How to Live Like a Monk
If you are interested in monasticism, check out the Constitutions and Statutes of the Monks of the Cistercian Order of the Strict Observance. While much of it hardly applies to us mere mortals who are just trying to get through the day, I think it does provide an interesting glimpse into the rationale for the monastic way of life and its persistence into the third millennium.
This is so cool! thanks for the link. I followed it to the one for nuns. I love this:
“Each community of the Order and all the nuns are dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother and Symbol of the Church in the order of faith, love and perfect union with Christ”
and maybe I’m reaching here, but this sounds similar to the buddhist’s directive that one must let go of desire in order to know enlightenment:
“Only if the sisters prefer nothing whatever to Christ will they be happy to persevere in a life that is ordinary, obscure and laborious. And may he lead them all together into eternal life.”
April 12, 2006 at 7:14 pm