mystic saints are written. I know family and friends who regards the mystics as "heretical" so obviously they won't be reading this book. I didn't mind Finley's writing at all; I did find the quotes from Merton clear and accessible which was good for me because it encourages me to read Merton directly (and I have started his smaller books, and I'm enjoying them).
Continuing in a providential vein of thought: I had a long drive to make to another state and decided to listen to a podcast, Turning to the Mystics. Finley and another were discussing Julian of Norwich! It was a bit of a mind adjustment because in one of the conversations, Finley brings up being at his wife's bedside as she died. Reading 'Merton's Palace of Nowhere' was very present tense for me; therefore, Finley was a young husband and father! Ah, the power of books and the written word. Since then, I have also read another book on Merton (review to come) so I think reading this book was meant to be for me in my life at this time. I probably would have given it 4 stars immediately after reading it; however, time has passed and I'm looking at the book from the end of what I do not remember and from reading Merton's own words. At 3 stars, I still recommend it to those who read mystics.
I originally bought this book because another writer (or writers) kept quoting from it (not sure who now although Scazzero quotes Merton a lot so it's possible he also quoted Finley). I have struggled for years to read Seven Storey Mountain by Merton so I thought this thinner book might be a better place to start. I'd say it was providential. What I gained most from the book was an insight into prayer, and I didn't think or know that it was going to be a book on prayer.
One reviewer thought Finley's downfall was writing "poetically" -- I felt it was written the way many of the books on mystic saints are written. I know family and friends who regards the mystics as "heretical" so obviously they won't be reading this book. I didn't mind Finley's writing at all; I did find the quotes from Merton clear and accessible which was good for me because it encourages me to read Merton directly (and I have started his smaller books, and I'm enjoying them).
Continuing in a providential vein of thought: I had a long drive to make to another state and decided to listen to a podcast, Turning to the Mystics. Finley and another were discussing Julian of Norwich! It was a bit of a mind adjustment because in one of the conversations, Finley brings up being at his wife's bedside as she died. Reading 'Merton's Palace of Nowhere' was very present tense for me; therefore, Finley was a young husband and father! Ah, the power of books and the written word. Since then, I have also read another book on Merton (review to come) so I think reading this book was meant to be for me in my life at this time. I probably would have given it 4 stars immediately after reading it; however, time has passed and I'm looking at the book from the end of what I do not remember and from reading Merton's own words. At 3 stars, I still recommend it to those who read mystics.
June 1, 2023
This is an interesting book and not my norm, although as a younger person I appreciated Thomas Merton's writing very much. A dear friend sent this to me and I enjoyed reading it as it brought back some of the reasons I used to read Merton. The great thing about Thomas Merton is that he may have chosen Trappist spirituality as his path during life, but the reason we still read him is because much of what he discovered transcends one religion or one philosophical perspective. At the core of Merton's philosophy is the belief that to experience a fulfilling life, one must learn to put the desires of the egocentric self aside. Ego alone can never lead happiness. Merton's palace of nowhere is the place where the greater self is realized. For Merton, learning to transcend his egocentric self brought about union with God and this allowed him to experience his true self in God, which for Merton was the ultimate expression of life. For those of us who do not believe in an omnipotent God, there is still value even if our journey only results in our being less selfish people. This is a palace of somewhere!
October 1, 2020
Informative and interesting view of contemplative life. Dialogue, however, struck me as better suited to those with considerable experience in contemplative life and meditation. There are, however, many quotes of and references to Merton as well as examples of life that are very helpful. Narration very "zen-like" perhaps to a fault. Ending seemed a stretch and I felt not consistent with Merton's "path". Reread may be helpful after review of Merton's writings / teachings.
March 29, 2025
This was read for a book study. It is indicative of it's time - published in 1978 by a Catholic scholar, the language is sometimes dated and leans Catholic. Nevertheless, there were times of 'Aha!' in my reading about Thomas Merton's writings.
May 31, 2020
The writer's attempt to be poetic ruins thus book.
October 22, 2018
An exploration into a systemic presentation of some of Thomas Merton's conceptions of the false self vs. the true self in light of the contemplative tradition.
The author had personal experience working with Merton and was manifestly profoundly influenced by him. He has taken on the mantle by attempting to systematize a bit of what Merton was exploring regarding the contemplative tradition and the search for relationship with God.
