Monasteries… Your own separate world in our world. Own laws, rules and way of life.
What makes a person completely change his life and enter a monastery? How do people live in a monastery? How is the life of monks different from the life of ordinary people? Let's try to answer these and other questions.
Christian (Orthodox and Catholic), Hindu, Buddhist - monasteries exist in many world religions. There have always been and are people who see the meaning of their lives in solitude and serving God.
Priests - in Ancient Egypt, Druids - among the Celts, Vestals - in Ancient Rome, Essenes - in Palestine. All of them lived in their own communities, performed rituals, kept shrines and served their God (or gods). Isn't that where monasticism came from?
Your way, or Why do people go to monasteries?
What makes a person decide to completely change his life and settle in a monastery? Reasons, like life, are different for everyone.
Some are raised by deeply religious parents. They are not prepared for worldly life from early childhood. Other than serving God, such people do not imagine. In the old days, it was a common practice (especially in rich families with many children) to send one of the children to a monastery in their teens. Starting from infancy, such children were taken to holy monasteries, introduced to another life. They already knew how to live in a monastery and were ready to devote their lives to the service of the Lord.
Others come to monasticism through pain. The loss of a loved one, when the heart is torn to pieces, and the soul does not find peace … People are in hell day and night. They seek reassurance and answers to some of their questions. Looking everywhere. It happens that previously unbelievers begin to believe and go to the monastery.
Losing the meaning of life is another path leading to monasticism. People live “on the thumb”: they raise children, go to work. And then - the children grew up, they have their own life. No friends, no job, no hobbies. The question arises: what's next? They come to the monastery - and life takes on meaning.
Not everyone who comes stays. Life in the monastery is limited by strict rules and limits. After learning how they live in the monastery, some leave.
Christian monasteries
Monasteries, like the directions of Christianity, are Orthodox, Catholic and Protestant. There are more than 2,000 Orthodox believers in the world.
Naturally, different confessions also have differences in monastic life. But the basic rules are the same: prayer, obedience, work, mercy, spiritual cleansing.
Let's see how they live in an Orthodox monastery. Of whattheir day consists, who obeys whom. How to get into the monastery and how to leave it, if such a desire arose.
Male and female Orthodox monasteries
Joint monasteries in Russia were banned in the 16th century. There is no big difference in Orthodoxy between women's and men's monasteries. And if you ask: "How do the nuns live in the monastery?", The answer will be: "Practically the same as the monks." Is that there are some differences between the monasteries in the type of management.
The largest are subject to the patriarch. Smaller ones - to bishops. Abbots and abbesses directly lead the monasteries.
The most respected monks are responsible for the spiritual life of the monastery. They confess other monks, talk with them.
As a rule, a priest is sent to women's convents for confessions and services.
Degrees of Monasticism or Stages of Life in a Monastery
The number of steps a person needs to take before becoming a monk or nun depends on the monastery. In some cloisters the path is shorter, in others it is longer. But everywhere time is given to realize: are you suitable for monastic life, is life in a monastery suitable for you.
- The first step is a worker. A person who lives and works in a monastery, but does not think of becoming a monk in the future.
- A novice is a worker who has passed obedience and received a blessing to wear a cassock.
- Rassofor novice. He was blessedto wear a cassock.
- The next step is a monk. They cut his hair crosswise and give him a new name (in honor of the saint).
- Small schema. A person makes vows of obedience and renunciation of the world.
- The Great Schema. The same vows are made, the hair is cut again and the name of the heavenly patron is changed.
The way of life of monks
Ordinary people have a poor idea of how they live in a monastery and what, besides prayers, they do there. The daily routine in the monastery is clear:
- At 6 o'clock in the morning - Divine Liturgy.
- Meal.
- Service in the temple - prayers, memorial services.
- Obedience is a different kind of work. Both inside and outside the temple.
- Lunch.
- At 17:00 - evening service.
- Dinner at 20:00.
- Further reading the evening rule and prayer.
- Go to bed at 22:00.
