So many wizened, bitter atheists here getting their knickers in a twist because some men in Greece believe they’ve been called by god to the contemplative life. I suspect all the self-satisfied anger and sneering judgment directed at the monks’ “useless” life of prayer and song is really just ill-disguised envy. (By the way, I’m an atheist, too. But I try not to spit on others’ life choices or vocations.)
46
On the Yeshiva University campus twenty years ago, some students pointed out to me a middle aged man who was a Kollel student. This man did not have a conventional job. He was paid to study Jewish law and lore and to be a good example to others. He was not obligated to teach anyone or to do anything for anybody although he would gladly help anyone who asked.
Three generations before, his great great uncle destroyed more churches, mosques, and synagogues than any other person in the whole of human history. Trotsky was proud of all that destruction. In contrast, his great great nephew was building his soul. His presence in the buildings of Yeshiva helped young men to be better Jews and to be better human beings
What goes around comes around. The Soviet Union no longer exists; Judaism lives on.
16
Not to worry, ladies. Google tells me the left hand of Mary Magdalene resides there. The ‘incorrupt...fragrant’ left hand, which is brought out for fire suppression purposes once in a while. St. Mary also is a co-founder of the place, somehow. Does this count as a female presence? There might be other bits and pieces of saints there, but St. Mary is supposedly the star.
Although the relic business is not what it once was, when a chunk of bone or wood could be used in serious international commerce, in today’s age of DNA analysis, some interesting data might be available, although church people are known to discourage suitable sampling, and a great number would really rather not know the literal mundane details of their luminaries. For me, as a physics guy, the upraised middle finger, of Galileo, in purely skeletal form, in Florence, is sufficient for my purposes.
5
" Ben Adhem bold,
And to the Presence in the room he said
"What writest thou?"—The vision raised its head,
And with a look made of all sweet accord,
Answered "The names of those who love the Lord."
"And is mine one?" said Abou. "Nay, not so,"
Replied the angel. Abou spoke more low,
But cheerly still, and said "I pray thee, then,
Write me as one that loves his fellow men."
The angel wrote, and vanished. The next night
It came again with a great wakening light,
And showed the names whom love of God had blessed,
And lo! Ben Adhem's name led all the rest."
More fulfilment in for loving fellow women and men than monotonously loving the Lord of whatever faith or belief system.
For those who believe, God created females so that species can propogate. Females are not lesser beings but a primeval force. No females equates to no life , no God.
6
Sadly, a lot of the comments here are missing the point about Orthodox monasteries. You need to visit one and experience it firsthand before judging it by modern standards. The article is very short on the philosophy of monasteries. Before criticizing, I recommend that you pick up a book like The Mountain of Silence which goes into depth about the philosophy of Orthodox monasticism.
What’s missing from the article is that the monks go to Athos to seek theosis - or union with God. Orthodox Christianity doesn’t say you need to be at a monastery to achieve theosis. We are all expected to live somewhat like monastics in our daily lives - by watching what we think, what we say, what we do. It is just that monasticism offers a structure for those who want it.
We think of monks as cloistered but in reality they touch our lives. They constantly pray for us. If you visit, they will listen and be there for you no matter what you did. They retain timeless practices and serve as a role model, while the rest of our society focuses on wealth and other things that will disappear upon death.
I wish our Western culture better understood monasticism (Protestantism seemed to kill it). But East Asian cultures seem to get it more.
41
Do not forget the monks have almost no cancer mos5 likely due to their diet.
It’s not a tourist attraction. Have you been moved closer to God?
Why not? What is preventing you? What is the obstruction?
4
Anyone reading this needs to go to https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2010/10/greeks-bearing-bonds-201010 which is Michael Lewis's article in Vanity Fair about these "holy men" who, somehow, control an empire of real estate. And as for not allowing women on the island: As Lewis notes in the article, that stricture was instituted because so many of the "holy men" were hitting on the women who visited. A multi million euro real estate empire would make me pretty happy, too.
7
It's kind of sad to see all these open-minded, liberal, inclusive, "woke" commentators vigorously hating a way of life which differs from that of a open-minded, liberal, inclusive, "woke" American. Inclusive my great Aunt Fanny!
