Before we can realize who we really are, we must become conscious of the fact that the person we think we are, here and now, is at best an impostor and a stranger.
THOMAS MERTONThe purpose of our lives is to find the purpose of our lives.
More Thomas Merton Quotes
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Others can give you a name or a number, but they can never tell you who you really are. That is something you yourself can only discover from within.
THOMAS MERTON -
Every one of us is shadowed by an illusory person: a false Self. We are not very good at recognizing illusions, least of all the ones we cherish about ourselves.
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Violence is not completely fatal until it ceases to disturb us.
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People may spend their whole lives climbing the ladder of success only to find, once they reach the top, that the ladder is leaning against the wrong wall.
THOMAS MERTON -
Every breath we draw is a gift of God’s love; every moment of existence is a grace.
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What can we gain by sailing to the moon if we cannot cross the abyss that separates us from ourselves?
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How can I be sincere if I am constantly changing my mind to conform with the shadow of what I think others expect of me?
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We are not converted only once in our lives but many times and this endless series of conversions and inner revolutions leads to our transformation.
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Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time.
THOMAS MERTON -
We are not at peace with others because we are not at peace with ourselves, and we are not at peace with ourselves because we are not at peace with God.
THOMAS MERTON -
Learn how to meditate on paper. Drawing and writing are forms of meditation. Learn how to contemplate works of art. Learn how to pray in the streets or in the country. Know how to meditate not only when you have a book in your hand but when you are waiting for a bus or riding in a train.
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For although God is right with us and in us and out of us and all through us, we have to go on journeys to find him.
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Finally I am coming to the conclusion that my highest ambition is to be what I already I am.
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You do not need to know precisely what is happening, or exactly where it is all going. What you need is to recognize the possibilities and challenges offered by the present moment, and to embrace them with courage, faith and hope.
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Do not look for rest in any pleasure, because you were not created for pleasure: you were created for joy. And if you do not know the difference between pleasure and joy you have not yet begun to live.
THOMAS MERTON






