Thomas Merton sitting at a desk in a room with wood-paneled walls, a window, and a crucifix on the wall. He is holding a pen and looking thoughtfully at an open book.
Thomas Merton sitting at a desk in a room with wood-paneled walls, a window, and a crucifix on the wall. He is holding a pen and looking thoughtfully at an open book.

THOMAS MERTON

Thomas Merton was a monk, author, and spiritual leader whose writings explored contemplation, prayer, and the search for God. He introduced many readers to the value of silence, inner awareness, and the contemplative life. During his interfaith encounters, he met with spiritual leaders including the Dalai Lama and Thich Nhat Hanh. After meeting Merton in the 1960s, the Dalai Lama said Merton had shown him the true meaning of the word "Christian" and described him as one of the most influential people in his life. He wrote many books, among them, The Seven Storey Mountain and Conjectures of a Guilty Bystander. Merton also studied Eastern text and appreciated Taoism's vision of humanity as part of a larger living order. The TaoTe Ching was among the Eastern classics he most admired.