Soul Searching -- The Journey of Thomas Merton

One of my mentors and favorite authors is Thomas Merton. Difficult to pin down, he is alternately described as a Catholic mystic, a spiritual rebel, a modern pilgrim, a compulsive writer and a beatnik-turned-monk. He is all of these and so much more besides.

It was his relentless quest for Truth—for God—which drove him all his life and it was this search which is explored in this recent film by Duckworks, Inc., called, Soul Searching—The Journey of Thomas Merton.

Born in France in 1915, Merton had an unusual upbringing—forced to leave Europe due to World War I, his mother died when he was six, then his father’s avant-garde lifestyle took him back and forth across the Atlantic until he was eventually left an orphan with one younger brother.

Although financially provided for himself, the young Thomas came of age at a time when the rest of the world was entering the Great Depression. This further set him at odds with what he saw around him. The documentary discusses the disgust he felt with himself after a night spent in dissipation when morning came; he’d watch the rest of the world going about their lives with a purpose he knew his lacked. Soon, his own purpose was to find him as well.

Shortly thereafter he experienced a dramatic conversion to Catholicism which he later described in his youthful autobiography, The Seven Storey Mountain—published ten years later in 1948, which may well be the first book I ever read by Merton.

My own journey to Father Louis, as he was known after he was ordained at Abbey of Gethsemani at Trappist, KY, goes back so far I cannot even remember the first time I heard of him or the first book of his I’ve read. He absolutely fascinates me. His writing is alive and compelling; he writes on seemingly dry subjects with an intensity which must have been electric when he was speaking the same words to a retreat group or a class of novices.

Watching this moving testimony to the life and works of Father Louis, I want to go back and pick up his books again. He was a 20th Century pioneer in Catholic spiritual renewal. He reminded us we're all called to pray contemplatively—there are not two paths, one for the elect and another for everyone else. In this, he was echoing almost lost teachings of the doctors of the Church, Sts. John of the Cross and Teresa of Ávila. Mental prayer and meaningful spiritual lives are not just for priests and nuns. Nor are we to be discouraged by our own sinfulness, inadequacies and failures.

‘Faith means doubt. Faith is not the suppression of doubt. It is the overcoming of doubt. And you overcome doubt by going through it. The man of Faith who has never experienced doubt, is not a man of Faith.’ ~~Thomas Merton

Merton’s early writing on prayer, spiritual biographies and conversion would later move on to more controversial issues, including Christian responsibility in race relations, violence, nuclear war and economic injustice. He died in 1968 in Bangkok, Thailand at age 53 due to an electrical accident. He left behind over 60 books, 2000 poems and countless letters, journals and various other documents. As I said early on, he was a compulsive writer. Make it a point to see Soul Searching and read Merton!

****

Things Fall Apart

"Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold” is from Yeats's poem "The Second Coming". Fifty years after Chinua Achebe wrote this deceptively simple Nigerian tragedy, Things Fall Apart has never been out of print. It's hailed as Africa's best known work of literature and I can easily see why.

At the heart of the story is a strong man, Okonkwo, with an overwhelming need to prove himself--to himself and his tribe; he must overcome the bad reputation of his drunkard ne'er-do-well father. Although Okonkwo can easily defeat enemies he can wrestle, chop or kill; his stubborn pride and anger collide with and fail to overcome those aspects of life which he cannot so readily tackle: providence, family and tribal laws.

So much of the appeal of Things -- for me at least -- is watching Okonkwo encounter a traditional village. I was fascinated (and repulsed) by its customs, mores, and overall precarious harmony. The appropriateness of the title is in the extreme delicacy of that tribal balance which is rocked to the core by the arrival of the English missionaries. All that was as Okonkwo understood the world to be, changes with the introduction of Christianity and Western civilization. It is both a clash of one individual against his own society and a foreign power, as well as the collision of two diametrically opposed cultures. You don't often find so much carefully-contained conflict in a book of this size. Truly incredible!

Chinua Achebe wrote this masterpiece before most of the African nations had declared their independence. Since that time, the Dark Continent has been washed in rivers of blood. One wonders when, and prays for an end to, all the suffering. Such a sacred place and beautiful people; in many ways so like the Garden of Eden. Long live Africa!

