My favorite monk, Thomas Merton, makes an interesting distinction inward his book, No Man Is an Island. Merton differentiates tradition together with convention. Merton talks nearly tradition inward rattling positive terms. I similar the mode Merton defines tradition. “Tradition is living together with active…Tradition does non degree us automatically: nosotros guide keep to travel to empathize it…Tradition genuinely teaches us to alive together with shows us how to convey total responsibleness for our ain lives. Thus tradition is oftentimes flatly opposed to what is ordinary, to what is mere routine.” I volition unpack this lengthy quotation every bit nosotros reckon the pregnant together with comport on of tradition inward our spiritual lives.
But start let’s learn a feel for how Merton uses the sentiment of convention. Then it volition give-up the ghost clear how he differentiates convention together with tradition. “Convention,” says Merton, “is passive together with dead…Convention is accepted passively, every bit a affair of routine. Therefore convention easily becomes an evasion of reality. It offers us alone pretended ways of solving the problems of living---a organization of gestures together with formalities.”
In exactly about ways tradition together with convention are both accumulations of the past. I guide keep traditions from family, from the Quaker meetings inward which I spent my youth, exactly about athletic traditions together with others. Within many of these traditions were conventions. If yous went to my Quaker coming together (or church), in that place would last for certain things yous were “supposed to do,” fifty-fifty though in that place were no rules that mortal could guide keep handed to you.
But start let’s learn a feel for how Merton uses the sentiment of convention. Then it volition give-up the ghost clear how he differentiates convention together with tradition. “Convention,” says Merton, “is passive together with dead…Convention is accepted passively, every bit a affair of routine. Therefore convention easily becomes an evasion of reality. It offers us alone pretended ways of solving the problems of living---a organization of gestures together with formalities.”
In exactly about ways tradition together with convention are both accumulations of the past. I guide keep traditions from family, from the Quaker meetings inward which I spent my youth, exactly about athletic traditions together with others. Within many of these traditions were conventions. If yous went to my Quaker coming together (or church), in that place would last for certain things yous were “supposed to do,” fifty-fifty though in that place were no rules that mortal could guide keep handed to you.
Conventions oftentimes come upwards to us every bit those things “we guide keep ever done that way.” Conventions unremarkably hateful that yous are correct if yous practise it the correct way. I scream back Merton is insightful when he describes convention every bit passive. “Just practise it,” is the mantra of the convention. “Don’t inquire why, exactly practise it,” is the unwritten dominion of convention. Convention has an implicit supposition that suggests doing the human action results inward the human action beingness meaningful. For example, convention would enjoin that sitting together inward quiet inward a Quaker coming together for worship agency yous necessarily guide keep a spiritual experience. Anyone who has done that knows it is non necessarily true. It may last true; but it is non necessarily true.
I scream back this is the insightful, which Merton figured out. Tradition is living together with active. Tradition is likewise the “story” past times which nosotros engage the past. In exactly about ways tradition, similar convention, says, “this is the mode nosotros guide keep ever done it.” Tradition knows this past times together with wants to mitt it on to all newcomers. If yous play on my team, if yous bring together my group, if yous are business office of my family, together with then this is the mode nosotros guide keep ever done it.
But tradition never assumes that “the mode nosotros guide keep ever done it” is a guarantee that it ever works. Tradition never assumes that but doing exactly about traditional thing guarantees success. Convention implies that is true; tradition knows it is non ever true.
I similar Merton’s emphasis on the fact that tradition genuinely teaches us how to live. No incertitude that was truthful for his monastery, which would guide keep been steeped inward tradition. My Quaker coming together dorsum dwelling work solid is to a greater extent than than ii hundred years old. And it is business office of an fifty-fifty older Quaker storey together with tradition. And Quakers are business office of the much older Christian tradition. Of course, in that place are many conventions that guide keep resulted.
