Mystics and Zen Masters was published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux in 1967. The essays collected here represent Merton’s most sustained comparative work — placing the Christian mystical tradition alongside Zen Buddhism, Taoism, Sufism, and other contemplative paths to identify structural similarities without collapsing genuine differences.
Merton writes on the early Christian Desert Fathers (their sayings anticipate Zen koans in their paradoxical brevity); on the Russian mystic tradition (staretz, hesychasm, the prayer of the heart); on the Sufi concept of fana (annihilation of the ego in God); and on various schools of Zen. His method is neither syncretistic (claiming all traditions say the same thing) nor exclusivist (claiming only Christianity reaches truth), but dialogical — allowing each tradition to illuminate aspects of the others.
The essays are scholarly but never academic in the pejorative sense: Merton writes as a practitioner, not merely a student, of contemplation. His knowledge of other traditions is not abstract but experiential — he has practiced forms of meditation influenced by Zen, he has corresponded with Buddhist and Sufi teachers, and he writes from within a contemplative discipline that gives him access to the experience these texts describe.
Collecting Mystics and Zen Masters
First edition (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, New York, 1967): Cloth with dust jacket.
Market values:
- First edition, fine/fine: $50–$150
- Very good: $20–$50
Projected values (2026–2036): Modest appreciation.
Comparative Mysticism
Mystics and Zen Masters (1967) is a scholarly collection of essays comparing Christian mystical traditions with Zen Buddhism, Taoism, and other Eastern contemplative practices. Merton examines figures like Meister Eckhart and St. John of the Cross alongside Zen masters, finding common structures of contemplative experience across traditions. The book represents Merton’s most academic engagement with interfaith dialogue and established him as a serious contributor to the emerging field of comparative religion.
Frequently Asked Questions
Was this academic work well received? Yes — Merton’s comparative approach was ahead of its time and influenced subsequent scholars of interfaith dialogue. The book is still cited in religious studies and remains one of the most accessible introductions to the common ground between Eastern and Western mysticism.