Why I go to monasteries (Trisha)

Busy, frazzled people sometimes go to monasteries to get away from the craziness of the world for a little while. It gives them a chance to pull out of the fast lane, and slow down so they can emerge feeling refreshed, rejuvenated and ready to face the rat race again. But I go for a different reason. It’s not to escape the burdens and pressures of life, but rather to look for insights into how to deal with them. It’s not to expect to be given the answers to questions that will probably always perplex and bewilder me, but rather to be touched and inspired by what happens when I ponder the immense moreness of life and what it means to live in a world filled with so many mysteries to ponder. A monastery isn’t a place to hide from reality. It’s where I go to find out more about it. And as far as I’m concerned the most important thing about going to a monastery is leaving it to go home again – because that’s where I’m can put into practice what the monastic tradition has to teach me about approaching life with reverence and authenticity.

I’ve spent years searching for something I can believe in about God. I haven’t found it in the churches I’ve attended or in what doctrines and dogmas insist I believe and do in order to be a person of faith. But the wisdom, insights and experiences that flow from Benedictine and Cistercian monasticism has had a profound impact on me. Monks and nuns don’t just talk about what they believe, they show us how to live as if it really matters. They’ve found that a rich interior life guides the way they live exteriorly and so they make it a practice to look closely at what’s going on around and inside them. They get to know the truth of who they really are - as opposed to who they might like to fool everyone else into thinking they are. So they’re comfortable being themselves – prepared to confront their demons, able to accept their imperfections as well as their strengths, mindful of the consequences of their actions and willing to work at trying to change behaviors that ought to be changed. They tend to be emotionally literate people who recognize that feelings are messages that tell us about ourselves.

The wisdom of their life is reflected in values and behaviors that are dramatically different from those of our culture. For one thing, monastic people recognize the importance of slowing down and paying attention to what their lived experiences can tell them instead of darting about on the surface of life. They pay attention to the clues their ordinary lives reveal about what’s sacred and they respond with gratitude and mindfulness. They pay attention to the dignity and worth of others and they respond with respect, compassion and love. They pay attention to the blessed gift of creation and they respond by using resources wisely and in moderation. They are good people living good lives. And they can teach us how to be good people so we can live good lives too, which is why I go to monasteries. It’s because I have so much to learn there.