xt7d251fnf1s https://exploreuk.uky.edu/dips/xt7d251fnf1s/data/mets.xml  Thomas Merton 1967-05-12 This letter is from collection 75m28 Thomas Merton papers. archival material 75m28 English  Contact the Special Collections Research Center for information regarding rights and use of this collection. Thomas Merton correspondence Letter from Thomas Merton to Masao Abe, May 12, 1967 text Letter from Thomas Merton to Masao Abe, May 12, 1967 1967 1967-05-12 2023 true xt7d251fnf1s section xt7d251fnf1s May 12,1967
My Dear “asao Abe:

Just after I had sent you my last letter, the copies of "Japanese Religiti
arrived here I read your articles with the greatest interest, and I ought to
have written my comments when everythi .ng was fresh in my? rind, but I was not
able to do so at that time. Now I suppose that, ironically, this may cross
with a letter from you. But in any case I would like to ;ot down a few im-
pressions

l)In di scussin€ CVr’° sti.ahity you take ”srfh :1s nor: (1
That is no: mare sonable, siLce Barth is an nrrh'“r'““siu 1y
logian and certa.r'.y telgss a whadetGPiSTICQL'V ””hrws ion”
the revea1ed Christian reserve of salvation. In othe r words f
clear cut: lLCF’( 1ncomorciis1ne. But precise'v because‘ '
it seems to me ethet he aches dialogue between "arist7cnit
religions verV iifficulu, ince he himselr is Ema t7Le to .

Or at any r its 115 tc’clin sharply divides the Christi 1n ,7; ‘etion ag:1inst
any othel" for" of ‘eLl~1on. You are oerhans right in ta1jl xv 7“ p13blem of
commu17ca+1un . ‘ 1‘? H :‘.-J r;’“' i.1 not where it is h But I feel
that at t“is H so , :er; ' . i. 1.13 .L .a-l 1' ress. One re—
mains bl oc,e.3.

2) I agree wi +h those who suggested an cpfla: Ech that_would favor a consi-
deratio- of 3} rjstian mys stical axoerience as a :u eetin.,_? ~rourd. Obviously,
Sines Daisetz Suzulii stuzied Echhart in this 1i ight and understood him so
well, and since the other Rhenish mystics, tL~13 Vzemish myst cs, St John of
the Cross etc offer rich material, the di alogue here wouLd be worth while.
However it is true that the mystics are not regarded as characteristically
Christian, and the dla’fi'v would t>e hel d erbiuuous by "the ’hurches" except
perhaps the Catholi.c Church, which is friend'ly to myst7 cism, and certain
scholars among Protesten s.

3) I think that one ought also to consider the level of Christian
ontology (though some would hold there is no such thi g). I think the
dialhgue between Christianity and Buddhism will be most f ui tful on the
plane cnot of abstract metaphysical systems out on the plane of what I would
call metaphysical eXperience, that is to say the basic intuition of being,
the direct grass of the ground of reality, which is essential to a true
and lived metaphysic. I rep2at the t I am not concerned with p rely abstract
metafihysical systems. The basic metaphysical intuition is close to the
kidd of religious intuition which opens out into mysticism. On this level
I think we come very close to what Buddhism is saying. On this level Zen
seems to me something very close to home, very alive, very helpful, indeed
necessary. In Christian metaphysical—and-mystical experience there is some-
tiling very close to Zen.

4) Furthermore, I believe that exploration of this area would also
open up a possibility of understanding with those modern atomic physicists
who seem to be developing quite new insights into the structure of matter:
men like Bohr and Heisenberg. I am not a scientist, so I am not Qualified to
jugge in this area, but I find it most challenging.

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 5) Finally, there is another area that would be very in§eresting to investi-
gate, namely the Islamic mysticism and metaphysics of the Sufis, as a
bridge between east and west. I am at present reading a most intnxaxxtng
revealing book by a Japanese Scholar , Toshihiko Izutsu, comparing the
Sufi mystic Ibn Arabi with the Taoists. The first volume only, on Ibn
Arabi, is available I believe. Others will follow which will show the
ressemblances. This is very important. If you do not know it already
I recommend it to you, and it is easily accessible to you, being published
by Keio University.

By now you may have received my new book, "Mystics and Zen Masters".
It is very sketchy and imperfect, but it may perhaps have some useful
material in it. If you do not know the treatise on the "Cloudof Unknowing"
I think the remarks in my book will indicate that it would interest you.
A friend of mine has written a study of it with some reference to Zen.
It ought to appear soon. I wrote a preface to it. I will send you a copy of
the book if and when I get one.

I cannot prolong this letter, though there are many more things I
would like to share with you. I hope your health is better, and I look
forward to hearing from you when you h ve a moment. I wish it were possible
for me to travel. I would dearly love to come to Japan and meet those who are
keeping alive the best traditions of ?en in its host serious and basic
aspect. I am unable to be enthusiastic about the superficial and ”ficpular“
Zen craze which passes fol hen in this country.

With cordial good wishes,