We
Are All Monks
Since my early youth I have seen myself as a monk, but one without a monastery
or at least without walls other than those of the entire planet.
And even these, it seemed to me, had to be transcended—probably by
immanence—without a habit, or at least without vestments other than those worn
by the human family. Yet even these vestments had to be discarded,
because all cultural cloths are only partial revelations of what they
conceal: the pure nakedness of total transparency only visible to the
simple eye of the pure of heart. ~Raimon Panikkar
Raimon
Panikkar reminds us that we need—perhaps more than ever—to rediscover the
wisdom of monasticism for our time. While most of us will never live in a
monastery or take monastic vows, we can learn to master the spiritual virtues
and qualities of being that flourish in solitude and silence. As we walk
through the imaginative doors of the monastery, and figuratively enter its
enclosure, we are immediately struck by the absence of superfluous noise.
There arises an intuitive recognition that much unhappiness in life is the
result of never experiencing one’s own silence or the freedom of
solitude. In crossing the threshold between worlds, we discover a
desire that is deeper and more fundamental than the attractions of material
things. We discover that passion for truth is the force or intention that
leads us to practice spiritual disciplines and to uncover ancient structures of
consciousness that purify our hearts and deepen our minds.
We have a rare opportunity to cultivate this contemplative dimension outside the monastic enclosure, and even outside a religious or denominational form. We are blessed to be able to draw upon the wisdom of the world’s spiritual traditions and the thought of great contemplative masters. It is as if the doors of our imaginative monastery were flung open and we were granted access to the collective storehouse of human spiritual possibility. This development in spiritual consciousness, that offers us a new monastic form for the uncloistered and the religiously unattached, grows out of silence itself. For in meditative awareness, we find a radical emptiness that is more primordial than religious identity, and more nameless, writes Panikkar, than the qualification of being Christian, Buddhist, Hindu, and so forth.
Fr. Zossima, in Dostoevsky’s The Brothers Karamazov, says that monks are not a
special sort of person, but only what all persons ought to be. While to
some this may be a startling claim, it is nonetheless true that the monk is not
a separate kind of person from the rest of us. Rather the monk symbolizes
one dimension of the core of our natures, and the possibility that every one of
us can reach this dimension. Although not everyone is suited to the
formal monastic life, we all have a contemplative dimension that is worthy of
cultivation. We all have the capacity to experience something of the
silence that precedes religious forms. Inherent in the human person,
contemplation is essential to our natures and to discovering who we are.
It is a reality of which we are made and for which we yearn.
The challenge of being modern, uncloaked monks consists in the attempt to
integrate "what every person ought to be" into the wider social and
personal circle of our lives. Not content with the historical isolation
of the monk, or with extreme forms of ascetical renunciation, the contemporary
seeker desires to return to the original simplicity of the contemplative
ideal. As we push open the monastic doors we discover that these ancient
resources can assist us in integrating all aspects of contemporary life--work,
family, friendship, and sexuality--into the holy dimension of being.
It is intrinsic to human nature to be better, more holy. To find the deep source of meaning and the quality of being that are essential to live authentically, we must be willing to be new. The image that Panikkar offers—that we all have a monastic dimension—upholds a certain quality of life and a certain freedom of being that flourish in stillness, detachment, and rest. For the monastic heart is solitude, and grace. ~Beverly Lanzetta
Today, it would appear that within the psyche there is a
hungering for a more simplified lifestyle. Many ‘highflyers’ from the city are
so desperate to abandon the fast lane for peace and tranquility and return back
to nature. Also, many men and women who at heart, remain deeply spiritual, have
become disillusioned with conventional religion and its practices. They
continue to return to more ancient spiritual beliefs such as Shamanic and
Celtic traditions to nurture their longing for personal intimacy with the
Supreme Source through Nature.
In conclusion, we believe that the Tau Community of Saint Francis is a self-governing interfaith monastic community which has no denominational ties except as they pertain to
each individual member. We believe that the flexibility of the Order enables a
person to find the right mixture of supports to live the religious life
successfully.
We are convinced that we are a viable
model of religious life for the future and we believe that God has called the
Members of the Tau Interfaith Franciscan Community of St. Francis to unite as
one spiritual family whose love will empower mankind embrace the Natural World-
The Franciscan Soul and lead by example of what interfaith unity and compassion
represents in a spiritually impoverished century.
The questions I put to your heart today:
Ø
Are you
seeking personal intimacy with God?
Ø
Are you ready
to live in the world but not engage with its dramas?
Ø
Are you
considering a simpler lifestyle change?
Ø
Are you led
to follow your heart?
Ø
Are you
thinking about becoming a lay monastic from your own home- your monastery
without walls?
Ø
Are you ready
to make such a commitment to embrace life as a modern day monastic?
Ø
Are you
mature enough to commit to such an undertaking as this?
Ø
Are you
searching for a lay monastic family; one that would accept you as you are
regardless of belief, sexuality or disability?
If you have answered YES to any of the
above, then why not consider joining our online lay monastic community- the
Abbey of Saint Francis of Peace and Compassion………
For more details, please visit our website: http://www.interfaithfranciscans.com In a nutshell, when we reach the crossroads of our life, so many times we sense a deep inner longing within our heart to reflect on why I am here and what my life’s purposes are……..
If you are still on that road of self discovery and would like
to test whether or not you have a monastic calling to live as a modern day lay
monastic without having to leave family or friends, then seek divine guidance
within your heart-then honor it and explore the choices right for your
spiritual pathway. Why miss this golden opportunity today.
Pax et Bonum
Brother Sean
Why not come and join
me on Livestream where we embrace the healing energies of the Risen Cosmic
Christ and Magdalene to reactivate the soul’s DNA to self heal.
Led by Brother Sean from
12 midnight (GMT );
07.00pm (EST) 4 personal and global
Peace and Insterspiritual Unity.
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