MERTON'S CORRESPONDENCE WITH:
Arasteh, A. Reza, 1927-1992
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Descriptive Summary
Record Group: Section A - Correspondence
Dates of materials: 1965-1984
Volume: 28 item(s); 37 pg(s)
Scope and Content
Merton and Arasteh trade books and essays. They discuss psychology, Sufism, Zen, Chuang Tzu, mysticism, Rumi, psychedelic drugs, etc. There are also letters by William H. Shannon who was approaching Arasteh about using his letters in The Hidden Ground of Love, and other letters dealing with permissions to use articles or chapters for a Merton memorial publication.
Biography
Abdol Reza Arasteh was born in Shiraz, Iran, in 1927. He had studied both Eastern and Western psychology and seemed to bridge Merton's earlier interest in psychology with his later interest in Sufism, Zen and other eastern traditions. He lived a number of years in the United States and became a citizen in 1976. (Source: The Hidden Ground of Love, p. 40-41.)
Usage Guidelines and Restrictions
Related Information and Links
See also published letters from Merton to Arasteh in The Hidden Ground of Love; and contributions to Monks Pond, p. 69.
Other Finding Aids
If the person in correspondence with Merton has full text records in the Merton Center Digital Collections, there will be a numeric link to them below.
Series List
This Record Sub-Group is not divided into Series and is arranged chronologically.
Container List
| Series | Date | Type | To/From | First Lines | Pub | Full Text | Notes |
| | 1965/11/13 | TALS | to Merton | I appreciate your interest in my work, and under separate cover I am sending you a copy of my book, | |
| <i>Rumi the Persian</i> |
| | 1965/12/18 | TL[c] | from Merton | It is a great pleasure for me to have your book on Rumi, I am reading it with great interest as I | Yes |
| Sufism and Merton's lectures / suggests comparison of Rumi with other mystics / sends book on Chuang Tzu and uncorrected essay on Zen |
| | 1965/12/27 | TALS[x] | from Merton | I am interested in your book, which I am sure will fill a great need in this country. The subject | Yes |
| [annotated by Merton and Arasteh] writing a preface for Arasteh / question of psychedelics in valid mystical experiences / article on Zen Koans |
| | 1967/12/30 | TL[c] | from Merton | Thanks for your very charming card: certainly the most beautiful and most "spiritual" I have seen | Yes |
| Shaker Tree of Life (see Edward Andrews) / requests not yet translated Sufi literature for <u>Monks Pond</u> or pieces by Arasteh |
| | 1968/01/26 (#01) | TLS | from Merton | Your book is very fine and I am giving it a slow and fruitful reading. I find it very interesting | Yes |
| permissions to use article on psycho-cultural analysis and Arasteh's poem in <u>Monks Pond</u> / Sufi texts / <i>Mystics and Zen Masters</i> |
| | 1968/01/26 (#02) | TL[c] | from Merton | Your book is very fine and I am giving it a slow and fruitful reading. I find it very interesting | Yes |
| permissions to use article on psychocultural analysis and Arasteh's poem in <u>Monks Pond</u> / Sufi texts / <i>Mystics and Zen Masters</i> |
| | 1968/02/07 | TLS | to Merton | Thank you for your letter and your kind appreciation of my book. I also enjoyed reading your | |
| statement in the "CENTER LETTER" / enclosed article on Sufism / visiting Merton / manuscript of 16th century prayer book of Shi'a saints |
| | 1968/02/17 | TALS | to Merton | Thank you for your kind letter and the newsletter too. If weather does not prevent us, we will | |
| visiting Gethsemani on Feb. 23 / article on Sufism / "Psychocultural analysis and three concepts of mental health" <u>Confinia Psychiatrica</u> |
| | 1968/03/22 (#01) | TLS | from Merton | I am sorry I have not written for so long. It wasa [sic] disappointment not to see you, but I hope | Yes |
| review of Arasteh's article for monastic magazine |
| | 1968/03/22 (#02) | TL[c] | from Merton | I am sorry I have not written for so long. It wasa [sic] disappointment not to see you, but I hope | Yes |
| review of Arasteh's article for monastic magazine |
