Contemplative Prayer Audiobook (Unabridged)

" Can't go wrong with Merton. The foreword by Thich Nhat Hahn just adds to the spiritual sweetness. "

" Written more for a monastic audience "

" This book was written for an audience that does not include me, so the fact that it did not speak to me is not surprising. Nonetheless, I found much to think about in the discussion of what contemplative living and meditation is, and even more specifically, what it isn't. The last few chapters of the book discuss the pitfalls of assuming certain superficial adjustments to beliefs and lifestyles constitutes entering the contemplative or religious life, when in fact what is entered is a life of emptiness built on ego or self-definition. Here Merton is able to describe much better than I ever have some of the problems I have had with the religious life encouraged upon me by well meaning people, and I am grateful to now have the wording to think about some of the sources of my resistance. "

" can't let my seminary studies keep me from reading books that support my own spiritual practice (ironic, yes, I know!) Books like this are profound to me and make me realize that Unity has a massive Christian heritage from which we can learn, even if some of the specific beliefs in the more traditional Christian faiths are not ones that I can countenance. The practice of contemplative prayer has an amazing history, bound in monastic life experience. "

" One does not read Merton to acquire knowledge, but insight and (God willing) insight. "

" My favorite Merton non-biographical book. Typical Merton, profound spirituality yet down to earth. Not a how-to book, just a beautiful book. "

" Great discussion of contemplative prayer and Christian meditation. It is written for the monastic community and in an academic tone, which makes it more difficult to read. However, it is full of great insights into the Christian tradition of contemplation and a call to deepen your practice. "

" I had a hard time tracking with Merton. I know the book's about contemplative prayer, but I don't quite understand how what he wrote connects. "

" The climate in which monastic prayer flowers is that of the desert, where the comfort of man is absent, where the secure routines of man's city offer no support, and where prayer must be sustained by God in the purity of faith (p 27). "

" a thick read, but with great insight. "

" religion,nonfiction,meditation "

" Merton's book is very impressive, and his command of church history and the mystical tradition is amazing. Equally impressive is the introduction to this edition! "

" Borrowed this book from the library. Now I must go buy a copy. "

" More solid wisdom from Merton. Definitely not a system for meditation, but wise reflections on what contemplation actually is and how we should approach it. "

" This is a challenging, but enjoyable read. It provided excellent insight into the role of meditation or prayer in the mindful Christian life. I was able to use it as part of a directed studies class I took on mindfulness in daily life particularly from a teacher's perspective. "

" A little scattered, in typical Mertonian style. Filled with some real ringing statements, though. Continuing to wrestle with its full implications. "

" Another gem from one of my favorite authors. "

" Great book on prayer. It is written by a monk for monks so familiarity with Catholic monasticism (especially St. John of the Cross) is helpful. My take away is that if we want to have a good prayer life then we must be intentional about it. It was a refreshing read. "

" The problems of poetry are essentially the problems of prayer. "

" The one I read is by Pere de la Taille, SJ and is actually an excerpt from a diary kept until the day he died. It had nothing to do with contemplative prayer and I found it made little sense. It is a very old book going back to probably 1925 "

" This might be my favorite book by Merton that I have read so far. "

" Thomas Merton is my fav philosopher of all time. A monk who finds equal value and beauty in Eastern and Catholic traditions. Great mix of ideas. "

" Can't go wrong with Merton. The foreword by Thich Nhat Hahn just adds to the spiritual sweetness. "

" Great book on contemplative prayer. Really helped me to understand how to strip away preconceptions, dogma, and doctrine to come to God Alone. It was also a total mindf*ck and convinced me not to be a monk. "

" One does not read Merton to acquire knowledge, but insight and (God willing) insight. "

" The climate in which monastic prayer flowers is that of the desert, where the comfort of man is absent, where the secure routines of man's city offer no support, and where prayer must be sustained by God in the purity of faith (p 27). "

" More solid wisdom from Merton. Definitely not a system for meditation, but wise reflections on what contemplation actually is and how we should approach it. "

" I had a hard time tracking with Merton. I know the book's about contemplative prayer, but I don't quite understand how what he wrote connects. "

" A little scattered, in typical Mertonian style. Filled with some real ringing statements, though. Continuing to wrestle with its full implications. "

" a thick read, but with great insight. "