Thanks to Ginnie from Goodreads for this link from The Economist about A Golden Jubilee of Things Fall Apart.

Check out my books on Goodreads!

Abandonment to Divine Providence (RR)

by Jean-Pierre De Caussade

Started: 13 September 2007
Finished: 26 September 2007

There are some books which are almost too good to be able to describe.

It is the same way with people--some are too incredible for mere words, no matter what the words. When I was in the military, I could write an Airman Performance Report or an Officer Evaluation Report on those who worked at average or even above average level, but when it came time to writing annual evaluations on those people who were superstars, no words could ever do justice to such individuals. I'd struggle for days, stay up nights and feel dissatisfied with whatever I wrote in the end. Please bear that in mind here--this is just such a book.

This 33 karat diamond of a book wasn't published until a hundred and ten years after the author's death. Father Caussade never knew he wrote this book; what we read today was originally a collection of letters written when he was the spiritual director to the Visitation nuns of Nancy in France--as well as notes from talks he gave them.

Born in 1675 in the south of France, there is almost nothing known about Caussade--no picture survives, no physical description, and very few facts. But we do know he was born during an era when the Catholic faith was rich and vibrant; he grew up in the shadow of such giants as St. John of the Cross, St. Teresa of Avila, St. Francis de Sales and St. Jane de Chantal. In fact, although he was a Jesuit, his writings reflect more Carmelite and Salesian spirituality, than they do Ignatian influence.

One of the many beautiful things about this book is its simplicity. Another is its brevity. I have read both versions--translations--depicted above, Sacrament of the Present Moment, being the newer of the two. I prefer the older, but each has its place. Both titular phrases are Fr. Caussade's own words for the profound yet childlike concept he is trying to teach us. Remain in the here-and-now; that is where the incarnate Christ dwells.

'Short books often have great power.'¹ This one is a perfect example. There is one central theme and it is -- give or "abandon" yourself to God/Divine Providence -- and no harm can come to you. "Be Not Afraid," as Jesus said, and Pope John Paul II reiterated in his late twentieth century pontificate. The book is a series of meditations, meant to be consumed in small bite-sized pieces and then savored or contemplated. That is why it is perfect both as an audio book and a devotional. It constantly circles back to the gentle reminder we have but one three-fold duty--to abandon ourselves to His Will, trust Him in everything and live in the Present Moment. Such a sweetly elemental principal! We humans want to complicate everything; He wants to simplify things. We want to hold on to our problems; He wants to relieve us of them.

Recently, I have been filling my poor head with facts from confusing technical reading which doesn't clarify or solve anything. Fortunately, at the same time, I have also been listening to my Ignatian Press tapes, while driving in the car, of Mark Taheny as he reads Abandonment. Talk about peace and transport--peace in transport. I look forward to my time alone absorbing these Christ-like words which reassure me that all I need to do is surrender to Him and love. Do my Christian duty always and forget about what others think about me. If I am misunderstood, so much the better--so was He. And when I slip up and fall into sin--which I will do (as we all do)--I throw myself on His Loving Mercy.

Let go of the past. Forget about the future. Be in the present. He is taking care of everything else. All things work together for our good if we let Him work in our lives. What does not make sense now, does not matter. If He wills it, it is--that is enough.

As with most spiritual books different parts are helpful with each read. On this particular listening I was struck by the sixth and seventh sections of Chapter Six:

(6) An abandoned soul is not afraid of its enemies, but finds them useful allies.

'I am more afraid of what I and my friends do than anything done by my enemies. There is nothing more prudent than to offer no resistance to one's enemies and face them with simple abandonment. This is to run before the wind and stay at peace. Simplicity is always victorious when faced with worldly wisdom and easily avoids all its tricks without understanding them or even being conscious of them. God makes the soul take such suitable measures that they completely confound those who seek to trap it. It benefits by all their efforts, and what is meant to degrade it only increases its virtue.'

(7) An abandoned soul never need try to justify itself by word or deed. God does that.

'The huge, unyielding rock that shelters the soul from all storms is the divine will, which is always there, though hidden beneath the veil of trials and the most commonplace actions. Deep within those shadows is the hand of God to support and carry us to complete self-abandonment. And when the soul has arrived at this sublime state it need fear nothing which is said against it, for there is no longer anything for it to do in self-defense.'

