Thomas Merton is one of the most well-known spiritual guides and writers of the 20th century. In his autobiography, The Seven Storey Mountain, Merton tells stories of how his restlessness, passion, and deep longing lead him on his own journey to find his own life in the whirlwind. While trying to make it as a writer in New York City, Merton finds God at age 26 within the walls of The Cloisters at Fort Tryon on the upper west side of Manhattan.
This second episode of our podcast was recorded on the West Terrace of The Cloisters––the very place where Merton did his own searching and finding. Merton explained the soul of (hu)man as being like a lucid crystal that becomes more brilliant when brought out of darkness and placed in the light. In this episode we explore how the "mastery" of certain practices may bring us out of our own forms of darkness into the mystery of transformation brought on by the light.
Special guest star: Allen Drew
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Music: "Swollen Cloud" by Podington Bear || soundofpicture.com