Every other man is a piece of myself, for I am a part and a member of mankind. — Thomas Merton Mankind Copy Share Image
Do not be one of those who, rather than risk failure, never attempts anything. — Thomas Merton Copy Share Image
The imagination should be allowed a certain amount of time to browse around. — Thomas Merton Copy Share Image
Saints are what they are not because their sanctity makes them admirable to others, but because the gift of sainthood makes it… — Thomas Merton Copy Share Image
Indeed, it is a kind of quintessence of pride to hate and fear even the kind and legitimate approval of those who… — Thomas Merton Approval Copy Share Image
Love not only prefers the good of another to my own, but it does not even compare the two. — Thomas Merton Copy Share Image
I have learned that one cannot truly know hope unless he has found out how like despair hope is. — Thomas Merton Despair Copy Share Image
One might say I have decided to marry the silence of the forest. The sweet dark warmth of the whole world will… — Thomas Merton Dark Copy Share Image
Solitude is not something you must hope for in the future. Rather, it is a deepening of the present, and unless you… — Thomas Merton Future Copy Share Image
To love blindly is to love selfishly, because the goal of such love is not the real advantage of the beloved but… — Thomas Merton Advantage Copy Share Image
How can I be sincere if I am constantly changing my mind to conform with the shadow of what I think others… — Thomas Merton Changing mind Copy Share Image
The desire to kill is like the desire to attack another with an ingot of red -hot iron: I have to pick… — Thomas Merton Copy Share Image
“The thing that made Communism seem so plausible to me was my own lack of logic which failed to distinguish between the… — Thomas Merton Communism Copy Share Image
You will never be able to have perfect interior peace and recollection unless you are detached even from the desire of peace… — Thomas Merton Copy Share Image
For every gain in deep certitude there is a corresponding growth of superficial "doubt." This doubt is by no means opposed to… — Thomas Merton Acceptance Copy Share Image
Each particular being, in its individuality, its concrete nature and entity, with all its own characteristics and its private qualities and its… — Thomas Merton Art Copy Share Image
One of the first things to learn if you want to be a contemplative is to mind your own business. Nothing is… — Thomas Merton Contemplative Copy Share Image
Every man becomes the image of the God he adores. He whose worship is directed to a dead thing becomes dead. He… — Thomas Merton Copy Share Image
The artist should preach nothing-not even his own autonomy. His art should speak its own truth, and in so doing it will… — Thomas Merton Art Copy Share Image
“As soon as man is fully disposed to be alone with God, he is alone with God no matter where he may… — Thomas Merton Alone with god Copy Share Image
Silence has many dimensions. It can be a regression and an escape, a loss of self, or it can be presence, awareness,… — Thomas Merton Anxiety Copy Share Image
What a thing it is to sit absolutely alone, in the forest, at night, cherished by this wonderful, unintelligible, perfectly innocent speech,… — Thomas Merton Comforting Copy Share Image
Our Christian destiny is, in fact, a great one: but we cannot achieve greatness unless we lose all interest in being great.… — Thomas Merton Copy Share Image
Once you have grace," I said to him, "you are free. Without it, you cannot help doing the things you know you… — Thomas Merton Copy Share Image
Because You have called me here not to wear a label by which I can recognize myself and place myself in some… — Thomas Merton Copy Share Image
In order to settle down in the quiet of our own being we must learn to be detached from the results of… — Thomas Merton Copy Share Image
In the natural order no matter what ideals may be theoretically possible, most people more or less live for themselves and for… — Thomas Merton Copy Share Image
We are obliged to love one another. We are not strictly bound to "like" one another. — Thomas Merton Copy Share Image
Zen insight is not our awareness, but Being's awareness of itself in us. — Thomas Merton Awareness Copy Share Image
“THE MONASTERY IS A SCHOOL—A SCHOOL IN WHICH WE learn from God how to be happy.” — Thomas Merton Education Copy Share Image
Happiness is not a matter of intensity but of balance and order and rhythm and harmony. — Thomas Merton Balance Copy Share Image
“But I believe that the desire to please You does in fact pleases You.” — Thomas Merton Desire Copy Share Image
