The Wisdom of the Desert (New Directions)

Thomas Merton is one of my favorite writers and his forward alone is worth the price of the book. It is an excellent aid to meditation.

I know it is not neccesarily a Thomas Merton composition, but this is my favorite Thomas Merton book. Merton's love and reverence for the desert fathers shines on every page, and the wisdom he presents is as close to the truly universal as anything offered in Christianity.The sayings Merton chooses express the inner-experience very well. These desert fathers were not men who looked outside of themselves for a savior, or for something from some other world. They looked inside of themselves for a savior, and understood it was something that can be discovered and realized in our world. It is so interesting to read these sayings, which were written prior to anything formal like the Council of Nicea. In our time, it is easy to forget that we have one, mainstream, version of Christianity, whether it be Catholic, Protestan, or even the more isolated sects like Mormonism. However, Christianity in its current state is a development. The sayings of these desert fathers proves that. They existed before modernity, but they exemplify what modern Christianity sees as an ideal. They lived it. These sayings are a primary source.If you want to be inspired, tihs is a wonderful book. Merton does not offer his usual high brow analysis that is very difficult to fully grasp. This is a simple presentation by a remarkable monk who managed to live and inpsire many people, whether Christians or not. This book will enhance your Christian faith, and if you aren't a Christian, this book will reveal why Christianity is so remarkable. It's a win-win.

I found this to be a quick, refreshing read that served to highlight certain key virtues in the Christian faith, namely charity and humility. There are others of course but those in particular stood out to me in the way they are taught and demonstrated herein. I cannot say I think all of this flows from God, but certainly wisdom from men changed by God resides in this book.

This is truly a book for our time, a collection of sayings from Christians who, as Merton describes them, "believed that to let oneself drift along, passively accepting the tenets of values of what they knew as society, purely and simply a disaster. The fact that the Emperor was now Christian and that the 'world' was coming to know the Cross as a sign of temporal power only strengthened them in their resolve." We can learn, from those who have gone before us, how to be in the world but not of the world.Most of us are not called to be hermits, or even to the monastic life, but we are called to solitude and prayer. "Go, sit in your cell, and your cell will teach you everything," Abbot Moses said, and we can all do that. We can all learn the value of humility, of living in a nonjudgmental way ("My sins are running out behind me, and I do not see them, and today I come to judge the sins of another!"), of avoiding he who "always argues every time he talks."I return to this book often, and each time I find something new to ponder. "What can we gain by sailing to the moon," Merton asks in the introduction, "if we are not able to cross the abyss that separates us from ourselves?" This book is a guide to crossing that most important abyss, the one that separates us from ourselves. There is no more important journey.

Merton is a mystic himself so his perspective on the Desert Fathers and their spirituality is somewhat mystical. As I read this very short book, I found myself longing to cast off our busy, everyday world filled with noise and too much STUFF for a simpler life where I meet my needs by the work of my hands and meet my God through continual prayer. The theme of the Fathers is fuge, tace, et quiesce -- flee, be silent, be at rest -- which Merton brings out very well.The short selection from the Sayings of the Desert Fathers gives great insight into their thinking, their prayer, their life, and their spirituality.I recommend this book (only about 50 pages) for anyone who is looking to find a new perspective on life. I also recommend it as a multiple read book, i.e., a book you can read over and over again and get more out of it each time. I have read it more than once.

I have read several books on the desert Fathers and I ordered this one because I like Merton. I wanted to see which sayings he would highlight. I have ALWAYS found reading through the desert ascetic tradition, forgive the pun, rather dry. You have to read through to get some gems. I have to say that those gems are always there. Another issue I think is that for the modern reader, it is difficult to connect with this tradition because of the writing and their approach. They defined their faith through simplicity, poverty, humility and self-control. The tradition is venerated in Christianity but it is a couple of steps removed from the mainstream...understandably so. Merton's choices in selecting certain sayings didn't shed any light for me on his spirituality. Maybe I am simply not reading it as closely as I need to, but I don't see a discernible pattern apart from his own monasticism. Another book that might be of use is Yushi Nomura's work, "Desert Wisdom". It still is the Desert Wisdom tradition though so you have to work a bit to enter into this way of being. Both of these are worthwhile if you are willing to put in some time and contemplation.Desert Wisdom: Sayings from the Desert Fathers

its utterances of guys in the desert of scete, egypt. so, they had time to be true. most of it is very usable. some of it puts you in your place

I found this a very concise and informative book, which has led me to much deep reflection and subsequent understanding

Very good thank you.

Don't want to be public

Spiritually enlightening.