Thomas Merton (1915-1968) was a Trappist monk, writer, and peace and civil rights activist. Merton's works have had a profound impact on contemporary religious and philosophical thought. He is best known for his autobiography, "The Seven Storey Mountain" and "New Seeds of Contemplation".
'Zen enriches no one,' Thomas Merton provocatively writes in his opening statement to Zen and the Birds of Appetite—one of the last books to be published before his death in 1968. 'There is no body to be found. The birds may come and circle for a while...[SEE MORE]