November 18, 2008
November 17, 2008
Mim Tea Estate
Thomas starts his day with mass and breakfast at St. Joseph's College in Darjeeling. Later he writes... "On being tired of Kanchenjunga. On the mountain being mercifully hidden by clouds. On sneaking a look at the mountain anyway before mass. I walked the length of St. Joseph's College to sneak a look at the mountain..." AJTM p.146
Kanchenjunga in clouds
The librarian at St. Joseph's is happy to meet Merton and proclaims "We have twenty-two of your books in our library!" A pretty good collection for 1968!
Hah! It is good!
Merton begins a mini-retreat at the Mim Tea Estate on this day. He is suffering from a persistant cold and appreciates a time of slowed pace... "Several times during the long silent ride in the Land Rover to the Mim Tea Estate today I wondered, "Why am I going there?" But I am glad to be here in this utterly quiet bungalow. The owners are out and won't be back until late. I have already refused dinner and asked for tea only, tea to be sent to the bungalow.
Mim Bungalow (Grayston Photo)
A fire is lit in the bungalow grate, and it is good. Hah! It is good. Fog hides the mountains. Fog gets in the soar throat. No matter. Fire and a variety of remedies and a big bed, with covers and fresh sheet turned back, awaits the tired penseur... I escape quickly to the bungalow, aside, apart, alone, silent." AJTM p.147
Peace and blessings... Rob
“Solitude is not something you must hope for in the future. Rather, it is a deepening of the present, and unless you look for it in the present you will never find it.”
Thomas Merton
November 17, 2008
By Penny Spiller BBC News
"As many as 500 exiled Tibetan leaders are meeting in the Indian hill town of Dharmsala this week to discuss the future of their fight for their homeland.It is a critical time, as they face up to the fact that their decades-long call for "meaningful autonomy" for Tibet has pretty much fallen on deaf ears in China.
Last month, Tibet's spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, said he was losing hope that his deliberately moderate "middle path" policy with Beijing - seeking autonomy but not full independence - would yield results..." see more
November 16, 2008
Chadral Rinpoche
Vancouver's Merton Community
Vancouver, and the Lower Mainland of BC, is a veritable hotbed of Merton scholars and enthusiasts. We have Susan Cowan, Ron Dart, Donald Grayston, Judith Hardcastle, Ross Labrie, Angus Stuart, and Lynn Szabo to name but a few (actually Judith now lives in Golden but is still glimpsed from time-to-time in Vancouver's West End). Together with others in the Thomas Merton Society of Canada these folks anchor a wonderful community and provide many excellent learning opportunities by way of lectures, conferences and retreats. They have also created the Thomas Merton Reading Room in partnership with the Vancouver School of Theology.
Donald Grayston
On Friday I enjoyed a lengthy lunch at the Sylvia Hotel on English Bay with Donald Grayston, theologian, soulfriend, and pilgrim. Don is the current President of the International Thomas Merton Society and has been a student of Merton's for over 50 years. Don made an Asian pilgrimage "in the footsteps of Merton" in 2000-2001 and has generously agreed to share some of his experiences in this weblog.Darjeeling - November 16, 1968
On November 16, 1968 Thomas Merton meets Chadral Rinpoche, whom he describes as... "the greatest rimpoche I have met so far and a very impressive person." AJTM p.143
Don Grayston shares these brief thoughts on this stage of Merton's pilgrimage... "Merton's encounter with Chadral (his preferred spelling: the AJTM uses the form “Chatral”) Rinpoche was, in my view, the most significant personal encounter of his Asian pilgrimage (pp. 142-44). Chadral and Merton were both hermits, much of an age, both with a long history of spiritual practice. The Dalai Lama, by contrast, was much younger than Merton, and was clearly the learner in their three encounters.
Merton’s reference to sunyata (emptiness) and karuna (compassion) as a focus of their discussion, as well as Merton’s comment that both he and Chadral were “on the edge of [the] great realization” (p. 143), needs to be read together with Merton’s account of his experience two weeks later in the presence of the great Buddhas of Polonnaruwa (pp. 230-36). In that account, Merton speaks of his having been “jerked clean out of the habitual, half-tied vision of things” (p. 233), and acknowledges that “everything is emptiness and everything is compassion” (p. 235). These and his other comments point to a transformative moment, in my view the deepest point of Merton’s journey. He had experienced the Great Realization."