These are not the complete sections, but I have quoted enough to convey the gist of each. The reminder to me was that the reading I had been doing--at someone else's request--was looking for a worldly solution to problems. Listening to Fr. Caussade I remembered that at core, all problems are essentially spiritual because we are spirit. One of my favorite sayings is, "We are spiritual beings having a human experience." Yes, I am a sinner; we all are. We sin every day by our thoughts, words and actions, but God forgives us for all our sins, so long as we truly repent. The only sin He can't forgive is the one for which we are not truly sorry.

I am eternally grateful for this wonderful little book--which I have already read many times--and to which I hope to return many more times. God bless you Father Caussade!

*****

1 John Beevers, translated by with an Introduction by, Abandonment to Divine Providence, copyright 1975, Image Books, Doubleday.

As a Man Thinketh (RR)

by James Allen

This is one of those charmingly quaint little books which is worth owning. I have a Longmeadow Press edition (postcard size, 4 x 6 inches, 64 pages) which I bought at least 15 years ago and have read many times. Last evening I read it again in one sitting of approximately an hour.

Every time I've settled down with this magnificent meditational masterpiece, I have been in need of its author's gentle influence and it has yet to fail me. I tend to suffer from negative, or out-of-balance, thinking. So many miles of 'driving' with my thoughts and they get even more shaken-up, or inclined towards the wrong direction. When this happens, I know it's time for a mental realignment. A quiet but firm reminder from this eloquent author that our thoughts are the parents of our actions usually does the trick.

As you will have noticed from the title, Mr. Allen lived and wrote a while ago--a century to be specific. He wrote before the days of Political Correctness, so even though he referred to 'man' and 'men', in actuality, he had all of us in mind. Please forgive me if I adopt his all-encompassing parlance in speaking about people of both genders; it is what I grew up with and it does not seem offensive to me, a woman, to be included with all of mankind.

Our author was born in 1864 and only lived to be 48; he wrote 19 books in his obscure literary career of 9 years. When James was still a young boy, his father left the family home in England and went to America to earn enough money to recoup the losses from the failed family business. Unfortunately, he was robbed and murdered before he was ever able to fulfill his plans. The family's ensuing financial crisis forced James to leave school and go to work as a private secretary, a position which would be known as an administrative assistant today. He continued to work in this capacity until 1902, when he devoted himself full-time to his writing. After the publication of his first book, From Poverty to Power, he moved to Ifracombe, a little town on England's southwest coast. As a Man Thinketh was his second book and his most famous. His wife, Lily, apparently had to convince him to publish it; he wasn't persuaded it was good enough! How ironic! It would seem that the author suffered from the same problem as yours truly! He must have needed to read his own book!

When I learned these few stark facts about our author, I was touched and even more moved by his book. He wasn't writing from the top-down, but from the bottom-up. He knew what it was to see life from the 'depths of despair' as my dear friend Anne (with an "e") Shirley from the legendary Green Gables would say. All joking aside, Mr. Allen's life was no picnic; it was short and full of disappointment, loss and pain. Yet, he has left us a work of poignant human testimony, inspiration and wisdom.

Each time I've read As A Man Thinketh, I've been in a different place in my life and needed something unique from the book. Therefore, a new chapter has jumped out at me at each successive read. At this particular juncture, the fourth chapter, Thought and Purpose, offered the critical insight I was seeking. At another time when I was suffering from ill-health, the third chapter was more relevant.

There are 7 chapters in all, plus a forward and you can see them listed below:

Foreword by James Allen
1. Thought and Character
2. Effect of Thought on Circumstances
3. Effect of Thought on Health and the Body
4. Thought and Purpose
5. The Thought-Factor in Achievement
6. Visions and Ideals
7. Serenity

To call one a 'chapter' is to put a grand title on a small creature, yet each is a little nugget of wisdom, complete unto itself.

And without further ado, let me let Mr. Allen speak for himself.

