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Thursday, August 19, 2010

Week 8- Monasticism essay


Monasticism

The Cambridge Advanced Learner’s Dictionary defines monasticism as “The ways monks live. It describes a simple way of living with few possessions and no people near you.” Those who practice the monasticism are commonly called nuns (female) and monks (male.) The monasticism is absolutely a changing life and a renewal process. Being in a monastery implies a big responsibility because this person has to pull back of the worldly pleasures and become devoted to the religion and spiritual works. As well it involves persons who have to be very disciplined and necessarily adapted to many rules and schedules. The people who follow monasticism have a special lifestyle; they perform certain activities, and they must foster obedience to the rules imposed by the religious leaders.

T
he lifestyle of a person who chooses to live according to the monasticism is very different from the hectic life we accustom to have. I could say that this person develops like an isolated and solitary life. The life of the monks and nuns is like the hermit lifestyle because they must withdraw of many worldly activities, pleasures, materials, and others elements that belong to the world. The purpose of these individuals is to grow spiritually and acquire high religious knowledge; therefore, this implies asceticism which is to withdraw of the worldly satisfactions. The life of a person who practices the monasticism is totally different from our hectic life.


In addition monasticism includes certain activities that for us seem very strange. The persons who belong to a monastery perform some kind of activities either to grow spiritually or to help the homeless people. The most common activities that are to assist others are fasting, which is to refrain from one or two daily meals and use this money to help the homeless, or to carry out works such as teaching and nursing. Another activity which is to serve God or any other type of god is to remain in silence for very long periods of time and meditate for this way have the space to hear if the god wants to tell them something. Other activities that also help them to grow spiritually or to achieve a personal enlightenment are the prohibition against personal ownership, prayers, and the acceptance of bodily discomfort. This is how monasticism embraces certain activities that are not common for us.


Furthermore, monasticism is based on many rules as the same as most of the religious practices. As I mentioned before this life embraces a huge responsibility and discipline. This discipline is reflected in how obedient the monks and nuns are to follow the monastic rules. These rules are certainly restricted from the worldly pleasures. The religious leaders who have the authority are the ones established the rules to be followed by the monks and nuns. One of the Christian monasticism rules that strongly draws my attention is the celibacy, which is someone who is voluntarily abstaining from all sexual activities. These rules are followed by many of the monks and nuns for them to keep on being part of the monasticism.


M
onasticism is a lifestyle which demands strict behaviors that are not so impossible to accomplish. A person who chooses this path has to extremely abandon the world pleasures to dedicate his or herself to the religious. That is why monasticism becomes a challenge for those men and women who prefer to serve God. This fact implies a strong responsibility and discipline. Becoming a nun would be pretty boring for me, but for the simple reason of serving God; there is a possible of make it becomes part of my future goals.


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