18
No women. Half the human race automatically excluded. For this reason, you can keep your mind blowing insights to yourself.
12
As long as they're happy...
3
Happy to read this piece by Simon Critchley.
At our hermitage, these words:
Embodying the dwelling place of the Alone;
Stepping aside to make room for Another.
The monastic vocation and practice invites the one called into a life of solitude in the midst of community -- with respect, recollection, and engaged kindness.
12
I wonder...would we all be celebrating a monastic community that was race segregated? Is there nobility in bliss found by banning females? What does it say about men that they require the absence of females in order to achieve "enlightenment?" Would we think that race segregation was compatible with spiritual enlightenment? The very premise of this community (no females allowed) would seem to make any "bliss" achieved there suspect.
11
Females have their own separate monasteries, so you could say the same of them too. It is a wash. This is an ancient philosophy - you can’t impose modern thinking on it. And I am a feminist!
22
As a Christian who really believes the Faith that I have studied for many years, I expect to go to Heaven. At times I feel a concern that I will get bored there. After all, eternity is a long time. But your description of life on the "Holy Mountain", with its constant worship sounds similar to what Heaven must be like, yet the inhabitants are quite happy. That encourages me.
9
There are many ways of deluding oneself, and religion and being ascetic is one of them. I prefer not to be the happiest man on earth, if it requires being out of contact with reality or the world
6
For the last year I have been participating in weekly meditation sessions with monks at a Buddhist temple near where I live. Being among members of a Buddhist monk community (sangha) is hard to describe. There is a tranquility that belies the effort that the monks put into their practice. I started taking part in meditation with the monks at a difficult time in my life and the experience has pretty much saved my life.
A friend of mine will be ordaining as a Buddhist monk later this month. I couldn't be happier for him!
7
@Metaphor
I recently completed a four day meditation retreat at a Buddhist monestary, and highly recommend it.
Regardless of your own religious beliefs, everyone needs retreat from time to time.
9
As I grow older, I come to find something intoxicating about the life of monasticism.
I live in the hurly-buly of NYC, and sometimes I yearn for this type of experience, for this type of peace and tranquility. Where there is no scramble to do your best in your career, where there is no scramble to show off your worldly belongings and accomplishments to those around you.
To just be.
To surrender yourself to something bigger and more powerful and more awe-inspiring than you.
I'm not religious. I'm agnostic. But I TOTALLY understand the appeal of the monastic way of life.
And I totally get the rapture the author experienced during the chanting. I've gotten snatches and glimpses of this rapture with the sublime religious music I listen to sometimes. It really does heal the battered soul, this type of musical ecstasy.
I do wonder sometimes if this is something I may be enticed to do later in my life. Leave everything and just surrender myself to this class of communal living.
Who knows. But I do wonder...
27
All the spirituality in the world can't cover up the fact that not a jot of evidence exists for any supernatural force.
As far as religion and philosophy is concerned, there are also no reasons or purpose for our existence.
Sad but true. The fact that we have imaginations should not allow us to imagine realities...
And there are some questions that should not be asked. You may find yourself controlled by the answer.
Religion is the greatest curse we have gifted to mankind.
9
@Al
You're simply willfully blind to the evidence.
The best SCIENTIFIC evidence states that all of physical reality, all of time, space, matter and energy were created from nothing at the Big Bang.
That is the very definition of super (above, outside of) natural
12
Dear Mr. Critchley and the NY Times, thanks again for another wonderful written and evocative article on Greece, it's history and its remarkable culture. Having been there for the first time just last year, I can't tell you enough how much I have appreciated these beautifully written articles. Like so many before, I fell hopelessly in love with Greece and its history. Reading your articles makes me understand why I must go back and spend more time there - and visit places like Athos. And most importantly, I must read more Greek philosophy and see more Greek tragedy!
15
We are exiled to earth for a time, bereft of all spiritual moorings except for our moral compass and the availability of God’s grace for survival.
