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Thomas Merton's Encounter with Buddhism and Beyond

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Thomas Merton's Encounter with Buddhism and Beyond Thomas Merton’s Encounter with Buddhism and Beyond: His Interreligious Dialogue, Inter-Monastic Exchanges and Their Legacy by Jaechan Park A Thesis submitted to the Faculty of Regis College and the Graduate Centre for Theological Studies of the Toronto School of Theology. In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Theology awarded by Regis College and the University of Toronto © Copyright by Jaechan Park 2018 Thomas Merton’s Encounter with Buddhism and Beyond: His, Interreligious Dialogue, Inter-Monastic Exchanges and Their Legacy Jaechan Park Doctor of Theology Regis College and the University of Toronto 2018 Abstract This thesis explores Thomas Merton’s role as a pioneer of Buddhist-Christian dialogue and monastic interreligious dialogue by: 1) delving into the process of Merton’s self-transformation through contemplative experiences; 2) exploring his encounter with Zen and Tibetan Buddhists and his pioneering engagements in Buddhist-Christian dialogue; 3) presenting and responding to the criticisms of those who raise questions about Merton’s understanding of Buddhism; 4) studying his inter-monastic exchanges with Buddhists at the level of contemplative dialogue; and 5) presenting the ways in which Merton’s pioneering legacy continues in the ongoing Gethsemani Encounters and monastic exchange programs as well as in intra-religious dialogue in an Asian monastic context. Through the lens of Zen, Merton saw the value and possibility of “contemplative dialogue” between monastics and contemplatives of different religious traditions, those men and women who look primarily to a transformation of human consciousness and a spiritual awakening from within their respective traditions. With regard to the future, he hoped that through contemplative dialogue, monastics would strive for “intermonastic communion” and a bonding of the broader “spiritual family” and thus become witnesses of the fundamental unity of humanity to a world that was becoming ever more materialistic and divided. ii More recently, Eastern and Western monastics have appropriated Merton’s example as they engage in dialogue with each other in various monastic exchange programs, such as those organized by Dialogue Interreligieux Monastique/Monastic Interreligious Dialogue (DIMMID). His legacy of contemplative dialogue can be expanded to Raimon Panikkar’s understanding of “intra-religious dialogue” at the interior level. Finally, in this context, the thesis further develops Panikkar’s internal dialogue at the regional level in an Asian context as a form of intra-monastic dialogue. iii Acknowledgments I am grateful to Regis College for their role in forming my academic vocation. In particular, Prof. Meg Lavin guided me to begin a new academic life, and Prof. Ovey Mohammed, S.J. and Prof. John Costello, S.J. led me to the discovery of Thomas Merton. Prof. Michael Stoeber taught me about Christian spirituality. Prof. Joseph Schner, S.J. helped me to get a new understanding of human persons through psychology as well as directed my Th.M. thesis regarding spiritual healing through monasticism. Above all, Prof. John D. Dadosky inspired me with the realization of the value of interreligious dialogue in the pluralistic world. He provided me with an insight into the development of inter/intra-monastic dialogue and encouraged me to take part in many conferences, which were related to Merton. This dissertation would be impossible without his encouragement, guidance, and patience of my thesis supervisor. I am also grateful to my thesis supervisory committee members, Prof. Michael Stoeber and Prof. Thomas E. Reynolds (Emmanuel College in the University of Toronto). They carefully read my thesis and gave me invaluable advice. Their deep wisdom and wide knowledge and guidance have been of great value to me. I also appreciate Dr. Bonnie Thurston, who gave me many comments regarding Merton’s Buddhist-Christian dialogue for my thesis. In particular, Fr. William Skudlarek, Secretary General of DIMMID, encouraged me on the monastic interreligious dialogue as well as offered many comments for my dissertation. My sincere gratitude goes to him. I would like to convey my sincere gratitude to my spiritual family, Kenneth R. Lavin (Meg’s husband), a Benedictine Oblate of St. Vincent Archabbey, helped me with my academic English writing and shared his spiritual wisdom with me as my spiritual brother. I would like to use this opportunity to thank my friends, Sr. Ann Mpdelaney (Sisters of St. Joseph), Dr. Marie Dietrich (an Oblate of Benedictine Sisters of Eire), Theresa Shin, Fr. Young-Min Song, Dr. Richard Tetreau and Shirley Tetreau, Prof. Dennis O’Hara, Fr. Peter Bisson, S.J. and Fr. Leonard Altilia, iv S.J. and other members of Jesuit Community in Toronto, and many Torontonian-Korean parishioners at the St. Andrew Kim Catholic Parish and Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish. Finally, I would like to acknowledge all of my community brothers in St. Benedict Waegwan Abbey, including a former Abbot Simon Ri, who died in 2016. A big thank you goes out to my family, parents and three brothers in South Korea. v Contents List of Abbreviations ..................................................................................................................... x List of Tables ............................................................................................................................... xii Introduction ................................................................................................................................... 1 1. Thesis Statement ...................................................................................................................... 2 2. General Introduction ................................................................................................................ 3 3. Methodology ............................................................................................................................ 6 4. Procedure ................................................................................................................................. 9 Chapter 1: Merton’s Own Inner Experience and Interreligious Dialogue ............................ 14 1. Introduction ........................................................................................................................... 14 2. Merton’s Own Inner Experience and Self-transformation .................................................... 16 2.1. Pre-monastic: 1915-1941 ............................................................................................... 17 2.2. Early Monastic Life: 1941 to the mid-1950s ................................................................. 26 2.3. Later Monastic Life: 1959-1968 .................................................................................... 30 2.4. Final Two Months in Asia: 1968 ................................................................................... 34 3. Transformation of Merton’s View of Contemplation and Contemplative Experience ......... 36 3.1. Clarification of Merton’s Terminology regarding Contemplative Experience .............. 36 3.2. From a Traditional to a Synthetic and Modern View of Contemplation ....................... 39 4. Relationship between Inner Experience and Interreligious Dialogue ................................... 46 4.1. Non-Dualistic Perspective and Openness: The Louisville Experience .......................... 46 4.2. Cross-cultural Religious Experience: The Polonnaruwa Experience ............................ 49 5. Evaluation .............................................................................................................................. 52 5.1. The Role of Religious Experience in the Transformation of Human Consciousness .... 53 5.2. Merton’s Contributions in a New View of Contemplation ............................................ 55 5.3. The Value of the Inner Experience for Buddhist-Christian Dialogue ............................ 58 vi 6. Conclusion ............................................................................................................................. 61 Chapter 2: Merton’s Pioneering Work with Buddhist-Christian Dialogue .......................... 64 1. Introduction ........................................................................................................................... 64 2. Merton’s Encounter with Buddhists and Buddhism in His Life’s Journey ........................... 65 2.1. The Exploratory Period: 1937- mid-1950s .................................................................... 66 2.2. The Transformational Period: 1959-1968 ...................................................................... 68 2.3. The Intensive and Enlightened Period: 1968 ................................................................. 70 3. Merton’s Understanding of Zen and Tibetan Buddhism ....................................................... 74 3.1. Zen as a Trans-Religious and Trans-Formed Consciousness ........................................ 75 3.2. The No-Self in Zen and the True Self in Christianity .................................................... 77 3.3. Purity of Heart and the Apophatic Mystical Way and Sunyata (Emptiness or Void) .... 80 3.4. Christian Divinization and Buddhist Nirvana ................................................................ 83 3.5. Dzogchen in Tibetan Buddhism ..................................................................................... 85 4. Merton’s Three Types of Buddhist-Christian
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