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Seven Storey Mountain

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Thomas Merton's early years gave no clue as to the vast richness of spirit and intellect he would develop through out his life and share through his writings. He was the son of an itinerant painter, had an upbringing with little or no religious character, was a nondescript student, a rabble rouser.. not even a Catholic.. who at a point in his early manhood left the fast life of New York and knocked on the doors of a Kentucky monastery, to give over his life to austere ascetic contemplation.. and profound internal enrichment. Seven Story Mountain has been compared to the Confessions of Augustine, but these books are of different timber. Merton's is a story told at a personal level, of a spiritual journey in a modern context. It does not try to compete with Augustine's intense intellectual and theological reasoning, preferring to dwell on the challenges and joys of religious life, and more generally the meaning and responsibilities of all lives. You can't read this book without being charmed and blessed by the proximity to this rare bit of humanity and devotion in our very secular and material age.

Thomas Merton was brilliant, skilled at literary criticism, a poet, analytical and creative. His sense of self, however, was a mixture of deep introspection and a measure of self-loathing. His spiritual seeking led him to a short stay with Trappist monks in Kentucky. As a result, he gave up his worldly career and embarked on a journey of spiritual seeking as a brother at the monastery.

Merton loved music, women, good food, yet he also had a yearning to be free of the world. He describes the ascetic diet at the abbey--meat is forbidden, even fish not eaten, and the monks do heavy agricultural work on bread, vegetables, cheese, and in the evening, maybe a small dish of applesauce. Despite the hardships, Merton finds that becoming a priest is the most meaningful thing ever to happen to him.

Merton's writing made him so famous he sought a hermitage at the abbey. He never seemed quite comfortable anywhere. His sense of discomfort with himself and his exquisite sensibility to spiritual heights make for fascinating reading.

I have read and reread this book several times, and I always enjoy going back into the first half of the 20th century and taking the journey to faith with Thomas Merton, as he moves from childhood to self-absorbed teen to a dabbler in communism, to writer/intellectual, to searcher, to Catholic, to Trappist monk. What a journey!

Merton writes in a clear, matter-of-fact, self-depreciating style that is quite attractive. He makes the reader feel as "if this too, could happen to them", because Merton himself is portrayed as just a common man - filled with sin and propensity for wrong decision-making, but on the road to God nevertheless.

Merton shows us that our religious conversion is more than just a point in time: it is a journey in God.

I would especially recommend this book to young adult Catholics and those who were not in the Catholic Church during the pre-Vatican II period. The book goes into a fair amount of detail regarding Merton's experience in that Church, and for this reason, might be of interest to those who have come into the Catholic Church since the mid-1960's.

Today I delivered a gift copy of this book to a widow, "Grace" whose husband had been my late father's closest childhood friend. A week earlier, Grace had asked: "Have you ever read Thomas Merton's SEVEN STOREY MOUNTAIN? I read it in 1953; and found it very moving. I'd love to find a copy and read it again."

When I presented her with a new copy of this edition, I asked if I could read aloud my favorite passage (early in the book) concerning Thomas Merton's `little brother' John Paul (five years younger) who, like his older brother was a French-born, American citizen.

Late in the book Thomas Merton tells us how John Paul was compelled early in WWII to join the Royal Canadian Air Force (and trained right here in Manitoba! John Paul Merton had been flying bombing runs over a real sandy desert on the prairie just outside nearby Camp Shilo, where today's Canadian Artillery Officers still train. My late father was flown at Canadian Army expense each year, late in life, to address the graduating officers at that camp: Small world!)

Just before leaving for overseas, John Paul flew to see his older brother Thomas and, not incidentally, be Baptized, and welcomed into the Catholic faith. Then he left for England (and was killed in action the next year, when his RAF bomber went down over the English Channel).

His death provides the moving culmination to this book - bringing the reader `full circle' from the moment (back on page 25) when Thomas Merton introduces us to John Paul. (What follows is the passage that moves me to tears when I read it aloud to a friend.)

------

"One thing I would say about my brother, John Paul: My most vivid memories of him, in our childhood, all fill me with poignant compunction at the thought of my own hard-heartedness, and his natural humility and love.

"I suppose it's usual for elder brothers, when they are still children, to feel themselves demeaned by the company of a brother, four or five years younger, whom they regard as a baby, and tend to patronize and look down upon.

"So when Russ and Bill and I (older brothers all) made huts in the woods out of boards and tar paper . . . we severely prohibited John Paul, and Russ' younger brother Tommy and their friends from coming anywhere near us. If they did try to come and get into our hut, or even to look at it, we would chase them away with stones.

"When I think now about that part of my childhood, the picture I get of my brother John Paul is this: standing in a field a hundred yards away from our hut, is this little perplexed five-year-old kid in short pants and a kind of leather jacket, standing quite still; his arms hanging down at his sides.

