I haven’t
thought this through yet, and in fact it is one of those issues that stays
unresolved and keeps us on our toes.
EQUILIBRIUM AND ADAPTATION
ent
Begin with this fact: Over the centuries new monks entering the monastery have always brought with them lots of behaviors
and mindsets from the culture in which they grew up, and so monasteries have
always reflected the larger culture in which they find themselves.
Begin with this fact: Over the centuries new monks entering the monastery have always brought with them lots of behaviors
and mindsets from the culture in which they grew up, and so monasteries have
always reflected the larger culture in which they find themselves.
The
perennial question for the Formation Director (me in this case) is: When a new candidate
comes to join the monastery, how much of “the world” can he bring in with him
and still make a legitimate go of monastic life? After all, part of a monk's gift to the Church is that he is deliberately counter-cultural, standing over against the values and assumptions of the prevailing
culture. In addition, one of the basic characteristics of monasticism is some degree of
separation from the world and its distractions and hollow pursuits.
For
example, there are no televisions in our monastery -- there is one over in the
hospitality center, but there are rules concerning when it can be watched. We
Luddites seem to get along just fine without the hours of television-watching
that absorbs many people.
As
Formation Director I’ve had to deal with various adaptations over the years. Twenty
years ago the question was “Can a candidate have a telephone in his room like
the rest of us?” the answer to that was easy: “Heck no!”
Then
fifteen years ago it was “Can I bring my computer?” That took some thought, but
got a reluctant “Yes,” since he was going to college at the time.
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| Do all Trappists wear hoods while emailing? |
The
idea is to help a new monk learn how to use a phone or a computer in such a way that it helps (and
doesn't hinder) the life project that he’s embarking on. He may as well learn how to
make judicious use of these things that are part of everyday modern life.
WHERE WOULD YOU DRAW THE LINE?
Okay.
Now envision some of the following:
- A monk who spends hours a day on Facebook communicating with long-forgotten classmates from second grade.
- A
monk texting during breakfast in the monastic refectory. (Technically he’s not
breaking silence, right?)
- A
novice posting daily updates on his Facebook page complaining about his quirky novice master or giving reviews of the monastery's food.
- A young monk during 6:00 a.m. Vigils types a quick twitter message: “We’re at Morning Prayer. Just finished
Psalm 78. OMG that’s a long one. LOL."
- A
Novice Master who spends 90 minutes a week writing and posting his blog. OOPS! Strike that
one.
These
questions challenge us monks to look at what our monastic project is all
about. Almost by definition monks should be slow to adapt to the latest trends in the
larger culture, so I’m not afraid of being accused of being old-fashioned. At the same time,
Benedict’s Rule for Monks has survived for so long because it allows for
adaptation to new circumstances.
Please pray that all of us, young and old, will be up to the challenge!
.
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| What would the Buddha say? |
As a member of a third order in formation, I often experience ambivalence over what would be antithetical to a lifestyle where there is a commitment to a certain degree of detachment from worldly allurements. My daily meditations on The Imitation of Christ shed light on why such detachment is necessary, and moreover the rewards that await those committed to such a lifestyle.
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