Merton, Thomas.

The Way of Chuang Tzu [Zhuangzi; Zhuang Zhou]

New York: New Directions, 1965. First edition, first printing. Publisher's white cloth, stamped in black, in white printed dust jacket (price-clipped). 159, [1, blank]pp. 8.25" x 5.5" Small spot of soiling top edge, single pen underline and spots of soiling to pp. 30-31, else fine in near fine, spine sunned and lightly edge worn and price-clipped dust jacket, in mylar cover. Item #239580

MERTON, THE MYSTIC BRIDGE TO THE DAO

Among their many contributions to the world, the Catholic mystics promoted peace, a theologically rich social justice, poetry, and deep interfaith dialogue. In many ways, it was twentieth-century contemplatives who helped introduce Eastern religious thought to a broader Western audience. Thomas Merton (1915–1968) was one of the most important of these figures. Shortly after his conversion to Catholicism in 1937, Merton was exposed to—and immediately intrigued by—Eastern religions. Throughout his life as a theologian and Trappist monk, he engaged in sustained interfaith dialogue with some of the East’s most prominent thinkers.

His engagement with Daoism culminated in his 1965 adaptation of The Way of Chuang Tzu. One of the foundational texts of Daoism (alongside the Tao Te Ching), the Zhuangzi, as it is commonly known, consists of paradoxes, fables, and philosophical anecdotes articulating the elusive way of the Dao. Merton’s rendering—less a strict translation than a contemplative re-expression—transforms these classical texts into luminous modern prose. The result is both a literary achievement and a testament to the beauty that emerges when Eastern and Western spiritual traditions meet in genuine dialogue.

[Dell'isola A43].

Price: $425.00