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    Thoughts In Solitude
    Thoughts In Solitude
    Thoughts In Solitude
    Ebook92 pages1 hour

    Thoughts In Solitude

    By Thomas Merton

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    About this ebook

    Thoughtful and eloquent, as timely (or timeless) now as when it was originally published in 1956, Thoughts in Solitude addresses the pleasure of a solitary life, as well as the necessity for quiet reflection in an age when so little is private. Thomas Merton writes: "When society is made up of men who know no interior solitude it can no longer be held together by love: and consequently it is held together by a violent and abusive authority. But when men are violently deprived of the solitude and freedom which are their due, the society in which they live becomes putrid, it festers with servility, resentment and hate."

    Thoughts in Solitude stands alongside The Seven Storey Mountain as one of Merton's most uring and popular works. Thomas Merton, a Trappist monk, is perhaps the foremost spiritual thinker of the twentiethcentury. His diaries, social commentary, and spiritual writings continue to be widely read after his untimely death in 1968.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherMacmillan Publishers
    Release dateApr 1, 2011
    ISBN9781429944076
    Thoughts In Solitude
    Author

    Thomas Merton

    Thomas Merton (1915-1968) is widely regarded as one of the most influential spiritual writers of modern times. He was a Trappist monk, writer, and peace and civil rights activist. His bestselling books include The Seven-Storey Mountain, New Seeds of Contemplation, and Mystics and Zen Masters.

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    • 4/5
      Thomas Merton (1915-1968)....influential spiritual thinker of the 20th century...Trappist monk.Thoughts In Solitude is written from a monastic perspective, sharing the joys and insights of a solitary life.... but, it offers considerations to all who value quiet reflection.The following are a few such thoughts:"Without courage we can never attain to true simplicity""A life is either all spiritual or not spiritual at all.No man can serve to masters.Your life is shaped by the end you live for.""Before we surrender ourselves, we must become ourselvesFor no one can give up what he does not possess.""Humility is a virtue, not a neurosis"------------------------------------------------------------------
    • 4/5
      There is much to learn from in this short book and I know I've only scratched the surface. In a world of smartphones, Netflix, social media and everything else, I'm grateful for any clear headed thoughts that point me towards silence and contentment, rather than endless cycle of consuming.
    • 3/5
      As a fan of writers such a Augustine, Aquinas, and Thomas a Kempis, I'm very familiar with the writings of monks. I've benefited from the timeless wisdom and though provoking writings of all these authors. However, this was the first book I've read by Merton.I really enjoyed this short book. Merton writes beautifully and from a philosophical as well as practical perspective. He defines solitude (which can be found either amid groups of people or when we're alone), the benefits of it, and explains how to seek it. As a natural introvert, reading this book was a little like preaching to the choir, which may be why I didn't rate it higher. It impressed me enough that I will be reading more of Merton's work on other subjects within the next year.
    • 4/5
      This is the second time I've read this book and I'm sure it's not the last. I too find it to be a "timeless" work that serves as a reminder of how important solitude can be to a person's well-being.
    • 5/5
      A terrific book about solitude in the spiritual life. It's so thought provoking, I find I read sections again and again.

    Book preview

    Thoughts In Solitude - Thomas Merton

    PART ONE

    ASPECTS OF THE SPIRITUAL LIFE

    I

    There is no greater disaster in the spiritual life than to be immersed in unreality, for life is maintained and nourished in us by our vital relation with realities outside and above us. When our life feeds on unreality, it must starve. It must therefore die. There is no greater misery than to mistake this fruitless death for the true, fruitful and sacrificial death by which we enter into life.

    The death by which we enter into life is not an escape from reality but a complete gift of ourselves which involves a total commitment to reality. It begins by renouncing the illusory reality which created things acquire when they are seen only in their relation to our own selfish

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