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The Wisdom of the Desert was one of Thomas Merton's favorites among his own books, surely because he had hoped to spend his last years as a hermit. The personal tones of the translations and the blend of reverence and humor so characteristic of him show how deeply Merton identified with the legendary authors of these sayings and parables, the fourth-century Christian fathers who sought solitude and contemplation in the deserts of the Near East.
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excellent content but
- By jonathan carrasco on 15-01-20
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Finding True Meaning and Beauty
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Join Thomas Merton in spellbinding lectures on two essential philosophical topics. In this audio program, you will learn about the meaning of life and the essence of beauty with Thomas Merton, one of the 20th century's great thinkers. Delivered with unrivaled brilliance and insight, these remastered recordings of Merton himself will transport you into the abbey where he taught and imparted his spiritual wisdom.
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Becoming Who You Are
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By meditating on personal examples from the author's life, as well as reflecting on the inspirational life and writings of Thomas Merton, stories from the Gospels, as well as the lives of other holy men and women (among them, Henri Nouwen, Therese of Lisieux, and Pope John XXIII), the listener will understand how becoming who you are, and becoming the person that God created, is a simple path to happiness, peace of mind and even sanctity.
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Helping to rekindle my Roman Catholic Faith
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Thomas Merton on Prayer
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Renew your prayer life with Thomas Merton. Thomas Merton was one of the great spiritual masters: a Trappist monk, profound mystic, and brilliant writer. He inspired men and women from all walks of life with his dedication to prayer and contemplation. In 1967, near the end of his life, Merton gave a powerful set of lectures on prayer to the Sisters of Loretto. He channeled a lifetime full of wisdom, piety, and prayerfulness into these erudite yet down-to-earth talks.
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Excellent
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The Mystical Heart of Islam: Rumi and Sufism
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This is an abridged edition of a classic text on Rumi and Sufism which was first published in London in 1920 under the title The Persian Mystics and authored by F. Hadland Davis. This special edition contains selections from the poetry of Rumi. Also included is an analysis of Sufism and the concept of love. Edited by Professor David Christopher Lane, PhD.
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The Wisdom of the Desert
- Sayings from the Desert Fathers of the Fourth Century
- By: Thomas Merton
- Narrated by: Greg Chun
- Length: 1 hr and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Wisdom of the Desert was one of Thomas Merton's favorites among his own books, surely because he had hoped to spend his last years as a hermit. The personal tones of the translations and the blend of reverence and humor so characteristic of him show how deeply Merton identified with the legendary authors of these sayings and parables, the fourth-century Christian fathers who sought solitude and contemplation in the deserts of the Near East.
-
-
excellent content but
- By jonathan carrasco on 15-01-20
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Zen and the Birds of Appetite
- By: Thomas Merton
- Narrated by: Greg Chun
- Length: 4 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Exploring the relationship between Christianity and Zen, especially through his dialogue with the great Zen teacher D.T. Suzuki, the book makes an excellent introduction to a comparative study of these two traditions, as well as giving the listener a strong taste of the mature Merton. Never does one feel him losing his own faith; rather, one feels that faith getting deeply clarified and affirmed. Just as the body of "Zen" cannot be found by the scavengers, so too, Merton suggests, with the eternal truth of Christ.
-
Finding True Meaning and Beauty
- By: Thomas Merton
- Narrated by: Thomas Merton
- Length: 2 hrs and 6 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Join Thomas Merton in spellbinding lectures on two essential philosophical topics. In this audio program, you will learn about the meaning of life and the essence of beauty with Thomas Merton, one of the 20th century's great thinkers. Delivered with unrivaled brilliance and insight, these remastered recordings of Merton himself will transport you into the abbey where he taught and imparted his spiritual wisdom.
-
Becoming Who You Are
- Insights on the True Self from Thomas Merton and Other Saints (Christian Classics)
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- Length: 2 hrs and 40 mins
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Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
By meditating on personal examples from the author's life, as well as reflecting on the inspirational life and writings of Thomas Merton, stories from the Gospels, as well as the lives of other holy men and women (among them, Henri Nouwen, Therese of Lisieux, and Pope John XXIII), the listener will understand how becoming who you are, and becoming the person that God created, is a simple path to happiness, peace of mind and even sanctity.
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-
Helping to rekindle my Roman Catholic Faith
- By Leo Delaney on 29-09-15
-
Thomas Merton on Prayer
- By: Thomas Merton
- Narrated by: Thomas Merton
- Length: 6 hrs and 12 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Renew your prayer life with Thomas Merton. Thomas Merton was one of the great spiritual masters: a Trappist monk, profound mystic, and brilliant writer. He inspired men and women from all walks of life with his dedication to prayer and contemplation. In 1967, near the end of his life, Merton gave a powerful set of lectures on prayer to the Sisters of Loretto. He channeled a lifetime full of wisdom, piety, and prayerfulness into these erudite yet down-to-earth talks.
