Thomas Merton is a wonderful voice for the spiritual yearning that lies within us all. Merton, a trappist monk expressed the spirituality of so many people that longed for a religion that could both function within the bounds of Christianity and bring it to life. Thus it is with this poet, monk, and student of the Zen Masters the world recieved a new voice on its oldest subject. In this book, Merton's spiritual autobiography, one comes in contact with a truly beautiful human being. This book has my nomination for the great twentieth century American novel. It is a book in which every word echoes the warmth and passion of its author.Thomas, You will be sadly missed.