For more infomation on Don and his interests visit his website at http://www.donaldgrayston.ca/ , and for his pilgrimage thoughts and experiences http://www.donaldgrayston.ca/pilgrim.html .
TTFN... Rob
"A pilgrimage is a journey to a sacred place, in the expectation of transformation." Donald Grayston
November 15, 2008
Space Races
November 1968 - USA
In November 1968 the Amercans were in the final prepartaion and training stages for the Apollo 8 "Manned Moon Orbit" mission. Apollo 8 was launced on December 21, 1968 and entered lunar orbit on Christmas Eve.
"The lunar surface viewed by the Moon Impact Probe on its descent India's first unmanned lunar spacecraft, Chandrayaan 1, has sent a probe on to the surface of the Moon. The probe, painted with the Indian flag, crashed into the Moon's surface at 2034 (1504 GMT), the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) said. During its controlled plunge, it took readings including measurements of the composition of the Moon's atmosphere. The mission is regarded as a major step for India as it seeks to keep pace with other space-faring nations in Asia..." BBC .
Deep peace of the night stars to you... Rob
November 14, 2008
Merton, Murti, and the Madhyamika Attitude
T.R.V. Murti
“After happiness comes suffering.
Nagarjuna
November 13, 2008
"B" is for Bomb
Original Child Bomb
Points for meditation to be scratched on the walls of a cave.
1. In the year 1945 an Original Child was born. The name Original Child was given to it by the Japanese people, who recognized that it was the first of its kind.
2. On April 12th, 1945, Mr. Harry Truman became the President of the United States, which was then fighting the second world war... About one hour after Mr. Truman became president, his aides told him about a new bomb that was being developed by atomic scientists. They called it the "atomic bomb"... Thomas Merton IDBD p.111
"B" is for Bomb
Thomas Merton and The Bomb
"That I should have been born in 1915, that I should be the contemporary of Auschwitz, Hiroshima, Vietnam, and the Watts riots, are things about which I was not first consulted. Yet they are also events in which, whether I like it or not, I am deeply and personally involved." CWA p.161
Thomas Merton lived and wrote against the backdrop of nuclear proliferation, atmospheric and underground testing, and the very real and imminent possibility of global thermonuclear war. One only has to revisit the events of the sixties to be reminded of how real the threat of nuclear war was at that time. It's not possible to reflect on Merton's "Passion for Peace" without having at least a little glance from the nuclear perspective.
Nuclear Testing
"Up to now (August 1962) there have been 106 nuclear tests since testing began again (almost a year). Thirty-one of these by the USSR, seventy-four by the USA, and one by Britain, in the USA (Nevada). The USA has made twenty-nine atmospheric tests, twenty-six in the South Pacific and three in Nevada. The USA has also made forty-four underground tests and one in the stratosphere. Total of all nuclear tests since the beginning: USA 229, USSR 86, UK 22, France 5. Grand total: 342 nuclear tests, of which 282 were in the atmosphere...Nice going boys!" CGB p.251
Baby Boomers and the Bomb
Our "boomer generation" has lived with the possibility of nuclear war all of our lives. Our childhood was filled with images and sounds of impending atomic doom, our youth with sounds and images of resistance and protest.
IT IS 5 MINUTES TO MIDNIGHT 
"The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists" has used the "Doomsday Clock" as an illustration of how close we are to "catastrophic destruction" since 1947. In 1968 the clock was set at 7 minutes to midnight, in 1991 it was set at 17 minutes to midnight, in 2007 it was set at 5 minutes to midnight. The clock was set at 2 minutes to midnight in 1953 after the U.S. and U.S.S.R. developed and tested the hydrogen bomb and 3 minutes to midnight in 1984, one of the "chilliest" points of the "cold war".
The "tick-ticking" of the "doomsday clock" is just another component of the background noise of everyday life, just like muzak, traffic, and TV ads. Sometimes we've heeded its alarm, awakened, and taken action. But, mostly we've just slept through it.
