Monastic Life Quotes:

Monastic life thus became a living protest against the secularization of Christianity, against the cheapening of grace.

- Dietrich Bonhoeffer

topic: Grace, Christianity, Monastic Life

I like the monastic life... in the prayer and the praising... this has charged me with new energy, spiritual energy. This is very important for my ministry outside the monastery.

- Pope Tawadros II of Alexandria

topic: Spiritual, Prayer, Important, Spiritual Energy, Monastic Life

By my monastic life and vows I am saying no to all the concentration camps, the aerial bombardments, the staged political trials, the judicial murders, the racial injustices, the economic tyrannies, and the whole socioeconomic apparatus which seems geared for nothing but global destruction in spite of all its fair words in favor of peace.

- Thomas Merton

source: Thomas Merton (2015). “Choosing to Love the World: On Contemplation”, p.134, Sounds True

topic: Political, Trials, Favors, Monastic Life

Monastic life cuts off the distractions and emotional entanglements one becomes involved in, in the lay life.

- Tenzin Palmo

source: Source: fpmt.org

topic: Cutting, Emotional, Distraction, Entanglement, Monastic Life

The curse should no longer rest upon the world itself, but upon that which is sinful in it, and instead of monastic flight from the world the duty is now emphasized of serving God in the world, in every position in life.

- Abraham Kuyper

source: Abraham Kuyper (2007). “Lectures on Calvinism”, p.30, Cosimo, Inc.

topic: World, Flight, Should, Monastic Life

Cooperation in the most natural thing in the world

- Janine Benyus

topic: World, Cooperation, Natural, Natural Things, Monastic Life

There is a basic problem that a lot of Western monks and nuns become ordained without really understanding or appreciating what the monastic life is all about.

- Tenzin Palmo

source: Source: fpmt.org

topic: Appreciate, Understanding, Problem, Monastic Life

Art is a vocation, as much as anything in this world. For the real artist, it is the most natural thing in the world, not as necessary as air and water, perhaps, but as food and water. But we really do lead almost a monastic life, you know; to follow it you very often have to give up something.

- Katherine Anne Porter

source: Katherine Anne Porter, Joan Givner (1987). “Katherine Anne Porter: Conversations”, p.86, Univ. Press of Mississippi

topic: Art, Giving Up, Real, Natural Things, Monastic Life

Working conditions for me have always been those of the monastic life: solitude and frugality. Except for frugality, they are contrary to my nature, so much so that work is a violence I do to myself.

- Albert Camus

source: Albert Camus, Jean Grenier (2003). “Correspondence, 1932-1960”, p.195, U of Nebraska Press

topic: Solitude, Violence, Working Conditions, Monastic Life

I think it would help if, when people are first ordained, they underwent a period of strict training, maybe for several years. During this time they would learn basic Buddhist philosophy in a monastic community where all the teaching and training was directed toward living a perfect monastic life and wasn't channeled out to fit into the lay life - which is what usually happens in Dharma centers where the teachings are directed toward how to live the Dharma in your everyday life.

- Tenzin Palmo

source: Source: fpmt.org

topic: Buddhist, Philosophy, Teaching, Monastic Life, Buddhist Philosophy

If there are 1,500 people in a theater and they're all there to see you, there are no other guys. You're the guy. So it is a monastic life, it is very lonely, if I was prone to loneliness. It's a lot like wrestling, no one can throw a block for you, no one can give you a pass. Nobody can hand the ball off to you, it's you only for an hour and a half every night.

- Jay Mohr

source: Source: underthegunreview.net

topic: Lonely, Block, Loneliness, Monastic Life