Conventions are similar the sediments of our history. They are the ordinary together with the routine. There is zero bad nearly them. But they are non active together with practise non live. Being conventional is ok, but non vital. Doing conventions is ok, but non enlivening. On the other hand, tradition puts us inward touching alongside the past times together with alongside history, but it vitalizes the introduce together with thrusts us frontwards into exciting futures. It teaches us how to convey total responsibleness for our lives.
Tradition helps me convey total responsibleness for my life. Allow me to give-up the ghost dorsum to the Quaker instance of sitting. It is Quaker tradition to role quiet every bit a medium to last available to the Spirit of God to engage us. Convention would enjoin to last soundless together with God volition come. Nothing to it! But tradition says to give-up the ghost silent. Silence, however, is non passive waiting. Silence requires active waiting. In quiet i prepares the heart, opens the mind, becomes vulnerable to the Presence. Being soundless guarantees nothing, but is does insure the increased likelihood that the Spirit volition last experienced.
If I learn myself out of the way, the Spirit comes my way. That is what tradition teaches me. But tradition teaches me knowing that is unlike than experiencing that. Tradition teaches me how to give-up the ghost spiritual. But I genuinely guide keep to practise it. Knowledge is good, but it is non sufficient.
I appreciate the many conventions inward my life. But I value the traditions that degree me spiritually together with that learn me how to convey responsibleness for my ain life. And I give thank yous Merton for helping me empathize the difference. I don’t heed beingness conventional. I desire to last traditional. But most of all, I strive to last incarnational.
I scream back this is the insightful, which Merton figured out. Tradition is living together with active. Tradition is likewise the “story” past times which nosotros engage the past. In exactly about ways tradition, similar convention, says, “this is the mode nosotros guide keep ever done it.” Tradition knows this past times together with wants to mitt it on to all newcomers. If yous play on my team, if yous bring together my group, if yous are business office of my family, together with then this is the mode nosotros guide keep ever done it.
But tradition never assumes that “the mode nosotros guide keep ever done it” is a guarantee that it ever works. Tradition never assumes that but doing exactly about traditional thing guarantees success. Convention implies that is true; tradition knows it is non ever true.
I similar Merton’s emphasis on the fact that tradition genuinely teaches us how to live. No incertitude that was truthful for his monastery, which would guide keep been steeped inward tradition. My Quaker coming together dorsum dwelling work solid is to a greater extent than than ii hundred years old. And it is business office of an fifty-fifty older Quaker storey together with tradition. And Quakers are business office of the much older Christian tradition. Of course, in that place are many conventions that guide keep resulted.
Conventions are similar the sediments of our history. They are the ordinary together with the routine. There is zero bad nearly them. But they are non active together with practise non live. Being conventional is ok, but non vital. Doing conventions is ok, but non enlivening. On the other hand, tradition puts us inward touching alongside the past times together with alongside history, but it vitalizes the introduce together with thrusts us frontwards into exciting futures. It teaches us how to convey total responsibleness for our lives.
Tradition helps me convey total responsibleness for my life. Allow me to give-up the ghost dorsum to the Quaker instance of sitting. It is Quaker tradition to role quiet every bit a medium to last available to the Spirit of God to engage us. Convention would enjoin to last soundless together with God volition come. Nothing to it! But tradition says to give-up the ghost silent. Silence, however, is non passive waiting. Silence requires active waiting. In quiet i prepares the heart, opens the mind, becomes vulnerable to the Presence. Being soundless guarantees nothing, but is does insure the increased likelihood that the Spirit volition last experienced.
If I learn myself out of the way, the Spirit comes my way. That is what tradition teaches me. But tradition teaches me knowing that is unlike than experiencing that. Tradition teaches me how to give-up the ghost spiritual. But I genuinely guide keep to practise it. Knowledge is good, but it is non sufficient.
I appreciate the many conventions inward my life. But I value the traditions that degree me spiritually together with that learn me how to convey responsibleness for my ain life. And I give thank yous Merton for helping me empathize the difference. I don’t heed beingness conventional. I desire to last traditional. But most of all, I strive to last incarnational.
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