Current Concerns
2008 concerns include nuclear weapons in the hands of "rogue states" or terrorists; the destabilizing development and deployment of missile defence systems; and the slow pace of reducing existing stockpiles.
A review of the news today will include stories about the testing of a new missile in Iran (capable of striking Israel), advice from a general to an incoming president on continuing a missile defence program, and plans by Russia to deploy missiles in Kalingrad, "a forward area close to Western Europe".Peace... Rob
"The only sane course that remains is to work frankly and without compromise for the total abolition of war."
Thomas Merton 1962
November 12, 2008
Calcutta to Darjeeling
Thomas Merton travels from Calcutta to Darjeeling, West Bengal on November 12, 1968. He writes... "This is a much finer place than I expected - a king of places, full of Tibetans, prayer flags, high in mists, wonderful mountains, all hidden as we came up the wretched road along which there have been some seventy very bad landslides... The ride from Bagdogra was long, through thick woods, then higher and higher into the clouds. Finally we came to the Windamere Hotel, the most pleasant place I have been to in India." AJTM p.133
About Darjeeling
"Darjeeling is internationally famous for its tea industry and the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The tea plantations date back to the mid 19th century as part of a British development of the area. ...When the People's Republic of China annexed Tibet in 1950, thousands of Tibetan refugees settled across Darjeeling district. " WikipediaThe Windamere Hotel
www.windamerehotel.com
Current President of the International Thomas Merton Society, and Merton pilgrim , Donald Grayston (Peregrinus Mertonius) made a real live, "in-the-flesh" pilgrimage to India in November 2000. He went to Darjeeling and visited Merton's room (#14) at the Windamere Hotel. He shares this photo of room 14, from his collection. 
“Pilgrimage to the place of the wise is to find escape from the flame of separateness.” Rumi
November 11, 2008
Dharamsala - Calcutta
Over the course of the past several days Thomas Merton has left Dharamsala and travelled back to Calcutta via New Delhi.
The Dalai Lama
Merton had his last meeting with the Dalai Lama on November 8th and came away feeling that they had truly become good friends. He writes... "It was a very warm and cordial discussion and at the end I felt we had become good friends and were somehow quite close to one another. I feel a great respect and fondness for him as a person and believe, too, that there is a real spiritual bond between us. He remarked that I was a "Catholic geshe," which, Harold said, was the highest possible praise from a Gelugpa, like and honorary doctorate!" AJTM p.125Student Riots
Merton picks up an Indian newspaper in his hotel and notes in his journal that there were "student riots in Benares, Rawalpindi, Amritsar, and a dozen other places." Seems to be a global phenomena in 1968!
New Delhi
Merton's brief time in New Delhi is filled with various tours, meetings, meals, and visits including... the Jantar Mantar observatory; a Cambodian monk at Ashoka Vihara; Urdu singing at the Moti Mahal Restaurant; a Muslim college; Mass at the Holy Family Hospital. Somehow he also manages to find time to finish the notes for his upcoming talk in Bangkok and write a lengthy letter home to friends! 
Letter Home
On November 9th Merton writes a letter to friends back home. He brings them up to date on his travels and describes his contacts with Asian monks as "fruitful and rewarding". He also makes reference to another meeting with Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche whom he saw again in Calcutta. He writes... "I hope you can understand why I cannot answer my mail these days. I am entirely occupied with these monastic encounters and with the study and prayer that are required to make them fruitful... With my very best regards always, cordially yours in the Lord Jesus, and in His Spirit... Thomas Merton" AJTM p.325
Tomorrow we're off to Darjeeling!
Good night... Rob
"We are not at peace with others because we are not at peace with ourselves, and we are not at peace with ourselves because we are not at peace with God." Thomas Merton
90 Years - Canada Remembers
World War I was finally brought to an end with the signing of an armistice on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918. 90 years ago today the "war to end all wars" was over. The 4 years of brutal fighting claimed over 20 million lives, about half of which were civilians, and brought an end to the German, Russian, Ottoman, and Austro-Hungarian Empires.
