THE WAY OF CHUANG TZU
by Thomas Merton
Shambhala Library Edition, Boston & London.
Condition: Very good+. Handsome compact hardcover in grey dust jacket with gilt lettering. Minor scuffing and light toning to jacket rear; internally pristine, binding firm and square.
About the Book
The Way of Chuang Tzu is Thomas Mertons contemplative interpretation of the ancient Taoist sages writings an encounter between the mystic of the East and the monk of the West. Rather than producing a literal translation, Merton reimagined Chuang Tzus parables and reflections in a meditative, poetic idiom that resonates with his own Christian contemplative vision.
In Chuang Tzus world of paradox and laughter, Merton finds a spiritual mirror for his own longing toward detachment, silence, and freedom from striving. If man, born in Tao, sinks into the deep shadow of non-action, one passage reads, he lacks nothing; his life is secure.
These brief, crystalline dialogues and fragments embody a wisdom that is at once serene and radical a quiet invitation to simplicity amid the fever of modern life.
Originally published in 1965, this Shambhala Library edition continues the presss tradition of uniting spiritual insight and fine design a small volume of enduring beauty and interior calm.
About the Author
Thomas Merton (19151968) was an American Trappist monk, poet, and spiritual writer whose works include The Seven Storey Mountain and New Seeds of Contemplation. Through his interreligious explorations engaging Taoism, Buddhism, and Sufism he helped shape modern contemplative thought across traditions.
