"The following pages are excerpts from notebooks and journals written about 1958-1961. They were typed up with a view to publication. On reflection, the idea of publication in this particular form was felt to be impractical at the present time. The book was abandoned when about half stencilled. The stencils remained on the shelf for some time. Before destroying them, I thought we might run off twenty-five copies for friends. Some of this material should eventually reappear in another form, and a book is planned with the same title. It will be very different from this. Thomas Merton April, 1985."