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Excellent
- By David Mullins on 16-10-18
-
The Mystical Heart of Islam: Rumi and Sufism
- By: David Christopher Lane - editor, F. Hadland Davis
- Narrated by: Jason Zenobia
- Length: 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This is an abridged edition of a classic text on Rumi and Sufism which was first published in London in 1920 under the title The Persian Mystics and authored by F. Hadland Davis. This special edition contains selections from the poetry of Rumi. Also included is an analysis of Sufism and the concept of love. Edited by Professor David Christopher Lane, PhD.
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Meister Eckhart's Living Wisdom
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The 13th-century mystic Meister Eckhart was the most brilliant Christian scholar of his day, but he was also legendary for the way that he opened listeners to the direct experience of God during his public talks. Today, his written wisdom remains alive as ever, ready to illuminate us. With Meister Eckhart's Living Wisdom, James Finley, one of today's best-known teachers of the Christian contemplative tradition, invites us into Eckhart's insights in the same way that this luminary teacher delighted in sharing them.
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Deep and Insightful Teaching
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The Way of Chuang Tzu (Second Edition)
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Working from existing translations, Thomas Merton composed a series of his own versions of the classic sayings of Chuang Tzu, the most spiritual of Chinese philosophers. Chuang Tzu, who wrote in the fourth and third centuries BC, is the chief authentic historical spokesperson for Taoism and its founder, Lao Tzu (a legendary character known largely through Chuang Tzu’s writings).
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Not Bad Overall.
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Christian Meditation
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- Original Recording
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In 1967 Thomas Merton traveled to Thailand, seeking to further the Buddhist-Christian dialogue that was his passion. This beloved Trappist monk and explorer of the inner life died unexpectedly on that trip but not before writing a final letter to his brothers at the Abbey of Gethsemani in Kentucky. In the letter Merton wrote that he now realized that everything he had been searching for could be found at his own hermitage, within the Christian tradition.
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Brokenness
- By Svein Olav Nyberg on 18-07-17
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Thomas Merton’s Path to the Palace of Nowhere
- By: James Finley
- Narrated by: James Finley
- Length: 9 hrs and 34 mins
- Original Recording
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First presented at a series of popular retreats, this full audio program takes a participatory approach to Merton's most useful teachings, helping us to discover our true self...to disappear into God; to be submerged into his peace; to be lost in the secret of his face, as Merton said, through daily practices including contemplation, prayer, and faith. In the end we find ourselves in what the Taoist sage Chuang Tzu called the Palace of Nowhere, where all the many things are one.
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Quite Profound
- By Tony on 28-06-20
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Awareness
- Conversations with the Masters
- By: Anthony de Mello
- Narrated by: Anthony De Mello
- Length: 7 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
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Awareness awakens you to the truth that you possess everything you need right now to be happy and fulfilled. Happiness is your natural state. You don't need to do anything to acquire it; you only need to drop something. This audiobook shows you what that is. There is not a single person who ever gave time to being aware who’s quality of life didn't change. You see life differently because you are different. You respond to people and situations differently. You see things you have never seen before. Beautiful things. You're much more energetic, much more alive.
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Just excellent...
- By Ian on 31-10-19
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12 Degrees of Humility
- By: Thomas Merton
- Narrated by: Thomas Merton
- Length: 7 hrs and 9 mins
- Original Recording
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You are invited into the classroom in which Thomas Merton delivered some of his most impassioned lectures on a timeless topic. In 1962 at Gethsemani Abbey, Thomas Merton taught an extraordinary course on the heart of Benedictine spirituality.
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No Humility
- By Adrian Chan-Wyles Ph.D on 16-08-20
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The Seven Storey Mountain
- By: Thomas Merton
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- Length: 2 hrs and 33 mins
- Abridged
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The Seven Storey Mountain is the extraordinary spiritual testament of Thomas Merton (1915-1968), a man who experienced life to its fullest in the world before entering a Trappist monastery. By the end of his life, he had become one of the 20th century's best known and loved Christian voices. This autobiography deals...not with what happens to a man, but what happens inside his soul.
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I wish there was an unabridged version!
- By Pen Name on 28-05-20
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St. Bernard of Clairvaux: The Mellifluous Doctor
- By: Thomas Merton
- Narrated by: Thomas Merton
- Length: 2 hrs and 3 mins
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Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, O.Cist. (1090-1153), is one of the most important figures in the history of Christianity: a founder, reformer, and doctor of the church. Now, you can take Thomas Merton, renowned mystic and follower of St. Bernard, as your guide in exploring the life and theology of St. Bernard. St. Bernard's impact on Christianity is wide-reaching: He was the patron saint of the Knights Templar, and he deeply influenced such figures as Hildegard of Bingen.
