Religion and Theology

Trappist monk Thomas Merton was one of the most remarkable spiritual guides in the 20th century because of the acceptability of the belief system that he developed based on his  ideas about the nature of the human self and the relationship between humans and God. Those ideas are influenced by his views of the realities of life. The main element of Mertons belief system is the idea that the key to a healthy and happy life is ones search for his own true self and for the ways to maintain and improve his own relationship with God.      

This essay discusses how the realities of life, as Thomas Merton saw them, affected his journey toward an understanding of God. The dramatic changes that Thomas Merton experienced in his life reformed his views of realities of life, and those views in turn played a big role in shaping his views of God. The first section of this essay provides a very brief description of Trappist monks beliefs and way of life, which is important to understand the arguments in the second section. The second section of the essay discusses the impact of the transformation of Mertons lifestyle on his ideas about the realities of life and, hence, his views of what makes a healthy spiritual life and helps one improve his own relationship with God. This section also discusses the effect of the Trappists beliefs and way of life on Mertons belief system.                

A Brief Description of the Trappist Monks Beliefs and Way of Life      
The term  Trappists  refers to a Roman Catholic religious order that was formed as an attempt to reform the Cistercian order and restore the Cistercian and hence the Benedictine way of life. The basics of the Trappist way of life are very similar to those of the Cistercian and Benedictine orders, but the difference is that the Trappist model of austerity is stricter than that of any of the other two orders. The Trappist monks are also commonly known as the Cistercians of the Stricter Observance ( Trappists,  2010, p. 1).      

Contemplation and strict seclusion from the world are the basic aspects of a Trappist monks way of life ( Monasticism,  2010, p. 1  Trappists,  2010, p. 1). Daily life activities include (a) worshiping (it can be either private or common), (b) studying and reading about religion, and (c) working which is usually manual to generate income for the monastery. Silence is one of the most important commitments in the Trappist lifestyle (there is on vow of silence) speaking is generally prohibited except under special circumstances ( Trappists,  2010, p. 1).
                   
How Did the Realities of Life, as Thomas Merton Saw Them,                            
Affect His Journey toward an Understanding of God      
Before discussing how Mertons views of realities of life affected his spiritual journey, its important to understand the changes that he experienced before becoming a Trappist monk and the nature of his life and belief system afterward.      

Merton did very well in high school (he studied at Oakham public school), and as a result he won a scholarship to the University of Cambridge in England. Although he was a sharp student, his performance there wasnt as good as it was in high school because he was so lured and distracted by women and alcohol. His continually worsening performance eventually cost him the scholarship and, as a result, he left the university ( Thomas Merton,  2010, p. 1).  
 
Soon after leaving Cambridge, he returned to the United States and enrolled to Colombia University and, fortunately for him, he became successful there. During this period, there was only one issue in life that he was interested in The existence of God. In 1938, he converted to Roman Catholicism and received his Bachelor of Arts degree, the following year he received a masters degree in English literature from the same university. During that period, his interest in religion grew considerably, which made him eventually became a Trappist Monk in 1941 ( Thomas Merton,  2010, p. 1).      

Today, Thomas Merton is widely accepted and respected by many people because they find in his writings hope for a better life. Many readers consider him their own spiritual companion, others see him as a teacher who guides them to the solutions for all hardships in life. His spiritual message can be summed up in one simple statement Happiness and peace can be found if everyone searches for his own  true self  and tries to improve his own relationship with God and other people without doing so, humans will suffer desolation and alienation in this world. Merton argues that ones alienation from his own true self, which is the image of God, is the cause of all forms of destructive behavior ( About,  2009, p. 1).      

The total transformation of Thomas Mertons lifestyle is what had the biggest impact on his spiritual journey because this transformation made him rebuild his views of the realities of life. From his own experiences, he found that misery and failure accompany the life of self-indulgence while happiness and success are found in the lifestyle that is based on religion and searching for the needs of the real self instead of those of the body. This view was what gave religion big importance in Mertons life and made him see God as a friend and savior. The effects of Mertons views of realities of life on his journey toward an understanding of God are evident in his messages key element that is, his belief that searching for the true self is the ground on which one must build his own lifestyle because the self is the image of God, and God is the center of being ( About,  2009, p. 1).      

The Trappist way of life also had notable effects on the belief system that Thomas Merton developed. Its apparent that his philosophy is a reflection of the strict contemplative nature of this lifestyle. For instance, he emphasizes the necessity of integrating contemplation with all activities in life ( About,  2010, p. 1). Moreover, the influence of this lifestyle is a very important reason why Mertons belief system is very religion-based.                                                                

Conclusion      
What makes many people respect Thomas Merton as a Roman Catholic writer and spiritual guide is that they find in his message the window through which they can have a  brighter view of themselves and their own lives. Mertons paradigm for living offers possibilities for changing the world and making it full of peace and happiness.      

The fact that Thomas Merton experienced living in two totally different worlds is what had the biggest impact on his spiritual journey. The dramatic changes in his life made him change his thoughts about the realities of life, which made him build his message upon one main principle Searching for the true self and its relationship with God is the essence of happiness. Becoming a Trappist monk also played an important role in shaping the belief system that Merton developed its apparent that his beliefs are a reflection of the strict Trappist life of contemplation and worshiping, which made his message very religion-centered.      

From all the discussions and arguments regarding Thomas Mertons life and belief system, its clear that his life experiences affected his beliefs, and vice versa. If his life had been regular without any dramatic changes he probably wouldnt have become interested in any kind of religious beliefs whatsoever.