New Seeds of Contemplation

By: Thomas Merton

Narrated by: Jonathan Montaldo

One of the best-loved books by one of the great spiritual authors of our time, with a new introduction by best-selling author Sue Monk Kidd.

New Seeds of Contemplation is one of Thomas Merton's most widely known and best-loved books. Christians and non-Christians alike have joined in praising it as a notable successor in the meditative tradition of St. John of the Cross, The Cloud of Unknowing, and the medieval mystics, while others have compared Merton's reflections with those of Thoreau. New Seeds of Contemplation seeks to awaken the dormant inner depths of the spirit so long neglected by Western man, to nurture a deeply contemplative and mystical dimension in our lives.

For Merton, "Every moment and every event of every man's life on earth plants something in his soul. For just as the wind carries thousands of winged seeds, so each moment brings with it germs of spiritual vitality that come to rest imperceptibly in the minds and wills of men. Most of these unnumbered seeds perish and are lost, because men are not prepared to receive them: for such seeds as these cannot spring up anywhere except in the soil of freedom, spontaneity and love."

©1961, 2007 The Abbey of Gethsemani, Inc.; Sue Monk Kidd (P)2023 New Directions Publishing Corp.

The book sets a high but simple standard for the definition of contemplation.

The importance of separation, from so many competitive passions and choices, to achieve all that contemplation delivers, is well described.

This book is life changing

This was the second Merton book for me. It was awesome and changed my life. Please read

Becoming nothing and everthing

wow, I know that when this work was introduced to me it might be something that would take me deeper than I could have imagined and thought boy was that an understatement. Thomas Merton through years of study prayer and understanding of taking me to a place and I never imagined truly existed. it showed me a place of God that I knew was there but at the same time couldn't imagine it being there. it has helped me start on a journey I'm learning more about myself and God within me. I enjoyed this reading or rather it being read to me.

His Best

I loved “The New Man” this is even better. Buy it. You won’t regret it.

This is such a triumph of a book, but this voice actor cheapens it and shouldn’t have been let near it.

Such an incredible book. Heart rendingly true and honest and kind. Read it with your eyeballs.

I don’t leave bad reviews for books I love, but this narrators voice is just SO wrong for this piece. His whispy little sing song treatment of this work takes SO much away from what Mertons words are bringing.

I’m trying to find a different reader, steer clear of this one. I seriously hate to say that.

But Read it none-the-less