Identity elements
Reference code
Name and location of repository
Level of description
Title
Date(s)
- 1965-1984 (Creation)
Extent
1 folder(s), 28 item(s), 37 page(s)
Name of creator
Biographical history
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.)
Content and structure elements
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 <i>The Hidden Ground of Love</i>, and other letters dealing with permissions to use articles or chapters for a Merton memorial publication.
System of arrangement
Records are arranged chronologically. Records are not divided into Series.
Conditions of access and use elements
Conditions governing access
Regulations governing use of the collection can be found here: (‹https://bellarmine.libraryhost.com/index.php/rules›).
Technical access
Conditions governing reproduction
Languages of the material
Scripts of the material
Language and script notes
Finding aids
Acquisition and appraisal elements
Custodial history
Immediate source of acquisition
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling information
Accruals
Related materials elements
Existence and location of originals
Existence and location of copies
Related archival materials
See also published letters from Merton to Arasteh in «The Hidden Ground of Love» (‹https://bellarmine.on.worldcat.org/search?queryString=no%3A26858207›); and contributions to «Monks Pond» (‹https://bellarmine.on.worldcat.org/search?queryString=no%3A19629065›), p. 69.