Merton & the Tao: Dialogues with John Wu and the Ancient Sages (The Fons Vitae Thomas Merton Series)

For a very long time, I have been of the opinion that the greatest influence in Thomas Merton's development in appreciating Eastern religions was not his early chats with Mahanambrata Bramachari, his engagement with D.T. Suzuki, or his empathetic association with Thich Nhat Hanh, but his mentoring relationship with John C.H. Wu. Merton and Wu only met on one occasion. Most of their interaction occurred through letters. Though not all are extant, those letters that are available have been reproduced in this finely crafted volume and reveal a deep spiritual and intellectual meeting of two like-minded Christians seeking to "stretch" the Mystical Body (p.289).Merton and Wu collaborated on a "translation" of the Taoist classic  The Way of Chuang Tzu (Second Edition) . Merton's fondness for the Taoist text reflected his growing interest in Chinese philosophy and aesthetics, but with no formal training in Chinese languages and philosophy, Merton's confidence in tackling a translation project was seriously compromised. Working through mutual friends, Merton entered a long and fruitful correspondence with John Wu in an effort to make up his deficit, eventually producing a very fine "imitation" of the "Chuang Tzu." Both men were hesitant to see the book as a formal "translation," preferring to express the ideas of the Taoist sage through free association and Merton's natural skills as a poet. Wu was very impressed by Merton's work seeing within the monk an innate Chinese character much like his own, appreciating the blending of Taoist, Confucian, and Buddhist ideas into a singular wisdom tradition that could be used to enhance the Christian vision of revealed truth. Just as the Church Fathers used Greek and Roman philosophy to build a theology, Wu and Merton believed Chinese philosophy could be used in the modern era to build a contemporary theology centered on Christian humanism and contemplative life.This book offers an excellent introduction to these great thinkers. There are several excellent essays that precede the Wu-Merton letters by Livia Kohn, Cristobal Serran-Pagan Fuentes, Lucien Miller, Bede Bidlack, and Donald P. St. John to aid the general reader in understanding Taoism and the relationship between Wu and Merton. Livia Kohn's opening essay is the best concise explanation of Taoist traditions I have read to date. Cristobal Serran-Pagan Fuentes provides an entire chapter specifically explaining "wu-wei," a key Taoist concept. Miller, Bidlack, and St. John offer critical essays on the Merton's rendering of "Chuang Tzu" that are insightful and interesting. John Wu's son, John Wu Jr., an academic in his own right, includes his exchanges with Merton at the end of the book and a "memoriam" of his father.The correspondence between Wu and Merton reveal an harmonious relationship. Both men preferred a life on the margins of society and were subject to a certain rascality that used natal themes to feed a sense of intellectual play . Wu's letters are especially given to an enthusiastic effusiveness and fiery exclamations of encouragement. Merton's letters reflect the cooler and sober quality of a man at work but are nonetheless personal and engaging. The letters' content can be mundane and common possessing the length of a postcard notation or very involved and intellectually stimulating. Wu's letter of May 11, 1965 is especially exciting, filled with many insights derived from his own classic study  The Golden Age of Zen . It is unfortunate that this letter's presentation in marred by an inaccurate footnote and a spelling error (apparently, not Wu's mistake). Though many of the letters possess annotation, I felt that there could have been more and longer footnotes with additional information and insights.Both Merton and Wu were expert blenders of East and West. Merton is not given to "exoticism." His engagement with the Chinese material is positive and optimistic but also possesses a sober utility for broadening and developing his own ideas. Wu saw in Merton a man who could appreciate Taoism, Confucianism, and Buddhism in much the same way as he did, as mutually complementing traditions. Within this triangulation of ideas, I think Taoism and "Chuang Tzu" spoke most directly to Merton's heart as a "way" beyond words and abstractions to an existential "grasp of reality." Confucianism and Buddhism offered essential support finding this "way," but he maintained a special empathy with the Taoist mystic. I think Taoism was probably the locus for Merton's ecumenical dialogue with Asian religion. He once referred to "Chuang Tzu" as a second autobiography. Most of Merton's writing possesses an autobiographical quality; his life experiences are put onto the page. This categorization of the "Chuang Tzu" says much about Taoism in the life of Thomas Merton.

I love the work of Thomas Merton and this book regarding the evolving dialogue between Thomas Merton and John Wu is fascinating and insightful.

Excellent!!! One of the best books I have ever read. It answered all my questions and reaffirmed my being a Christian Taoist

a lovely collection of thomas merton and john c.h. wu communications and speculations about taoist philosophy nurtured forward by cristobal serran-pagan y fuentes.

Excellent! Provides background of the Taoist tradition, Merton's works on the topic, and an extensive exchange of letters between John Wu and Merton.

A fascinating look at a lesser known period in the life of Merton. I was familiar with what Merton had written on Zen Buddhism but knew very little about his earlier interest in Zhuangzi and Taoism. As interesting as it is to learn more about Chinese culture and Taoism, I also became familiar with the work of John Wu, the Chinese scholar (and later Catholic mystic) with whom Merton carried on a lengthy correspondence until his premature death in December 1968. I really loved this work and recommend it to those who would like to know more about the complex but always sincere and very humble man and monk that Merton was.