16
I cannot understand the complaints from women that Athos is sexist so they would be unable to visit it. To paraphrase Groucho Marx, why would they want to visit a place that wouldn't admit them as a member? Suppose there is a monastery open only to Greeks that would not allow me to visit. Should I complain about discrimination? A society for the contemplation of mathematics, open only to mathematicians? Is there something intrinsically objectionable about the island that Wonder Woman comes from?
I think this thought-provoking piece illustrates that happiness depends on where the individual finds meaning. To me, it sounds all well and good, but there is no "there" there. But I suppose others could be equally dismissive of the worth of what I find interesting.
6
Lots of comments on women being excluded from the experience. I am certain that that are hundreds of nunnery's where women commune in similar experiences. Not every experience benefits from being a mixed gender experience else we would not have all the women's only colleges.
18
I was overwhelmed by today's Times article on Ruport Murdoch, so decided this piece would be a soothing contrast. How revealing two people living at the same time can have such opposing lifestyles.
I'll leave it to my fellow/sister readers to decide who leads the more fulfilling existence.
19
The purpose of the sliver of physical life at the beginning of our infinite existence is to freely choose who and where we want to be for eternity.
9
Of course they are happy. They have an easy, peaceful life in a beautiful place, away from the stresses of modern society. They live in a man’s world, where women cannot enter. They believe they have the golden ticket to an eternal life and that they are forgiven before they even form a sinful thought.
I fail to see how the cloistered life of monks and nuns benefits the greater world. I have much more admiration for those who go out into the world and work for others. That is true devotion and love.
29
@Passion for Peaches
I've never met a monk or nun who feel that they have a 'golden ticket' or are 'forgiven before they even form a sinful thought."This is simply not accurate. Rather, they remain steeped in askesis always seeking repentance and mercy. They pray for all and for those monasteries that have visitors, the monks are of service to all, often working while they pray.They have their struggles just as we do in this world; the human struggle and the emotions and thoughts that go along with it.
14
@Passion for Peaches If you really knew monks and nuns you would know that the life is demanding and has its own stress. Monks and nuns were not dropped into the monastery by the stork. They have families and friends, too.
And why must the life of cloistered monks and nuns benefit the world (although it does). Most people make choices for their lives to find fulfillment and happiness, not to "benefit the great world". So, why fault monks and nuns who have chosen to live a life intent on God? Monks and nuns have a great love for the world which is one reason why they are in the monastery. Not everyone can spend their lives dedicated to prayer so they do it for them. Monks and nuns also show us that it is possible to come from various backgrounds, countries and diverse ethnic origins and live in peace and harmony. We need a little more of that in this world.
14
@Susanmaria and Brenda: you are both speaking as believers. I don’t share your religion. And yes, I do know people (am related to people) in religious orders. I have been around both Christian and Buddhist monks and nuns. I know what the life is, and in my view it is cosseted and easy compared to real life. Just because your truth is different from mine, that does not make mine wrong. Perhaps that should be the mantra of the Internet, since so few people who post comments online understand or accept that the viewpoints of others are as valid as their own.
As for “Most people make choices for their lives to find fulfillment and happiness, not to "benefit the great world...”, more’s the pity if that is true. You think that is a good thing? I call that selfishness. Living for the self alone is not admirable, in my view.
Furthermore, having been baptized and raised as a Catholic, And having spent years among Christian fundamentalists, I am familiar with the concept of salvation. It’s funny that you take exception to my statement about the Christian idea of forgiveness. I once challenged a Born Again on some racist statements made by her “saved” offspring. She said Christians didn’t need to be perfect because they had been saved. What an objectionable outlook on life!
2
I don't think that the joy expressed by these monks is exclusive to their religion or order. Accounts of the Shaker communities and other religious sects of the mid 19th century describe the same type of joy. Thomas Merton, the Trappist monk who lived in Kentucky, also wrote of the joyful experience that he felt through his devotion to God. Buddhists too!
14
Interesting article. The photograph's by Maria Mavropoulou are stunning. Particularly the sunset, just breathtaking.