'Circumstance does not make the man; it reveals him to himself.' p19

'Men are anxious to improve their circumstances, but unwilling to improve themselves. They therefore remain bound.' p20

'A man only begins to be a man when he ceases to whine and revile, and commences to search for the hidden justice which regulates his life. And as he adapts his mind to that regulating factor, he ceases to accuse others as the cause of his condition, and builds himself up in strong and noble thoughts.' p27

'Let a man cease from his sinful thoughts, and all the world will soften toward him, and be ready to help him.' p30

'To put away aimlessness and weakness, and to begin to think with purpose, is to enter the ranks of those strong ones who only recognize failure as one of the pathways to attainment; who make all conditions serve them and who think strongly, attempt fearlessly and accomplish masterfully.' p42

'There can be no progress, no achievement without sacrifice.' p48

'The oak sleeps in the acorn; the bird waits in the egg; and in the highest vision of the soul a waking angel stirs. Dreams are the seedlings of realities.' p55

God bless you Mr. Allen for this wonderful little book which has given me so much encouragement, genuine help and profound insight when I most needed it!

I happily and readily award you my 5 star award as the best of books and include this book on my list of books to read again and again and again! I hope you will too!

*****

Wilkie Collins and "The Moonstone" (RR)

First read in 2001, from the 15th of December to the 26th; this time, from the 25th of July until the 24th of August.

The fun in rereading a mystery -- if you can remember whodunit; usually with my memory and how long I wait between rereads, it doesn't matter anyway -- but if you can remember, the fun is in watching the story unfold with a knowing eye. I wonder if that's how it will be when we do our life reviews, except of course then we won't be able to be so dispassionate, will we?

But I digress. In The Moonstone, considered the first real mystery, which set the entire mystery genre in motion, Collins is at his humorous best.

The first time around, I enjoyed his characters and their quirky names, ofttimes forgetting to follow the plot I was so amusingly diverted by the the likes of the Robinson Crusoe-quoting head servant Betteredge, self-righteous Miss Clack's attempts to convert the world or at least her aunt, Aunt Ablewhite's inability to accomplish anything and the original Sherlock Holmes prototype, Sergeant Cuff and his love of roses. If those names aren't descriptive enough, there's also a banker named Lucre and a lawyer named Bruff.

I also enjoyed his use of third person narrative. Beginning with Gabriel Betteredge (get it? Better Edge!) Collins proceeds to Miss Clack's story (clackety clack went her tongue...or think of "The Clackers" in The Devil Wears Prada) and then narrates through Mr. Franklin Blake, etc. It's a very effective and interesting way to tell a story. You come to know the characters better and enjoy seeing the story unfold from numerous perspectives.

One of the reasons I like a book is when--and if--it opens my mind to something I did not know before. In the case of The Moonstone, there was an interesting twist, a plot that revolved around the effects of opium on a character. It was recommended that to learn more about this subject, read, Confessions of an Opium Eater. I shall have to add this to my "To Be Read" list. I had no idea, prior to reading The Moonstone, that opium has effects other than that of pain relief.

Although considered by many, including yours truly, Collins' finest novel, the author himself did not agree with that assessment of The Moonstone. Perhaps he may be forgiven this undervaluing of his masterpiece of mysteries because Mr. Collins was suffering from a painful illness at the time he wrote The Moonstone which led him to use the only pain-reliever of the day--opium--and hence his own experience of writing The Moonstone could not have been a pleasant one.

'Wilkie Collins was born on 8 January 1824 and died on 23 September 1889. In those 65 years he wrote 27 novels, more than 50 short stories, at least 15 plays, and more than 100 non-fiction pieces. A close friend of Charles Dickens from their meeting in March 1851 until Dickens' death in June 1870, Collins was one of the best known, best loved, and, for a time, best paid of Victorian fiction writers. But after his death, his reputation declined as Dickens's bloomed. Now, Collins is being given more critical and popular attention than he has for fifty years. Almost all his books are in print, he is studied widely, and new film and television versions of some of his books have been made. Nevertheless, there is still much to be discovered about this superstar of Victorian fiction.' http://www.wilkiecollins.com/

My own personal discovery of Wilkie Collins was six years ago when I was in the middle of Charles Dickens' study. At that period of my life, I 'tackled' a new author each summer and attempted to read as many of his/her novels as possible before the (home) school year began again. The summer of 2001 was the summer of Dickens...and Hard Times, Martin Chuzzlewit and my all-time favorite, Bleak House, which is anything but bleak. In reading a biography about Dickens, I learned about his publishing pressures and a particular friend, Wilkie Collins.