The routine has been fine-tuned for years and can only be broken in extreme cases.
They eat normal, he althy food in the monasteries - bread, fish, eggs, vegetables, fruits and never eat meat. Prepare in turn. It is customary to finish everything that is put on the plate, even if it is tasteless (which, by the way, is very rare). Many products are used from their own monastery farmsteads.
Subsidiary farms of monasteries
Many monasteries are self-supporting. Donations from parishioners and farms are the main source of income.
Subsidiary farms of monasteries are workshops, workshops, vegetable gardens, orchards, greenhouses and farms. are laboringhousehold chores, everyone has their own responsibilities. Some work in workshops, others on the farm or in the garden. The work is done in turn or each has its own, separate section.
Agricultural work is very hard, and this scares off many laborers - people who came to the monastery just to “taste” the monastic life.
What, besides prayers and work, do they do in monasteries
Monks and nuns not only pray and work. They visit hospitals and nursing homes where they help and care for the infirm and lonely. After all, no one canceled mercy.
Of course, a lot depends on how big the monastery is and whether it has sponsors. If the monastery is very small and is only self-supporting, then its inhabitants have to pray all day long and think about their daily bread. There is simply no time left for charity.
The monks also conduct classes in Sunday schools, give lectures, collect donations.
Where the monks live
Workers can rent housing on their own and come to the monastery only to work. Or live in a special house for workers.
The abbots, monks and novices live in cells on the territory of the monastery. Cells are small separate rooms. Usually each person has his own cell. Sometimes they live in pairs.
The furnishings are simple: an iconostasis, a bed, a table, a chair, a closet. That, perhaps, is all.
It is impossible to visit other people's cells without a good reason. Idle talk is not welcome. monksshould spend time in prayer and reflection, not idle chatter.
Easy or difficult to be a monk
When asked: “Is it difficult to live in a monastery?”, You can answer the question with a question: “Is life generally easy?”
Some have a hard time, some don't. Depends on the character and he alth of the person.
The most difficult thing is to learn obedience. Submission and being humble is very difficult, especially for modern people. In ordinary life, most are used to proving their point of view. Sometimes with "foam at the mouth" and in obscene language. Even if you restrain yourself and remain silent in the monastery, the inner protest will still make itself felt sooner or later.
Drugs, alcohol and cigarettes are prohibited on the territory of the holy monastery. Therefore, addicted people also have a hard time.
A monastery is not a holiday home. And if a person has serious he alth problems, he will simply not be able to follow a strict daily routine.
How to get to the monastery
Don't make a hasty decision. First, you need to think things through. And if there are relatives and friends for whom a person is responsible, then it is better to stay. And try to live a normal life. The grief of relatives has never made anyone happier.
If a person has been hatching this decision for a long time… Well, let him try.
First you need to go to church for services. Confess, take communion and talk with the priest, listen to his advice. The priest must give his blessing. But he may not do this if he sees that the person is not ready orhis goals are far from serving God.
Then it is better to get a job as a worker in a monastery. Learn how they live there, get acquainted with the laws and regulations of the monastery. The main thing - for prayers and work, do not forget to listen to yourself. If you have a feeling of happiness and peace in your soul, stay.
The next step is to talk to the abbot of the monastery. He will tell you where to start, what documents you need to collect. Usually required:
- petition addressed to the rector;
- passport;
- marriage or divorce certificate.
There is no big difference in how a woman enters a monastery or how a man enters a monastery. But there are certain restrictions and conditions:
- Do not accept women with minor children. As a last resort, it is allowed to issue guardianship for someone.
- Trenching is not allowed before the age of 30 for both women and men.
- Money in the form of an entrance fee for admission to the monastery is not required. If you want, donate yourself.
- The probationary period before taking monastic vows is different - from one to five years. Depends on how ready the person is.
The decision to enter a monastery is very difficult, and it must be conscious. In order not to make a big mistake, and then regret it for the rest of your life, you need to get acquainted with monastic life and understand yourself.