"He is gazing in our direction, afraid to come any nearer on account of the stones, as insulted as he is saddened, and his eyes full of indignation and sorrow. And yet he does not go away. We shout at him to go away, beat it, go home, and wing a couple more rocks in that direction. We tell him to play some other place. He does not move.

"And there he stands, not sobbing, not crying, but angry and unhappy and offended and tremendously sad. And yet he is fascinated by what we are doing, nailing shingles all over our new hut. And his tremendous desire to be with us and to do what we are doing will not permit him to go away.

"The law written in his nature tells him he must be with his elder brother and do what he is doing, and he cannot understand why this law of love is being so wildly and unjustly violated in his case.

"Many times are like that, and in a sense, this terrible situation is the pattern and prototype of all sin: the deliberate and formal will to reject disinterested love for us, for the purely arbitrary reason that we simply do not want it. We `will' to separate ourselves from that love; we reject it entirely and absolutely, and will not acknowledge it, because it does not please us to be loved . . . "

[Thomas Merton immediately recalls an astounding event] "when our `gang' tried to antagonize the extremely tough Polish kids who had formed a gang in nearby Little Neck (approaching their headquarters) and "from a very safe distance we would challenge them to come out and fight" (but) "nobody came out - perhaps (that day) there was nobody home."

But then came the day, Merton recalls, "one cold and rainy afternoon, when we observed that numbers of large and small figures, varying in age from 10 to 16, most of them very brawny" gathered outside the Merton home, "20 or 25 of them. There were four of us."[hiding inside].

"The climax of the situation came when Frieda, our German maid, told us that she was very busy with housecleaning and we must all get out of the house immediately. Without listening to our extremely nervous protests, she chased us out the back way . . . we made our way through back yards to the safety of Bill's house" [a block away, with a clear view across a field, of the Merton home].

"And then an extraordinary thing happened. The front door of our house opened. My little brother John Paul came walking down the steps with a certain amount of dignity and calm. He crossed the street (and) walked toward the Little Neck gang. They all turned towards him. He kept on walking and walked right into the middle of them.

"One or two of them took their hands out of their pockets. John Paul just looked at them, turning his head to one side and then the other. And he walked through the middle of them and no one ever touched him.

"And so he came to the house where we were. We did not chase him away."

-------

The book closes with a poem written by Thomas Merton upon learning of his brother's death in the North Sea: "I learned that John Paul was severely injured in the crash but managed to keep himself afloat, even tried to support the pilot who was already dead.

"He was very badly hurt; maybe his neck was broken. He lay in the bottom of the dinghy in delirium. He was terribly thirsty. He kept asking for water. But they didn't have any. It didn't last too long. He had three hours of it and then he died. His companions had more to suffer, and were finally picked up and taken to safety five days later. On the fourth day they had buried John Paul at sea."

The chapter concludes with Thomas Merton's poetic requiem for his "dear brother" asking their Maker to,

"Take my breath . . .
and buy yourself a better death . . .
And buy you back to your own land
The silence of Whose tears shall fall
Like bells upon your alien tomb.
Hear them and come,
They call you home."

Thomas Merton died 40 years ago (on the 20th anniversary of his book's first publishing) while attending a conference of Eastern and Western monks in Thailand (electrocuted by a faulty table lamp in his Bangkok hotel room).

This "Fiftieth Anniversary Edition" includes a delightful "Note to the Reader" from William H. Shannon, founding president of the International Thomas Merton Society, who recalls that, from the very first day in print (October 4, 1948) the book was "an instant success: Hailed as a modern day version of the `CONFESSIONS' of St. Augustine, it has continued to sell and sell and sell."

As Evelyn Waugh, no easy critic, wrote prophetically: It "might well prove to be of permanent interest in the history of religious experience."

Buy a copy and see for yourself (I highly recommend this edition).

Mark Blackburn
Winnipeg Canada

I am currently reading this book forthe second time. I searched far and wide and finally found it at theHarvard University bookstore in 1993. It was, and still is, worth the effort. For anyone doubting why they are Catholic or the true depth of their faith, this is a must read. Merton speaks to the heart, soul, and mind as he tells the story of his journey to the Truth. Other great Merton books are "No Man is an Island" and "Thoughts in Solitude". Don't let the reader from San Francisco dissuade you. If you're looking for philosophy, as this person was, read Plato. If you wish to renew or strengthen your faith, read this book. END

Remarkable, stirringly beautiful, often overflowing into religious ecstasy, the author fills the reader with admiration, respect, and perhaps even a little envy of that rare breed who are drawn to a life in quest of the root of their being. Many times during this book I felt longing creep quietly into the back of my mind, raising the questions that we so often evade - what is the true purpose of our life, and are these brave adventurers the people who alone have fulfilled our calling as human beings? Reading this book is a responsibility, a responsibility to listen to this voice and hear it out, a responsibility to be prepared to have our lives changed by this quiet urging we all hear, but often refuse to listen to. Do not expect to read 'The Seven Storey Mountain' and walk away the same person. You won't.