15
Like Dr. Critchley, I too have a degree in Philosophy, though only a BA; and I, like he, had a profound spiritual/religious experience while in Greece, but on the island of Santorini. I didn't believe in such things, my skepticism having been well developed at UCBerkeley and UCLA, so it shocked me in its strength and undeniability and changed my life forever. It was humbling to be brought to my knees and laid the foundation for an even stronger, more mystical experience that occurred nearly twenty years later and turned my entire life upside down. Life is, at its core, more mysterious than words can convey; and, at the foundation of the Universe, is a love beyond our wildest imaginings.
45
@Claire Grace Armitage
And, given your UCB/UCLA background, you know what potential animus you may suffer at the hands of the secularists here. So congratulations also for your courage on posting such a sweet, beautiful and inspired reflection.
10
@Claire Grace Armitage I get it. The staggering beauty of Santorini alone can bring a sensitive person to her knees!
2
It is indeed possible as a householder to live life seeking the grace that Ioanikos speaks about. Indeed each travail of the world provides the impetus to seek it even more.
8
Prof. Critchley,
This is magnificent! Thanks for inspiring and uplifting me! You must be an incredible teacher! Thank you for sharing that beautiful prayer, which is so simple and yet so profound. Some might say the contemplative life is escapism. I see it as encounter.
22
Such tales always bring thoughts to mind that many will find offensive. I am an atheist and religion is, at best, a tolerable source of community that sometimes does good things despite its false foundation.
But my reflexive response to this story, or to the stories of men (mostly) who are "called" from secular life to sectarian isolation, is that the "called" are more running from something than running to something. It may be trauma, it may be a repressed sexual identity, or it may be the psychological remnant of childhood indoctrination.
But I find it sort of sad, not wondrous. Not harmful, but not useful. Just a group of humans for whom a rich, complex engagement with life is too uncomfortable.
But there is, of course, some wonder and beauty in silence and reflection. We all need that. But not only that.
36
@Barking Doggerel Speaking not from any religious belief system I would say that atheism is in most cases (perhaps not yours) just another belief system. At bottom this human life is a great mystery. You can't attach any story to it, whether religious or non-religious without having made an assumption. Not knowing is too uncomfortable for most of us.
10
@Barking Doggerel
Of all the cultists and religionists throughout history, there are none so dogmatic as those who worship nihilism.
Virtually every sentence of the physicalists, materialists, positivists - all nihilists - contains within it at least 3 contradictions. Though, even that is not correct as the very assertion of physicalism is utterly incoherent.
The scholar of world religions, Huston Smith, once spoke to a psychiatrist, who informed him that according to strict DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, used by mental health clinicians to ascertain specific diagnoses), materialism can be considered a form of psychotic disorder.
But as a wise man once said, when you’re “in” the myth, you don’t know it’s a myth.
You ask someone, “What does ‘God’ mean?” And they havent’ a clue, yet they insist there isn’t one.
Ask them, “What does ‘physical’ mean?” And they haven’t a clue.
Ask the same about “matter,” “energy,” “space,” “electricity,” “magnetism,” etc. The same.
Oh, but what about the definitions in the textbooks? But they’re not telling you what it IS. They’re describing abstract concepts derived from sensory observations, subjected to rigorous quantification bringing them even further into the realm of nihilism.
The fact that most nihilist/atheist/physicalist/materialist/naturalist modernists have no clue what the above means only shows how far we have descended into utter darkness.
6
The Acropolis and Athos. "One is dead and the other is living." Indeed, because the supposedly living one killed the supposedly dead one. But the dead one is not really dead. It's reborn in culture, literature, art, memory.
16
I wonder what made them think the Virgin Mary wouldn't welcome some female company in her garden?
42
You ought to experience the Gyoto monks doing their chant. Equally impressive.
5
If the author were to stop thinking, he would realize the experience as religious. One cannot think ones way to God.
5
Happiness like beauty is in the eyes of the beholder Mr. Critchley.
I believe in the equality theory of life ie everybody gets an equal amount of happiness and unhappiness and if not in this life then in another dimension if you believe in Einstein or the afterlife if you believe in God.
Also, God and nature determine happiness and unhappiness, you or any other person does not.
1
“But apparently that was better than being Catholic. On my permit, it read “Anglican,” which made me smile.”