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Thomas Merton on the Search for Wholeness
- By: Thomas Merton
- Narrated by: Thomas Merton
- Length: 2 hrs
- Original Recording
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In this audio program, Merton will challenge you with questions about man's individual destiny, the human condition, prayer, and the nature of time. Originally delivered in 1965, these timeless lectures have been remastered and released as a set for your enjoyment. Delivered with wit and profound insight, these recordings will transport you into the abbey where Merton taught and imparted his spiritual wisdom.
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such a shame
- By Anonymous User on 02-04-18
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Celtic Spirituality: The Beginnings of Irish Monasticism
- By: Thomas Merton
- Narrated by: Thomas Merton
- Length: 37 mins
- Original Recording
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Learn about Irish Catholicism, early Christianity, and Eastern religions with Thomas Merton as your teacher. Recorded in March of 1968 at the Abbey of Our Lady of Gethsemani, Celtic Spirituality: The Beginnings of Irish Monasticism investigates the history of Irish monasticism with special attention to St. Patrick.
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The Wisdom of the Sands, Vol. 1
- Talks on Sufism
- By: OSHO
- Narrated by: OSHO
- Length: 15 hrs and 18 mins
- Original Recording
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In this age of information overload, it’s refreshing to come upon a unique voice. Osho speaks directly to you - he is speaking the truth. Osho calls Sufism a core source of wisdom in the world. In this series of nine chapters, Osho comments on Sufi stories and statements and responds to questions from his audience - which are also our questions. He talks on a vast range of topics, from personal relationships, society, death and rebirth to the ultimate experience of dissolving into the greater existence. A recurrent theme throughout several Sufi stories.
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The Naked Now
- Learning to See as the Mystics See
- By: Richard Rohr
- Narrated by: Rick Adamson
- Length: 5 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
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The enlightenment you seek in other religions has been present in Christianity from the beginning. Richard Rohr, a global leader in spiritual awakening, helps you recognize the forces (such as ego resistance and dual thinking) that separate you from your deeper self. Then, drawing from Gospels and the greatest Christian contemplatives, he shows you what it means to be spiritually awake. You will learn why your ego resists change and growth, what is useful about popular ideas such as the law of attraction, what Jesus, the first mythical leader in the West, can teach you.
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Wonderful.
- By Thamesis on 01-09-20
Summary
In the 20th century, Thomas Merton, one of Christianity's great mystics, encountered the ancient Eastern mystical tradition known as Sufism. The result was an outpouring of mystical insight and spiritual wisdom.
In these talks, you will discover what first electrified Merton. The Sufi mystics have given us one of the world's most-read poets, Rumi; the beautiful mystical dance of whirling dervishes; interreligious insight; and new forms of contemplation. A visionary who sought to synthesize the best of Eastern and Western spiritualities, Thomas Merton's profound interest in the Sufi mystics is more relevant today than ever.
Merton explores the contemplative wisdom of Sufism to enhance our Christian understanding of mysticism and spiritual practice. In one of his talks to the novices at Gethsemani, he said, "The Sufis are seeking to know God and have ways of seeking to know God, and this should have some success with us.... We should be closer to the Sufis."
In these talks you will watch the development of Merton's spirituality as he moved toward a greater understanding of interreligious dialogue. Merton believed that the Sufis had much to teach us about prayer, mysticism, and contemplation.
Merton will bring you to new and exciting places as he reflects on Sufism and the mystical life. What Merton taught in the mid-20th century is prophetic for spiritual seekers in the contemporary world.
Photograph of Thomas Merton by Sybille Akers. Used with permission of the Merton Legacy Trust and the Thomas Merton Center at Bellarmine University.
What listeners say about Thomas Merton on Sufism
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- Carlmmm
- 06-03-19
Not a good introduction to Sufism
I have loved Thomas Merton writing on Christianity, especially The Seven Storey Mountain. So I thought his take on Sufism would be kind and knowledgeable. It is a series of live lectures by Merton to monks. It is wonderful to hear him live. But his comments have numerous painful inaccuracies and misunderstandings, and, sadly, unkindnesses and oversimplifications. There are much better introductions to Sufism. Ones I have read are by Douglas-Klotz, Ernst, Vaughan-Lee, Ghazali, Helminski, and especially Rumi. Start with any of these.
5 people found this helpful
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- Dolores Plate
- 30-09-18
Thomas Merton Speaks
What a privilege to hear Merton speak on any subject! His views on Islam and Sufism are even more needed today. Thank Goodness he explored these ideas!
2 people found this helpful