After reading Thomas Merton's "The Seven Storey Mountain," and being amazed at what I read, I want to set down the reaction I had to this powerful book. Merton's story of his faith, from its virtual nonexistence to conversion and then finding his true vocation deeply touched my spirit and enabled me to reexamine a portion of my spirituality that, like the author's at my age, was severely neglected. I hesitate to say that Merton's personal "confessions" changed my life, because that phrase is so cliché. However, as a fellow convert, journeying from uncertainty and darkness to light and joy, I connected on that level with him immediately. The sentiments I share with him are best expressed through his words. I hope to convey some sense of the pervasive effects of faith and love on life, which Merton explored. The masterful unity, coherence, and balance of his words can only come from a life of faith...

A question remains: why does Merton's story continue to fascinate and speak to so many after 50 years? The fact that his works remain in print and are available in over 20 languages suggest that it is at least profitable to keep them on bookstore shelves and inventories....Merton's works are not dated, but continue to affect millions. They are classics, even when viewed on a purely economic scale, discounting substance and material. Robert Giroux, a personal friend of Merton, quotes Mark Van Doren, an influential professor in his and Merton's life, in his introduction to "The Seven Storey Mountain:" "A classic is a book that remains in print" (xviii). I agree with [a reviewer] to an extent when he skeptically questions, "But I doubt that any of us would have heard of him or his writings if he hadn't become a monk. As a lay writer, he would have been forgotten long ago." Robert Giroux addresses this quandary in the introduction: "Why did the success of the Mountain go so far beyond my expectations as an editor and publisher?" (xvi). The spiritual yearning and search for peace in a nuclear age and cold war, where small children in innocence were taught to duck under their desks in case of an attack, certainly plays a role, as Giroux notes. But, "Merton's story was unusual - a well-educated and articulate young man withdraws - why? - into a monastery" (xvi). Why indeed would a man deny a lucrative career as professor, writer, and intellectual to perform continual penance in an isolated abbey? This intriguing question and unique situation provides the initial draw to the "Mountain." To modern middle-class America, the idea that someone would give up "profit and financial security for asceticism and penance seems strange. Perhaps readers were awkwardly convicted by the notion that something more substantial existed than a cold beer and hot shower in order to be happy, and that someone had found this something more. However, after curiosity attracts, Merton holds the reader's attention on his own merits. After the head-turning surprise, arresting the passer by in mid stride, he must or, as so many carnival attractions, rapidly relinquish their hold as soon as it is established. Merton's belief he places in the Church is humbling, and provides a draw much stronger than gaudy language or verbal theatrics, even if the reader does not agree with his philosophies. The passion he displays in his words and the yearning for spiritual union with God is so plain in his heart that he propels the reader like the promise of an oasis drives a nomad through endless deserts. Merton gives his reader, a fellow spiritual pilgrim, whether they know it or not, a clear draught to refresh and fortify. And, as Merton ends his story and takes leave, he offers a final piece of advice: "Sit finis libri, non finis quaerendi - Let this be the end of the book, but not the end of the search" (462).

The Seven Storey Mountain is by no means Thomas Merton's Masterpiece. But it is his most well-known work. Many people only know Merton for this, the biography of his early years. This can lead people to an uneven view of Merton and his worldview. A good antidote to this particular problem is to read either Merton's Journals or his Letters. They give a much broader view of Merton's developing thought.

Yet this book is not without its charms. How all the subsequent efforts of his biographers, no one has told the story of this period of Merton's life better than Merton. There are indispensable insights, biographical as well as spiritual, to be gained from this book. It is still probably the best place to start with Merton. I recommend it.

A must read for any Catholic, or any non-Catholic for that matter. How fortunate that I was allowed to witness through this book the spritual journey of such a faith-filled individual. Thomas Merton is one of the extraordinary writers of this century. What a gift he has in revealing so much of himself through his writing, yet it spoke to me of my ownself and my own faith in God. I loved it!

It has been a couple of years since I read this autobiography. From the perspective of an always aspiring writer and poet, I applaud this piece of literature for capturing the interest of even the most adamant unbeliever or un-anchored agnostic simply for the raw and accessible story which it conveys. From the stand-point of a spiritual seeker, a self-censoring #4 on the Enneagram (read "Merton: An Enneagram Profile", by Suzanne Zuercher), and a religious tolerant (which Merton certainly became in his later life), I connected with it instantly on a very intimate level.

I can honestly credit Merton for inspiring me to investigate Christianity much more deeply without the usual repugnance and negative bias I had approached it with before, and he has since become one of my favorite writers, artists, thinkers, and Christians... period!

Merton was a very "human" being. His struggles with pride, ego, Biblical understanding, lust, vanity, etc. may help the spiritually inclined reader to accept his or her own flaws in a more forgiving light. He reminds us that nobody is perfect.

I highly recommend this book to both the fan of compelling autobiography, and to the aspiring contemplative.