Meditation and Thomas Merton

Thomas Merton’s meditation is one that appears to be meant to put someone into a prayerful state of mind. The meditation he advocates in his letters is that of the seeker, of the one searching to fill the void by connecting with the presence of the divine source within. God lives in each of us according to Merton, and the quieting of one’s mind and heart allows that piece of your soul to speak and connect, giving you insight and hope. There is life beyond the hustle and bustle and it occurs to me that perhaps only with silent reflection can we truly step out of our routines that cloud us so from our Lord. Even prescribed prayer can become just another routine, knowing what to say, when to say it, and understanding none of it. Yet by trying to truly calm ourselves and to listen, we can become aware of God and allow him to guide our thoughts to his will. Becoming aware of this is becoming aware of the love that religious faiths profess is God. The sense of hope when I can become aware of that presence is riveting and powerful. This is the ‘real world’ that Merton speaks of. The reality of the world not measured by scientific observation or put into systems and classifications. Rather it is the acknowledgement that we are all ‘unique doors’ into the world of the divine, that we were created with purpose. This concept of the door is true because it may remain shut within, and perhaps lie dormant for our whole lives, but if we do not allow the exploration of self to uncover this door, our lives are but a mere shadow of what they are meant to be, and even are. Man is infused body and soul, Merton’s reality is that we must become aware of the harmony of both, which is exceedingly difficult in a material world. Where meditation plays is in the fact that it allows one to truly explore the less taken road into introspection and the discovery of the presence of God within us, and all the fruits that it yields.