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Quotes by Thomas Merton

Born: 31st January 1915, Died: 10th December 1968
Thomas Merton was an American Trappist monk, writer, theologian, mystic, poet, social activist, and scholar of comparative religion.
Welcome to our collection of quotes by Thomas Merton, a renowned author and Trappist monk. Explore the wisdom, insights, and reflections of this influential theologian as he delves into topics such as spirituality, contemplation, peace, and social justice. Immerse yourself in Merton's beautifully crafted prose and thought-provoking ideas, capturing the essence of his spiritual journey and his deep understanding of the human experience. Discover the power of Merton's words to inspire, enlighten, and encourage introspection as you journey through this captivating collection.

Love is our true destiny. We do not find the meaning of life by ourselves alone - we find it with another. Read Summary

When ambition ends, happiness begins. Read Summary

What can we gain by sailing to the moon if we are not able to cross the abyss that separates us from ourselves? This is the most important of all voyages of discovery, and without it, all the rest are not only useless, but disastrous. Read Summary

In the last analysis, the individual person is responsible for living his own life and for 'finding himself.' If he persists in shifting his responsibility to somebody else, he fails to find out the meaning of his own existence. Read Summary

Yet it is in this loneliness that the deepest activities begin. It is here that you discover act without motion, labor that is profound repose, vision in obscurity, and, beyond all desire, a fulfillment whose limits extend to infinity. Read Summary

The whole idea of compassion is based on a keen awareness of the interdependence of all these living beings, which are all part of one another, and all involved in one another. Read Summary

The biggest human temptation is to settle for too little. Read Summary

If you want to study the social and political history of modern nations, study hell. Read Summary

The first step toward finding God, Who is Truth, is to discover the truth about myself: and if I have been in error, this first step to truth is the discovery of my error. Read Summary

We stumble and fall constantly even when we are most enlightened. But when we are in true spiritual darkness, we do not even know that we have fallen. Read Summary

Just remaining quietly in the presence of God, listening to Him, being attentive to Him, requires a lot of courage and know-how. Read Summary

The tighter you squeeze, the less you have. Read Summary

The beginning of love is to let those we love be perfectly themselves, and not to twist them to fit our own image. Otherwise we love only the reflection of ourselves we find in them. Read Summary

Peace demands the most heroic labor and the most difficult sacrifice. It demands greater heroism than war. It demands greater fidelity to the truth and a much more perfect purity of conscience. Read Summary

We do not exist for ourselves alone, and it is only when we are fully convinced of this fact that we begin to love ourselves properly and thus also love others. Read Summary

The very contradictions in my life are in some ways signs of God's mercy to me. Read Summary

Every moment and every event of every man's life on earth plants something in his soul. Read Summary

A life is either all spiritual or not spiritual at all. No man can serve two masters. Your life is shaped by the end you live for. You are made in the image of what you desire. Read Summary

Perhaps I am stronger than I think. Read Summary

Be good, keep your feet dry, your eyes open, your heart at peace and your soul in the joy of Christ. Read Summary