| | 1968/04/02 | TALS[x] | from Merton | Many thanks for your letter. April 12 is a difficult day in some respects as it is Good Friday, and | Yes |
| [annotated by Merton and Arasteh] times and dates to reschedule visit / <i>Final Integration</i> |
| | 1968/05/22 (#01) | TL[c] | from Merton | Here is the reworked piece on "Rebirth in Christianity". I have been somewhat delayed in sending it | Yes |
| City Lights Books and Lawrence Ferlinghetti / <i>Final Integration</i> |
| | 1968/05/22 (#02) | TLS[x] | from Merton | Here is the reworked piece on "Rebirth in Christianity". I have been somewhat delayed in sending it | Yes |
| City Lights Books and Lawrence Ferlinghetti / <i>Final Integration</i> |
| | 1969/01/21 | TLS[x] | from Saijo, Hisayo | Alan Watts has asked me to thank you very much for your letter of January 13th. Dr. Watts would be | |
| inclusion of "The Ways of Liberation" chapter from <i>Psychotherapy East and West</i> in memorial book to Thomas Merton / Saijo was secretary to Alan Watts of the Society for Comparative Philosophy, Inc. (Sausalito, CA) |
| | 1971/02/23 | HLS[x] | from Abdelnour, Mary Madeline | For several weeks now I have been reading your most challenging book <u>Final Integration in the</u> | |
| <i>Final Integration in the Adult Personality</i> |
| | 1974/01/08 | HLS[x] | from Tremblay, Yvonne | During my studies at the University of Ottawa in view of obtaining a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology, I | |
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| | 1974/03/18 | HLS[x] | from Tremblay, Yvonne | Please excuse me for not answering sooner to acknowledge reception of your precious information. | |
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| | 1976/10/19 | TLS[x] | from McCorkell, Edward | You may be surprised to hear from a Cistercian monk out here in the lovely Shenandoah Valley. | |
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| | 1978/02/17 | TALS[x] | from Smith, Anne Abel | I am glad to say we received this morning three complimentary copies of the Spanish edition of RUMI, | |
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| | 1980/03/22 | TLS[x] | from McCorkell, Edward | Last week I was delighted when the mail brought a copy of your book, GROWTH TO SELFHOOD. I have | |
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| | 1984/01/13 | TLS[x] | from Shannon, William | It was a great pleasure to speak with you on the phone today. I have been wanting to get in touch | |
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| | 1984/01/19 | HLS | to Shannon, William | Thank you for your letter. I have located some information which will help you to learn my relation | |
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| | 1984/02/03 | HLS | to Shannon, William | Thank you for "the book"; I enjoyed most parts of it especially the section on "Inner-Experience" | |
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| | 1984/02/26 | TLS[x] | from Shannon, William | I hope you do not mind my calling you by your first name. I feel that we are going to continue to | |
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| | undated/no/no (#01) | other | | Arasteh, A(bdol) Reza 1927- / <i>Personal:</i> Born September 27, 1927, in Shiraz, Iran; came to | |
| biography and list of writings from <i>Contemporary Authors</i>, Volume 105 |
| | undated/no/no (#02) | other | | I. Western scholars have generally interpreted Sufism in terms of religious values, a frame of | |
| some notes by Arasteh / enclosure to a letter to Merton from 1968 |
| | undated/no/no (#03) | other | | Arasteh, A. Reza. <i>Final integration in the adult personality, a mesure [sic] for health,</i> | |
| photocopied article from the <u>SUPPLEMENT</u> DE LA VIE SPIRITUELLE, No. 83, November 1967 |
| | undated/no/no (#04) | other | | The R. M. Bucke / Arasteh, A. Reza. "Final Integration in the Adult Personality". <u>The</u> | |
| from <u>The American Journal of Psychoanalysis</u>, Vol. 25, No. 1, pp. 61-73. / long annotation by Arasteh |
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