The premise of the book is the existence of the "false self" versus the "true self" - the "false self" being the one we have constructed in our fallenness, and the "true self" the person within we ought to be in full communion with God. The author explores the challenges and complexities of the construction of the false self and the great difficulty it requires to get glimpses of the true self. The value and power of the contemplative tradition is examined in light of this. The goal, it would seem, is to become okay with one's essential no-thing-ness in light of God being no-thing, and this leads to the idea of Merton's "palace of nowhere," finding full relationship in God through a recognition of our complete inability to stand before God by anything of our own merit and developing a relationship with God in prayer based in silence, meditation, and the "nothingness" that may seem to transpire in it, to arrive at nowhere in particular but in the light of God's presence.
The book is full of anecdotes and quotations of Merton. I cannot attest to how effectively the author has channeled Merton's thought process; while the strict duality of the "true" and "false" self causes me to blanch a bit, concerned about a little bit of Gnosticism which may be present, the conceits and deceits of the "false self" as described are real enough, and the mystical tradition is something which may have a word to speak in the current trials and distress of life.
An interesting exploration.
**--galley received as part of early review program
The author had personal experience working with Merton and was manifestly profoundly influenced by him. He has taken on the mantle by attempting to systematize a bit of what Merton was exploring regarding the contemplative tradition and the search for relationship with God.
The premise of the book is the existence of the "false self" versus the "true self" - the "false self" being the one we have constructed in our fallenness, and the "true self" the person within we ought to be in full communion with God. The author explores the challenges and complexities of the construction of the false self and the great difficulty it requires to get glimpses of the true self. The value and power of the contemplative tradition is examined in light of this. The goal, it would seem, is to become okay with one's essential no-thing-ness in light of God being no-thing, and this leads to the idea of Merton's "palace of nowhere," finding full relationship in God through a recognition of our complete inability to stand before God by anything of our own merit and developing a relationship with God in prayer based in silence, meditation, and the "nothingness" that may seem to transpire in it, to arrive at nowhere in particular but in the light of God's presence.
The book is full of anecdotes and quotations of Merton. I cannot attest to how effectively the author has channeled Merton's thought process; while the strict duality of the "true" and "false" self causes me to blanch a bit, concerned about a little bit of Gnosticism which may be present, the conceits and deceits of the "false self" as described are real enough, and the mystical tradition is something which may have a word to speak in the current trials and distress of life.
An interesting exploration.
**--galley received as part of early review program
July 25, 2013
Finally finished. Now want to go back and start over. I give it four stars mainly for Chapter 4. Maybe It was timing for me, I don't know. Finley writes out of love and respect and insight into Merton's vision. I thought several times deep into the last chapters that I hope I never lose this book. Then realized I probably need to give it away to keep it.
September 12, 2008
I found this book to be deeply insightful into what made Merton "tick"
August 3, 2016
This is a dense but comprehensible overview of Merton's thought--very worthwhile.
Each of us lives in the hermitage of our daily self.
-- James Finley, Merton’s Palace of Nowhere
Each of us lives in the hermitage of our daily self.
-- James Finley, Merton’s Palace of Nowhere
September 26, 2023
I appreciate this very helpful, dare I say life-changing, book even more after listening to Finley explain why he wrote it (in his Path to the Palace of Nowhere audio recording). After living outside the monastery for several years, Finley began to ask himself if there was a legitimate way to live contemplatively, whether making an effort to do so would honor God or just be self-delusion and pride. He could no longer turn directly to his old spiritual mentor, Thomas Merton. Merton had just died suddenly. So Finley turned to Merton's writings. Which are hard to navigate. (I have yet to succeed in finding any passage in Conjectures of a Guilty Bystander when I was actually looking for that passage; it's almost like Merton doesn't want us using his writing as proof texts to win arguments. But I digress.) In Palace of Nowhere, Finley has arranged Merton's philosophy into a logical flow that even a mostly-uneducated protestant like yours truly can grasp the general ideas of with enough patience. And while it certainly addresses Finley's original questions regarding living contemplatively, in the process the book necessarily touches upon just about everything. As suggested by its subtitle, Palace represents a reformulation of the Christian faith in which the root cause of suffering, evil, etc. is that mankind is estranged from his true identity both individually and corporately. It's the same beautiful diamond, but viewed from a different angle, allowing us to appreciate facets that are hidden in the way The Story is typically presented.
About ten years ago I followed some friends to a church we joined where the two pastors preached ideas that seemed unconventional to me at the time but have since born all kinds of good Kingdom of God fruit in my lives and that of others. I have since realized that the language and ideas they were using in their sermons were first introduced to American Christianity by Thomas Merton.
About ten years ago I followed some friends to a church we joined where the two pastors preached ideas that seemed unconventional to me at the time but have since born all kinds of good Kingdom of God fruit in my lives and that of others. I have since realized that the language and ideas they were using in their sermons were first introduced to American Christianity by Thomas Merton.