Mr Critchley has been misinformed. In fact, the Orthodox Church accepts the validity of Catholic baptism, and the two religions share the veneration of Saints and the Virgin Mary, the transubstantiation of the Eucharist and much ritual and theology (but not the celibacy of priests). More, in every Orthodox mass, the priest refers to his church as “catholic,” small “c” meaning universal which the two United churches were until the schism in the 11th century. The main and essential contention between the two churches is the Pope whose authority the Orthodox Church (except for Orthodox Uniates) does not accept.
What essentially connects the modern Greeks with the ancients is the unbroken continuity of Greek which, like all living languages, has transformed, muted and evolved through nearly four thousand years from the Linear B of the Mycaenians to the English-absorbing Demotic of today.
12
What a huge variety of ways we humans find to live our lives. It's so interesting to read about extremes, such as the society Professor Critchley describes.
But we must keep our heads and acknowledge that none of those ways is objectively superior to any other. The only test we can rationally apply to them is whether one person's choice negatively impacts another. If each passes that test, going to Studio 54 or staying in a cell by yourself are of equal moral worth.
And on the subject of that test, it's worth recalling that monasticism was the seedbed for many of the worst, the most murderous and destructive ideas that polluted Christianity right up to the modern age.
10
Further reading, and better: Dakota, a Spiritual Geography, by Kathleen Norris. From a woman. Amazing!
Cancel out women, cancel out 1/2 of the world. Ugh!
6
All boys club, only men can save us or really appreciate this godliness it would seem.
12
It all sounds a bit monty pythonesque to me. He may have found the happiest man he ever met, but is happiness authentic when it is based on a delusion? Maybe it doesn't matter.
16
I was taught in Christian school that joy was derived from serving
Jesus
Others
Yourself
These monks seemed focused on themselves and are totally avoiding service to their fellow men (and women, if they care).
While I am now an agnostic, it amused me even at a young age, that "GOD" would enjoy our human caterwauling.
7
I loved the last phrase, our 'stupid philosophical distance and intellectual arrogance.
As the Greeks, Assyrians, Egyptians asked, how do we know we are happy? How do we pursue happiness? As our species claim to modernize, we lose sight of the keystones for happiness. We think we have come so far. Do automobiles, factories, Iphones, Instant banking, world travel really land us with an ineffable joy more profound than words can describe? The 'way' of humanity has not changed much since Socratic times, our tendencies and idiosyncrasies have not 'modernized'. Facebook does not help us build community, just as sending a Tweet with 1 million followers does not send us to joy heaven. These only ask us to crave for more like a person at a grand buffet given only a teaspoon to feed.
Many will say that pursuing spirituality modelling the path of this monk is not for me (even this monk said so himself), yet many ardently pursuing spirituality will tell us that seeking solitude and consecrating a life of simplicity is the only way. We live in a life of excess and distractions, many have tried all these ‘things and functions’, few of which are ‘immortal’. Right-relatedness and transcendent enlightenment come when we share a simple meal, listen to silence, shut off our proxy-brain Iphones.
6
It's a pity such happiness is only available to half of the human race. Is it this exclusion that permits the experience of joy? Isn't that a little wicked? What are they afraid of?
13
@csk. I'm with you. It's passed over so unseriously. The "only" females are cats? No insects or other small mammals? Anyway, unacknowledged/unapologetic male privilege reduces any esteem I would hold for the writer.
7
@csk
Why be jealous? I’ve read wonderful descriptions of convent life too. Medical studies of aging Sisters in community show health benefits as well as spiritual ones. As a woman I was delighted and grateful to read this impression of a place I’ll never see. Mind you, I’ll never see most of the far off places I read about (and I treasure the far off or remote places, some not very accessible, I have been.) Many special places are very remote or restricted in one way or another, culturally or otherwise. And in my view that is a good part of what makes them special. I certainly don’t want such a special place to change! Equal access is indeed important for, say, public education, or public transportation, or public roads. Why be dogmatic about a remarkable report like this?
8
Reading this all I can think is: what an absolute waste.
In our world with so many problems and so many people in need of help and healing, monasticism seems like the most selfish thing in the world. As "mystical" as they may seem, these ritualistic lives serve next to no purpose.
