Sih, Paul K. T. (Paul Kwang Tsien), 1910-

Scope and Content

Biography

Paul K. T. Sih was an author of histories of China and translator of Chinese classics. Sih was born near Shanghai, China. Nominally a Buddhist from a family that did not stress religion, he was exposed to Christianity through earning a doctorate in Rome, Italy, and though a Chinese government position in Rome. Through this job, he met Merton's friend John C. H. Wu, who was Chinese ambassador to the Vatican. Wu, having bridged connections between Christianity and Taoism, was a factor in Sih's conversion to Catholicism. In 1959, Sih became a professor of history and Director of the Center for Asian Studies at St. John's University in New York. It was here he began his correspondence with Merton. (Source: The Hidden Ground of Love, pp. 548-549.)

#	Date	From/To	First Lines	Pub ✓	Notes
	y/m/d	Merton		Scan ✉
1.	1961/04/10	TLS to Merton	It was with a deep sense of admiration that I read your excellent article "Classic Chinese Thought"		«detailed view»
2.	1961/05/03	TLS to Merton	It was with a deep sense of gratitude that I received your gracious letter this morning. Words are		«detailed view»
3.	1961/05/23	HLS to Merton	It has been a little while since I received your kind letter and later on the copy	✓	«detailed view»
4.	1961/06/08	TLS to Merton	It was a special blessing to receive your most gracious letter of May 23rd. Words are not adequate		«detailed view»
5.	1961/07/11	TLS[x] from MacGregor, Robert / to Sih, Paul	Thomas Merton has written us of your interest in publishing the Chuang Tsu translations he is		expressing somewhat reluctant interest in publishing Merton's translations «detailed view»
6.	1961/07/26	TLS to Merton	Please forgive me for not replying to your letter of July 12th earlier than today. I also received		«detailed view»
7.	1961/08/16 (#01)	TLS from Merton	It is already a long time since your letter of July 26th and the arrival of the two books, which I	✓	«detailed view»
8.	1961/08/16 (#02)	TL[c] from Merton	It is already a long time since your letter of July 26th and the arrival of the two books, which I	✓	«detailed view»
9.	1961/08/18	TL[x] from Dahm, Marjorie	Thank you for your wonderful letter of August 16th addressed to Doctor Sih.		letter from Merton will be forwarded to Dr. Sih in Taiwan «detailed view»
10.	1961/10/17	TLS to Merton	Please forgive me for not writing you earlier than today. I returned from Formosa a couple of weeks		«detailed view»
11.	1961/10/24	TLS from Merton	Very many thanks for your good letter of a week ago. I am glad to hear you have returned safely	✓	«detailed view»
12.	1961/11/15	TL[x] to Merton	Please forgive me for not replying to your letter of October 24, earlier than today. I was glad to		refers to future trip to Gethsemani «detailed view»
13.	1962/01/02	TLS from Merton	Please forgive me for my very long silence. I hope that the sending of the WISDOM OF THE DESERT	✓	«detailed view»
14.	1962/01/04	TL[x] to Merton	In one of your letters to me you indicated that you had written a review article on the Tao The		publishing suggestions «detailed view»
15.	1962/01/28	TLS from Merton	After much delay I have finally got the copy of the article on the two Chinese Classics back	✓	«detailed view»
16.	1962/01/29	TLS to Merton	Please forgive me for not replying to your letter of January 2nd earlier than today.		«detailed view»
17.	1962/02/21	TL[x] to Merton	I appreciate greatly your letter and the article. Words are not enough to express my deep gratitude		confirming trip to Gethsemani «detailed view»
18.	1962/03/27	TLS to Merton	Please forgive me for not writing you earlier than now. Since my return to New York, I have busied		«detailed view»
19.	1962/05/03 (#01)	TALS to Merton	Since I wrote you last, I have been busying myself with reviewing a number of books for various		«detailed view»
20.	1962/05/03 (#02)	other to Merton	Dom Eusebius Wagner, O.C.S.O., Abbot of New Clairvaux, California, and 'Father Immediate'		[newspaper clippings from the Hong Kong Sunday Examiner, 1962/02/02 - photographs Dom Eusebius Wagner, Abbot of New Clairvaux Trappist monastery in California, and his trip to the Monastery of Our Lady of Joy, Lantao Island, Hong Kong - also depicting Dom Paulinus Lee, Prior of Lantao, and monks] «detailed view»
21.	1962/05/09	TLS from Merton	Your letter of the 3rd reached me this morning. Thank you very much for it. The Wang Yang Ming has	✓	«detailed view»
22.	1962/06/14	TL[x] to Merton	Please forgive me for not acknowledging your letter of May 9th sooner than now. I am enclosing a		enclosing St. John's Alumni News / further publishing thoughts / Dr. Wu will visit Gethsemani «detailed view»
23.	1962/06/28	TLS from Merton	John Wu left us the other day after a most pleasant visit. It was really good to see him face	✓	«detailed view»
24.	1962/07/10 (#01)	TLS to Merton	I was most grateful for your letter of June 28th and was happy to know that you have received		«detailed view»
25.	1962/07/10 (#02)	other to Merton	Asian Institute Translations, No. 3 [-] The Platform Scripture of the Sixth Patriarch		[The Platform Scripture of the Sixth Patriarch: (The Basic Classic of Zen Buddhism) - translated with an introduction by Wing-tsit Chan (Dartmouth College) and Paul K. T. Sih - St. John's University Press, 1962 - 106 pages, 3 hole punched leaves] «detailed view»
26.	1962/08/24	TLS from Merton	It is a long time since I received the remarkably interesting translation of the "Platform Sutra"	✓	«detailed view»