October 24, 2023
This is an almost impossible book to summarise. Like Merton’s Contemplative Prayer - which is the best book I’ve ever read on prayer - I would not recommend this book to just anybody, though it is magnificent. This is because it speaks about contemplation in ways that require some serious investment in the contemplative life already, an appreciation for the frustration and near-despair that comes from encountering the false self and the darkness. Without that this will only confuse and perhaps mislead readers. But with that it is a stark challenge and invitation into the true self, away from the false images and fantasies and sins and concepts that we buoy ourselves up with, but which will not be able to stand up under the scrutiny of God. It sounds dire, and it can feel that way, but this is ultimately a book of incredible hope, that God has created within us the true self, the self that is found in Him, the self that we have retreated from in order to put a false self between us and God for our own “protection”. The only way back into the true self - and back into union with God, for which we were made - is to journey back through the heart of the false self, to see it for what it is in all its illusion and delusion, and to come out the other side into the light of God’s truth. This is the journey of contemplation, and it is a journey into “no-where”, because all of our conceptions and images will lead us astray. So we journey into the Wasteland, looking for the door to God, but there are no doors. All the doors we create are false. The only door is the true self within ourselves that God Himself has made for Himself, and we will all one day walk through that door. None of this means we escape the contingencies of life - all of those things must be reckoned with, even loved, but with the knowledge that they will not last. This is a profound and unsettling book, one which I will need to read several times again to grasp.
February 5, 2018
Merton's Palace of Nowhere gazes at the heart of Thomas Merton's (a Trappist monk, Catholic writer and Christian mystic) theology, its importance and applications for those searching for spiritual realities.
WHO WOULD ENJOY READING IT?
Though Christian mysticism is not as popular as it once was, there is a lot to learn from that branch of Christianity. people with an affinity for that spiritual stream will love this book. Adherents of other religions can also glean valuable insights as the book examines a few basic tenets shared across most spiritualities - the human soul, prayers, the value of silence, etc.
WHAT I LOVE ABOUT IT
The topic of "self" and the role it spiritually plays is a key part of Christianity. There are debates as to whether it helps or distracts humans from pursuing spiritual ideals. With a bit of elaboration from James Finney, Merton dissects this in a clear way - such that I have never heard or read before. It was also life-changing to hear what Merton has to say about prayers and how he approaches it without anxiety, stress, and ego's demand to perform it well.
.....Read more at http://www.ysstephen.com/2018/02/mert...
Many thanks to Ave Maria Press for review copy.
WHO WOULD ENJOY READING IT?
Though Christian mysticism is not as popular as it once was, there is a lot to learn from that branch of Christianity. people with an affinity for that spiritual stream will love this book. Adherents of other religions can also glean valuable insights as the book examines a few basic tenets shared across most spiritualities - the human soul, prayers, the value of silence, etc.
WHAT I LOVE ABOUT IT
The topic of "self" and the role it spiritually plays is a key part of Christianity. There are debates as to whether it helps or distracts humans from pursuing spiritual ideals. With a bit of elaboration from James Finney, Merton dissects this in a clear way - such that I have never heard or read before. It was also life-changing to hear what Merton has to say about prayers and how he approaches it without anxiety, stress, and ego's demand to perform it well.
.....Read more at http://www.ysstephen.com/2018/02/mert...
Many thanks to Ave Maria Press for review copy.
May 18, 2022
This book, one of the most well-known and long-living of the books written about Merton's teachings authored by a psychologist who was an ex-monastic novice under Merton's care in the '60s, often feels more like Finley's thoughts than a synthesis of Merton's, but even with that said, it was incredible. A bit dense at times for sure which makes for a slow read-through, but the walkthrough of Merton's/Finley's ideas of true self vs false self have been a joy to dwell on for the last few weeks. The main thrust of the book is the falsity of our ego-consciousness and the reality of our life hidden in God, which is true life despite the nothingness of our false self. A mouthful, but one that doesn't sound too dissimilar from common passages of the book. I wouldn't recommend this to one new to Merton or contemplative Christian teachings because the language it uses can be dense at times, using words that are really only used within those writings, and often even have other slightly different meanings in other contexts. If you are a fan of Merton or Finley or contemplative thought, I highly suggest reading this and dwelling on the nothingness of our ego. It is a freedom!
