From the back cover:
“The only way to find out anything about the joys of contemplation is by experience,”’ writes Thomas Merton. “We must test and see that the Lord is sweet.” In this early writing, unavailable for years, Thomas Merton sets forth the basics of Christian contemplation in the lucid, helpful way which has made him a favorite of millions. He provides a brief guide for the beginner and lets us know what to expect when we begin to move into this essential Christian experience. When you begin the life of contemplation, Merton writes, “you have left the beaten path and are traveling by paths that cannot be charted and measured."
Thomas Merton wrote more than 70 books, mostly on spirituality, as well as scores of essays and reviews. Merton was a keen proponent of interfaith understanding.
Interest in his work contributed to a rise in spiritual exploration beginning in the 1960s and 1970s in the US. Merton's letters and diaries, reveal the intensity with which their author focused on social justice issues, including the civil rights movement and proliferation of nuclear arms. He had prohibited their publication for 25 years after his death. Publication raised new interest in Merton's life.
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