Friday, July 7, 2017

wouldn't want to make a monk scream

"...Often it's hard for monks to understand that people coming in from the noise of the world are so impressed by the relative quiet of the monastery that they see a paradise where there is none, and imagine monks to be more angelic than not. Monks are symbols of such a deep human longing that, paradoxically, others often have trouble seeing them as human beings. This is a complaint monks will make to anyone who will listen. 'If another person says, It's so peaceful here, I'll scream', one monk said to me."

                                                                - Dakota,  Kathleen Norris


(Well, I'm glad I only told you and not them!)






2 comments:

  1. This made me laugh!
    We visit monasteries as an escape from our noisy world - monks are there because that is where they *have* to be; that is their calling. They are not escaping from anywhere. In such a close-knit community with so many individuals I can imagine it can get quite tense and exciting at times! Of necessity, the monastery is run like a business but we don't see that when we visit.

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