July 19, 2020
Thomas Merton was incredibly prolific. His writings are always beautifully poetic, but can sometimes (for me) also be fairly dense and daunting. Finley delivers a way into some difficult concepts in a clear and concise way for new readers, with large passages of Merton text to illuminate. Most specifically the appealing but (again for me) highly challenging concept of the true and false self; that we must die to our false self (the one that we regard as our identity in this world) to truly know ourselves. In short, it is about achieving a spiritual transformation. Merton's writings help us on this journey, and this book is an excellent guide
Merton developed an interest in eastern religion, and the concept of zen in particular, in his later years, while never erring from Catholicism. Written in 1978 (with a new preface from 2017), ten years after Merton's death, Finley was able to incorporate his evolving thinking in Palace of Nowhere. Those new or familiar with Merton can benefit from Finley as a student of Merton. His clarity and concision can provide great insights. I made liberal underlinings on almost every page, and was greatly helped in returning to Merton. For me, this is a spiritual classic.
Merton developed an interest in eastern religion, and the concept of zen in particular, in his later years, while never erring from Catholicism. Written in 1978 (with a new preface from 2017), ten years after Merton's death, Finley was able to incorporate his evolving thinking in Palace of Nowhere. Those new or familiar with Merton can benefit from Finley as a student of Merton. His clarity and concision can provide great insights. I made liberal underlinings on almost every page, and was greatly helped in returning to Merton. For me, this is a spiritual classic.
January 7, 2022
At first I was concerned because the book started slowly with a lot of references to Catholic religious beliefs, but one Findlay focused on Merton’s evolving philosophy the book soared. I am so grateful for the deep dive into Merton’s insights gathered from across his published and unpublished discourses. I received the “aha” I was seeking although it was not at all what I expected. Now I must ponder what changes the ideas inspire. I also have a list of 6 more of Merton’s books I want to read. Smiling.
October 30, 2017
James Finley's delivery and use of Thomas Merton's coattails did not appeal to me. In spite of this, my prejudice stumbled when he talked about "Seeds of Contemplation" and suggested a way to approach this work. I'm currently struggling through "No Man is an Island", Thomas Merton's last incantation of his "Seeds of Contemplation", and James Finley's timely guidance promoted his audio to 4 stars.
April 19, 2020
So beautiful to read. It was very difficult to grasp at times, but in the final chapter I felt as though I started to finally understand a little more about Merton’s philosophy on contemplation and union with God. I think Finley does a very good job in explaining contemplation and how to approach it for the non-theologian. I will read more by Finley; his podcast “Into the Mystics” is wonderful and he has a whole series on Merton.
January 8, 2022
I really enjoyed this one.
"Merton leads us along the journey to God in which the self that begins the journey is not the self that arrives. The self that begins is the self we thought ourselves to be. It is this self that dies along the way until in the end 'no one' is left. This 'no one' is our true self. It is the self that stands prior to all that is this or that. It is the self in God, the self bigger than death yet born of death. It is the self the Father forever loves."
"Merton leads us along the journey to God in which the self that begins the journey is not the self that arrives. The self that begins is the self we thought ourselves to be. It is this self that dies along the way until in the end 'no one' is left. This 'no one' is our true self. It is the self that stands prior to all that is this or that. It is the self in God, the self bigger than death yet born of death. It is the self the Father forever loves."
March 13, 2023
I really liked the book. Well written and interesting. Made me think less of Thomas Merton as people that want to offer high level of advice from a low level of personal accountable are a dime a dozen. There is something to be said about people having authority from their personal sufferings but I feel like he was a hypocrite and not worth following. I will still read his 7 story mountain book but my expectations will be low.
March 22, 2023
Incredibly interesting and thoughtful introduction to some aspects of contemplation. It is also incredibly dense. I found there was a lot to soak in on every page. I’m not sure it could be made less dense, it’s a complicated theological subject about our ontological status before God and ourselves. It too be a lot of time to read through it, but I found a lot of it insightful and helpful for someone who is interested in practicing contemplation.
September 18, 2024
This rich distillation of Merton’s writings on the true/authentic self and the false/constructed self helps me understand my current spiritual state. Though I thought it helpful years ago, I’m guessing I didn’t half understand it. There’s much to wade through with prolific writers like Merton to get the gems and the gist, and Finley is good at mining them and expressing them clearly and articulately.
July 23, 2020
I was a bit disappointed in This book. It had some really great sections about the true and false self but I found myself skimming over other sections that just felt like didn’t speak to me or were quite as good.
And that he really did make a good case for the false and true self and how we can always grow into our true self.
And that he really did make a good case for the false and true self and how we can always grow into our true self.
December 19, 2020
Finley's voice mines deeply towards diamond-sutra-like truth in me. Picking up bits and pieces while sometimes drifting into sleep, distractions, and the occasional reverie, I mull over these passing sparkles of the palace of nowhere. And as I do I come upon a greater reckoning which lay at my feet - broken shards of a little clay bowl called - my life.
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