1 year ago
82 What is it astir books astir monks and the thought of monastic beingness that fascinates us? From Umberto Eco’s humanities fabrication The Name of the Rose to the dystopian satellite faced by the monk successful A Canticle for Leibowitz and the caller Monk and Robot bid started successful A Psalm for the Wild-Built, monk characters supply a assortment of ways to look astatine faith, solitude, and however to unrecorded a meaningful life. Monasticism, with its accent connected simplicity and looking inward, tin exert a beardown propulsion connected readers surviving successful a chaotic and uncertain world.
In summation to fabrication books astir monks, real-life practitioners of the monastic beingness person offered up their nonfiction insights connected everything from surviving successful a cloistered (i.e. closed off) monastery to engaging successful societal justness work. Many of these writers person utilized their ain experiences to counsel those surviving extracurricular a monastic assemblage however to use the principles of routine, meditation oregon prayer, and the clasp of suffering to unrecorded a much mindful beingness successful the modern world. Others are looking backmost connected their clip successful a monastery and sharing however the lessons they’ve learned person shaped them.
Whether you’re looking for Zen meditations oregon memoirs of faith, these books astir monks tin assistance present you to a satellite of contemplation and peace.
The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness successful a Changing World by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, and Douglas Carlton Abrams
One of the astir well-known figures of modern monastic beingness is Nobel Peace Prize Laureate His Holiness the Dalai Lama. In grant of his 80th birthday, chap spiritual person and bid seeker Archbishop Desmond Tutu traveled to the Dalai Lama’s location to sermon 1 question: How bash we find joyousness successful the look of life’s inevitable suffering? This intimate and uplifting publication tracks their conversations implicit the people of a week arsenic 2 spiritual leaders wrestle with the meaning of suffering and joyousness successful quality life.
The Cloister Walk by Kathleen Norris
Kathleen Norris, Protestant, married, female, and often successful uncertainty astir her ain faith, was amazed to find herself taking up extended residences astatine St. John’s Abbey successful Minnesota with a radical of Benedictine monks. During her clip there, she explored however the cloistered beingness of the monastery tin springiness meaning to our ain lives successful the extracurricular world, and however the past rituals and liturgies of the abbey helped her link with her ain beliefs.
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The Seven Storey Mountain by Thomas Merton
As a young man, Thomas Merton near down beingness successful large cities to person to Roman Catholicism and articulation the Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance (Trappists) astatine the Abbey of Gethsemani. Through the strictures of monastic life, Merton recovered meaning successful his cloistered environment. He yet became a dependable for the civilian rights question successful America and an outspoken advocator connected issues of contention and bid and went connected to conscionable with spiritual leaders from a assortment of faiths arsenic good arsenic people respective books connected the quality of contemplative thought.
The Art of Living: Peace and Freedom successful the Here and Now by Thich Nhat Hanh
How bash we look surviving and dying with curiosity, alternatively than fear? Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh uses this publication to pb the scholar done 7 meditations based connected the Buddha’s teachings and designed to assistance america unrecorded successful and clasp the present.
When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times by Pema Chödrön
Often erstwhile we look achy experiences oregon thoughts, our archetypal instinct is avoidance. However, Pema Chödrön argues, existent state tin travel from walking toward our pain, alternatively than hiding from it. Drawing connected her years arsenic a monk astatine the archetypal Tibetan monastery successful North America, Chödrön encourages the scholar to clasp suffering successful bid to unfastened their hearts to joy.
Mind Full to Mindful: Zen Wisdom From a Monk’s Bowl by Om Swami
Om Swami was an MBA postgraduate and palmy person of a tech institution earlier leaving it each down to go a monk successful the distant Himalayan foothills. Here, helium talks the readers done what he’s learned astir the quality of Zen practices to quiescent the caput connected a day-to-day basis. As Swami shares episodes from his ain life, helium shows however this contented tin assistance readers execute a much mindful attack to the regular habits of their regular lives.
Together We Are One: Honoring Our Diversity, Celebrating Our Connection by Thich Nhat Hanh
Many books astir monks absorption connected the solitary quality of their path, but arsenic Thich Nhat Hanh shows america here, the assemblage is besides astatine the halfway of monastic life. In this book, helium takes lessons from starring retreats for radical of colour and shares them with america each to speech astir however we tin make a much conscionable world. By applying what he’s learned arsenic a monk to the issues of interconnection and societal justice, Thich Nhat Hanh shares compassionate paths for reflection and creating a amended world.
Haven by Emma Donoghue
Emma Donoghue uses fabrication to research faith, adventure, and endurance successful this communicative of 2 monks and a clergyman successful 7th period Ireland. Seeking refuge from the sins of the world, student and clergyman Artt sets disconnected with 2 monks, Trian and Cormac, successful hunt of an isolated spot to physique a monastery. When their vessel drifts to a deserted land successful the Atlantic, the 3 men volition person to fig retired what God and endurance mean successful specified a barren place.
If you’re funny successful learning much astir monastic life, check retired these beauteous monastic libraries. We besides person more publication suggestions to assistance you larn astir Buddhism and books astir nuns and priests.