For 90 years we have marked November 11th as a day to remember those who have lost their lives in military service and to reflect on the continued presence of war in our world. In Canada this year we particularly remember the 26 Canadian soldiers who have died in Afghanistan since last Remembrance Day. (Memorial Site)
Canadian War Memorial Vimy Ridge
Paris 1919
The eventual treaty to mark the end of WW I was to emerge from the "Paris Peace Conference" of 1919. This gathering of the victorious great powers resulted in a virtual redrawing of the world map creating numerous conflict-prone regions and eventually giving rise to more wars. The lands of the Middle East, formerly held by the Ottoman Empire were divided into a collection of Kingdoms, Mandates, Emirates, and Protectorates which were allied to either France or England. Anyone interested in the history of the Middle East conflicts should go back at least to the period of WW I and the Paris Peace Conference.
A Vietnamese Footnote
A young Vietnamese national living in Paris during the 1919 Peace Conference petitioned the Western powers for the recognition of the civil rights of the Vietnamese people in French Indochina. After being ignored Nguyễn Ái Quốc then petitioned American President Woodrow Wilson for assistance in removing the French from Vietnam. He was again ignored. Nguyễn Ái Quốc went on to become a founding member of the French Communist Party before he went to Russia and took the name of Hồ Chí Minh. wikipedia
Remembering and Reflecting... Rob
"At the root of war is fear, not so much the fear men have of one another as the fear they have of everything. It is not merely that they do not trust one another: they do not trust themselves." Thomas Merton
They shall grow not old,
as we that are left grow old:
age shall not weary them,
nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun
and in the morning
we will remember them...
November 10, 2008
A Passion for Peace
Thomas Merton wrote to Pope John XXIII on November 10, 1958 - fifty years ago today. His letter to the Pope reflected his newly awakened sense of solidarity with the world of human concerns. He writes..."It seems to me that, as a contemplative, I do not need to lock myself in solitude and lose all contact with the rest of the world; rather this poor world has a right to a place in my solitude. It is not enough for me to think of the apostolic value of prayer and penance; I also have to think in terms of a contemplative grasp of the political, intellectual, artistic, and social movements of this world - by which I mean a sympathy for the honest aspirations of so many intellectuals everywhere in the world and the terrible problems they have to face."An Urgent Obligation
Moving forward from his great epiphany at the corner of Fourth and Walnut Merton becomes increasingly engaged in matters of civil rights and peace. In an October 1961 letter to Etta Gullick he characterises the plight of the world as an "international crisis" and senses the call to speak on issues as a matter of "urgent obligation". He writes... "I am now perfectly convinced that there is one task for me that takes precedence over everything else: working with such means as I have at my disposal for the abolition of war... Prayer of course remains my chief means, but it is also an obligation on my part to speak out insofar as I am able, and to speak as clearly, as forthrightly, and as uncompromisingly as I can.
And speak he does... for the next 10 years, from the time of his letter to the Pope on November 10, 1958, Merton's prophetic voice is expressed in essays, poetry, letters, books, articles, and journals. He speaks clearly, forthrightly, and uncompromisingly on issues relating to the nuclear arms race, the cold war, the Vietnam war, civil rights, non-violent resistance, Latin American liberation, and the environment. Far from being a contradiction of Merton's contemplative life his prophetic outcry is the natural fruit of his spiritual journey of solitude, inner awakening, and unitive consciousness.Peace and blessings... Rob
"The duty of the Christian in this crisis is to strive with all his power and intelligence, with his faith, hope in Christ, and love for God and man, to do the one task which God has imposed upon us in the world today. That task is to work for the total abolition of war." Thomas Merton
November 9, 2008
The Merton Prayer
MY LORD GOD,
I have no idea where I am going.
I do not see the road ahead of me.
I cannot know for certain where it will end.
Nor do I really know myself,
and the fact that I think
does not mean that I am actually doing so.
But I believe that the desire to please you
does in fact please you.
And I hope I have that desire
I hope that I will never do anything
apart from that desire.
And I know that if I do this
Therefore I will trust you always
though I may seem to be lost
and in the shadow of death.
I will not fear, for you are ever with me,
and you will never leave me
AMEN
Thomas Merton
