Many of us view monks as role models of calm and mindful assurance. If we have met monks, we might marvel at their peaceful, unflappable openness. Most people who visit monasteries have an expectation of quiet, even silent, composure.
We often assume monks have found answers which satisfy them on their quests. We perceive monks as holding fast to certain truths they have discovered.
I have seen another side of things as I have gotten to know monks, and even become more monastic myself.
It may be true that monastic life helps people find new answers. For me the power of monastic life is helping us see old truths in new ways. It is not that life is more certain, more resolved. Monastic life shows us how to celebrate life’s ambiguity.
The monks I know, and my time at monasteries, help me appreciate truths more deeply.
We may assume our lives are about sorting things out and resolving our own minds. We may believe that as we gain experience, we will find answers to our questions. We may expect to become more certain as we get older.
Monastic practices open my eyes to possibilities yet to be explored.
We like to fool ourselves into thinking we can only trust what our physical senses tell us. We want to believe what we can see and hear, touch and smell, and taste. The fact is we allow ourselves to be distracted by what is on the surface.
Life is deeper, more ambiguous than our physical experiences. Monastic life can show us how not to be afraid, not to be distracted.
We can learn to revel in life’s ambiguity.
When have you recognized the value of ambiguity in your life?
How will we celebrate ambiguity in new ways today?
[Image by Lori Greig]
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