27.	1962/09/05	TL[x] to Merton	I appreciate greatly your kind letter of August 24th and am glad to know that you are interested in		thoughts on publishing «detailed view»
28.	1962/09/25	TLS to Merton	Today I received the September issue of Jubilee and am exceedingly delighted to read your		«detailed view»
29.	1962/10/16 (#01)	TLS from Merton	The usual complaint of those who have too many occupations: I did not have time to get to your	✓	declines to write about sterilization and abortion for the St. John's University Alumni magazine, Redman - does not have expertise to rise above usual arguments «detailed view»
30.	1962/10/16 (#02)	TL[c] from Merton	The usual complaint of those who have too many occupations: I did not have time to get to your	✓	declines to write about sterilization and abortion for the St. John's University Alumni magazine, Redman - does not have expertise to rise above usual arguments «detailed view»
31.	1963/01/31	TALS to Merton	Please forgive me for this much-belated acknowledgement of receipt of your booklet on "Clement		«detailed view»
32.	1963/04/09	TALS to Merton	I appreciate greatly your letter of March 28 in ending a copy of your book review of Father		«detailed view»
33.	1963/05/13	TL[x] to Merton	Enclosed please find a check of $24.00 for the honorarium of your article "The Chinese Classics" pub		Zen book should be ready for distribution by the end of May «detailed view»
34.	1963/06/03	TLS to Merton	I appreciate greatly your tow studies on Francois Fenelon. I am positive that I shall enjoy reading		«detailed view»
35.	1963/06/26	TLS from Merton	I deeply appreciated your letter of April 9th, though I did not get around to answering it.	✓	«detailed view»
36.	1963/07/15	TL[x] to Merton	I appreciate greatly your letter of June 26th and am grateful to know that you have written a review		«detailed view»
37.	1963/08/18	TLS from Merton	I have been waiting to find out exactly what was going to be done with that review I wrote of the	✓	running into problems with the publisher Farrar Straus and Co. «detailed view»
38.	1963/08/22	TL[x] to Merton	I appreciate greatly your letter of August 18 and fully understand the situation which has made it		«detailed view»
39.	1963/10/02	HLS from Merton	Please forgive my failure to answer your letter sooner. I have been in the hospital, and am still	✓	«detailed view»
40.	1963/10/28	TL[x] to Merton	Please forgive me for this much-belated reply to your letter of October 2. The delay was caused by		received the Pilot / may visit in the Spring «detailed view»
41.	1964/11/05	TLS to Merton	I appreciate greatly your generous thought in sending a copy of your "Mystics and Zen Masters."		«detailed view»
42.	1964/11/11 (#01)	TLS from Merton	It was fine to hear from you again. I am glad that the Center has developed and that so much good	✓	«detailed view»
43.	1964/11/11 (#02)	HNS[x] from Merton	Here is the revised text of Mystics and Zen Masters.	✓	«detailed view»
44.	1964/11/16	TLS to Merton	Thank you very much for your letter of November 11 and the revised text of "Mystics and Zen Masters.		«detailed view»
45.	1965/04/20	TLS to Merton	Allow me to inform you that your article "Mystics and Zen Masters" has been published		«detailed view»
46.	1965/04/23 (#01)	TLS from Merton	It was a pleasure to get your letter. I have been thinking of you lately. Thanks also	✓	«detailed view»
47.	1965/04/23 (#02)	TL[c] from Merton	It was a pleasure to get your letter. I have been thinking of you lately. Thanks also	✓	«detailed view»
48.	1965/04/26	TLS to Merton	I appreciate greatly your letter of April 23. I am most happy that you will read my manuscript even		«detailed view»
49.	1965/07/04	TL[c] from Merton	I was delighted to get your letter and to hear the translation of LIFE AND HOLINESS is coming along.		«detailed view»
50.	1967/05/24	TALS to Merton	It has been a long time since we last corresponded. I understand that you are in complete seclusion		«detailed view»
51.	1967/05/27 (#01)	TLS from Merton	It is so good to hear from you again. I often think about you and your work at the Center there.	✓	«detailed view»
52.	1967/05/27 (#02)	TL[c] from Merton	It is so good to hear from you again. I often think about you and your work at the Center there.	✓	«detailed view»
53.	1967/06/16	TLS to Merton	I appreciate greatly your letter of May 27 in allowing me to include your article on Classic Chinese		«detailed view»
54.	1967/07/18	TLS from Merton	Many thanks for the book on Mencius, in fact thanks for two copies I was glad to get the extra one,	✓	«detailed view»
55.	1967/09/29	TLS[x] from Merton to Fr. Devine	Thanks for your kind letter of the 18th. I will certainly keep the Asian Center in my prayers, not		«detailed view»
56.	1967/10/03	TL[x] to Merton	Please forgive me for not replying to your letter of July 18 earlier than now. I went to Ann Arbor,		«detailed view»
57.	1971/02/16	TLS[x] to Center from Sih, Paul	Thank you for your recent letter concerning original correspondence I had with Father Thomas Merton.		«detailed view»
58.	1971/02/19	TAL[x] from Center to Sih, Paul	Thank you for sending us the original letters which you had received from Father Thomas Merton.		«detailed view»
59.	1984/04/05	TLS from Morris, Barbara L. / to William Shannon	As you requested, I am enclosing xeroxed copies of the letters exchanged between the late Dr. Paul		Paul Sih and Merton correspondence «detailed view»
60.	undated/no/no	other	Biographical Sketch of Paul K. T. Sih, Ph.D.		«detailed view»

The Thomas Merton Center at Bellarmine University

Merton's Correspondence with:

Sih, Paul K. T. (Paul Kwang Tsien), 1910-

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