"Wilkie Collins? Never heard of him. What did he write?" Then Blackstone, my favorite book-on-tape merchant featured The Moonstone on their monthly sale page. Why not? I bought it, tried it and loved it! I never guessed whodunit or how. Not that that is any surprise. I'm an Agatha Christie drop-out too. Only after reading 90% of her mysteries have I finally figured out that the murderer is usually the person who has the greatest motive, but least opportunity. Of course, often, the motive is also unknown which makes it even more difficult, if not downright impossible to solve. And if I do occasionally happen to figure out whodunit, I never manage to figure out how, so mystery writers rest easy!

But The Moonstone was the first of the mysteries and it's not a murder mystery. It involves the theft of a famous Indian diamond, yellow in color and resembling the moon. So much I'd like to tell you about The Moonstone, but unfortunately I can't for the very reason that it is a mystery and it would spoil it. However, I can say that I enjoyed it every bit as much on this second listen through. It is read by a cast of three readers, two men and a woman and they play the parts of the several male and the one female narrators of the story.

After my first unsuccessful attempt to solve the crime (I didn't feel so bad since Sergeant Cuff himself was also deceived as to who was the real culprit) I tried to interest my family in listening to the book on one of our long journeys back to St. Louis but unfortunately the car tape deck broke along the way and my hopes were dashed.

We were several tapes into the book but no one else in my family was as dismayed by this calamity as I was, which might have led me to doubt my conviction about this story, but it didn't. Then recently we watched the movie, The Woman in White, based on another of Collins' book--this one being his own personal favorite--and my entire family was quite enthralled with the story, also a very thrilling mystery. I knew that the only reason they hadn't fallen in love with The Moonstone was because they hadn't gotten far enough along in the book. Victorian stories move at a slower pace; they don't 'hook' you right away like modern tales do. Another time...

I highly recommend listening, if you can. But if not, just be sure to read it. As a piece of Literature, it is not only first-rate, but it's also History! You owe it to yourself to meet Mr. Collins and the marvelous characters he has created in this clever story. And yes, The Woman in White is good, but sorry, I still think The Moonstone is better. Wilkie Collins' fans are split down the middle, so you must read both and place your vote too!

*****

Awakening Anna

WARNING: If you have not read The Awakening or Anna Karenina, contains SPOILER information!

The Awakening by Kate Chopin
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

Normally I try not to include anything which will spoil a story, but in this case, I am not writing a Book Review, but a comparison between the two books listed above, which by necessity includes information pertaining to the conclusion of both!

In May, when my oldest daughter was approaching midpoint in her American Literature course she asked me if I'd read anything by Kate Chopin. Liking to consider myself well-read, it always irks me when I have to admit to complete ignorance of a famous author, especially one from my own shores. I secretly resolved to remedy the situation as soon as possible; then I got busy doing other things and forgot all about Ms. Chopin. But I'd happened to mention my literary shortfall to my best friend and she did NOT forget; she got busy reading The Awakening.

Several days later and she was almost finished. Egad! I grabbed my Library of America edition and dived in too.

Louisiana and the bayou country--familiar territory; my husband and I moved there childless in '91 and left three years later with our two daughters, many fond memories and an abiding appreciation of the sultry south. We literally had two Steel Magnolias, who could claim they'd been born, if not 'early on one frosty morn' at least from 'the Land of Cotton, where old times there are not forgotten...' The mellowness of the South had seeped into our bones; it's softer voice, slower ways and sweeter folk were a part of us now.

And of course when a book can take you back to a special place...well, that's almost as good as goin' there. I have a special fondness for armchair travel. Opening The Awakening was to bring back those warm, rosy memories of exploring old plantation homes and restin' in the shade of huge moss-draped trees.

'Domestic Goddess Kate Chopin was born Katherine O'Flaherty, in St. Louis, Missouri. Her parents were from Irish and Creole backgrounds. When Chopin was widowed at 32, she began writing to support herself and her six children. She was widely accepted as a writer of local color fiction, and was generally successful until the publication of her scandalous novel The Awakening, in 1899. Perched between the social conservatism of the nineteenth century and dealing with tabooed themes too soon for the growingly open twentieth, the novel's sexually aware and shocking protagonist, Edna Pontillier, pushed Chopin into literary oblivion. Chopin, and her memorable characters and stories, finally emerged from society's morally imposed ostracization during the resurgence of women's rights in the early 1970's.

Even today, much of the criticism of Chopin's most famous work centers on Edna Pontillier's morals--is she a fallen woman, a bad mother, a selfish human being? Why does the character still, in an era where sexual openness is not totally condemned, point us toward a discussion of what makes a woman "bad?" What does the novel say about constrictions and constructions of the feminine role, today and during the time it was written? What does the novel say about human consciousness, and conscience?

Marilynne Robinson, in the introduction to the Bantam edition of The Awakening, published in 1989, says:

In discovering herself Edna is discovering her fate. In exploring Edna's regression, as she puts aside adult life, retracing her experience to its beginnings, for her its essence, Chopin describes as well a journey inward, evoking all the prodigal richness of longing, fantasy, and memory. The novel is not a simulated case study, but an exploration of the solitary soul still enchanted by the primal, charged, and intimate encounter of naked sensation with the astonishing world. (xx)

Only when we discuss Chopin as more than a "one-trick pony" can we discover more about ourselves.

Recently, Emily Toth, one of the foremost Chopin scholars, published a critical biography of Chopin, which I recommend highly for anyone who is interested in Chopin's work called Unveiling Kate Chopin. To quote Toth, Kate Chopin anticipated so much: daytime dramas, women's pictures, The Feminine Mystique, open marriages, women's liberation, talk shows, Mars vs. Venus, self-help and consciousness raising. But in 1899 she was a lonely pioneer. (xix)' http://www.womenwriters.net/domesticgoddess/chopin1.htm

When I started The Awakening I suspected from the title that it was to be about a woman from those long ago days of the late 1800s who 'awakened' to the realization that she was a person--in addition to being a wife and a mother. But in actuality, the main character, Edna, does more than just awaken to her personhood (whatever that may be) she falls in love with a man (Robert) other than her husband, begins to neglect her family, moves out of her own home, has an affair, laments her affair because of Robert (not because of her husband!) and eventually commits suicide. In other words, we watch Edna in a long, slow spiral downwards into ruin. Is this 'awakening'? Not in my mind!

As I was reading this novel -- and especially at its conclusion -- I was struck by its similarity to Anna Karenina. Although written nearly 20 years earlier (in serial installments from 1873 to 1877) and by the male novelist, Tolstoy, Anna deals with many of the same issues as Awakening: a married woman defying the societal conventions of her place and time, following her own desires and suffering the disastrous consequences of her own choices. Both stories end with the female protagonist ending her own life--presumably because she can see no alternative.

My friend and I both felt Awakening just ended; we weren't prepared for Edna's abrupt and wasteful act. Was there really no other alternative? Was Edna really so desperate as all that? Did Kate Chopin want to make a statement about lack of choices open to women at the end of the 19th century? Or was she frustrated about her own limited options? What was the point of the story?

So many questions; so few answers. While we are left to wonder and speculate about Edna, we can be fairly certain the character of Anna was inspired, in part, by Maria Hartung (1832–1919), the elder daughter of the Russian poet Alexander Pushkin. Soon after meeting her at a dinner, Tolstoy started reading Pushkin's prose and supposedly began to daydream about his beloved heroine. Tolstoy's love of his titular feminine goddess radiates throughout Anna Karenina. Perhaps this goes a long way to explaining why generation after generation of readers have taken her to their hearts as well. Who cannot love an author's most cherished creation?

Does this explain why Edna leaves us cold, but Anna makes us cry? Are we subtly influenced by the author's opinions? Or could it be we find Edna's behavior goes just a bit too far? Somehow she crosses over an invisible line we are not even aware of...a line that Anna manages to remain on the right side of. And if so, what is that line?

Interesting questions these two books raise. They wisely don't offer answers. Our own awakening begins when we close the books, set them down and begin to ponder what we have read.