If these monks were true servants of God, they would go out into the world and help those who are in need. That's the call to faith that they should have heard, and likewise for all the other members of the world's churches who claim to be the servants of God.
16
@John
What nonsense. By this logic, Michelangelo was wasting his time and should have been working in a soup kitchen instead
10
In 1988 my two sons went to Greece, Italy and Turkey over 9 weeks. My eldest son secured from our
Secretary of State and the Greek Ambassador to the U.S. a permit to go to Mt. Athos which would be the high point of their trip. They flew from Santorini Greece to Thessalonika, and traveled by boat where they met the guard who inspected their papers.
According to my son, they had to let their beards grow so they could not be taken for women who were not allowed on Mt. Athos. They got a great picture of Father Timothy sitting on a giant rock between the two of them.
When the monks sat down for meals one of the monks would be praying throughout the meal. My youngest son did not realize that when the monk stopped praying the meal was over and my youngest was barely starting to eat. He leaned quickly to eat first and then have conversation. When you get permission to go to Mt. Athos, once admitted, you can travel from monastery to monastery.
As they related their adventures on Mt. Athos my mind wandered to Anthony Quinn and his performance in Zorba the Greek.
7
Here is what I got out of this interesting article: There are life values other than materialism/prestige, etc. When we consciously choose and pursue those other values - like these monks do - we are happier, nurtured from within.
Looking outside ourselves will not bring us the same sustained happiness. And there are many ways of reaching that goal of which going to this particular monastery is just one. There are also nunneries, Buddhist retreats and others with similar aspirations and results. Criticizing others is easy; coming up with peace within oneself much harder.
And no, while I as a Jewish man have toured a few monasteries, I have never wanted that lifestyle - but I respect those who do and am willing to learn.
19
I had the great pleasure to visit Athos in 2003. I'm somewhat surprised and very pleased that Father Ioanikios is still the archondaris at Simonopetra. He greeted us upon arrival and served small glasses of water and tsiporo, along with rosewater candies. It was a fabulous experience that I highly recommend to any who can make the trip.
8
@David
How lucky you are that you got to visit. Indeed, it seems profoundly moving. But when you say that you recommend it to "... any who can make the trip" you probably should have said "... any MEN who can make the trip," seeing as how we ladies aren't allowed. How nice for those of you with a Y chromosome that you get to experience such bliss.
28
Primordial prayer seems to be what many modern Evangelical Christians seek when they go to church--prayers to deeply move them and be a guide to others.
I suspect that they could learn a lot from these monks if they but let themselves, but I don't think that I would care to see cruise ships full of evangelicals trying to sit through the matins, or the consequences of them trying to evangelize to one of the oldest Christian sects in existence. I expect the monks wouldn't like that large a mass either. Or that large a Mass.
3
We find happiness in countless ways - in the contemplative life of a monastery, in the thrill of skiing, in passionate love making, in the deep reverie out of which emerges a well-crafted novel or poem, in the intense focus that goes into creating a beautiful table or chair.
Gradually we come to associate happiness with those particular activities. They gradually yield fewer results, and perhaps we turn to "cheaper" thrills - drugs, alcohol, gambling, and so on.
All that time failing to realize that it is possible, in any situation - from the most extreme chronic pain to the moments after a beloved fellow soldier has been killed by an IED - to access "that" by mean of a simple shift.
Verses
Whatever the place you’re in
Whatever you feel
Whatever is going on
Remember to be
Let go of the future
Let go of the past
Set all your concerns aside
Remember to be
CHORUS
No matter the grief or pain
We still can be free
With just the most gentle shift
Remember to be….
Remember to be
6
@don salmon
I would add, in case the song lyrics sound overly simplistic, that the Apostle Paul, when he spoke in Athens, said to his audience that the wise people of ancient times knew of "God" as "That in which we live and move and have our being."
The orthodox theologian, David Bentley Hart, in the course of study of various contemplative traditions around the world, saw clearly that "Existence [or "Being"], Consciousness and Bliss" were the closest terms one could find to characterize the underlying unity of both philosophy (including the underlying foundation of science as correctly understood) and religion.
The Taoists perhaps put it best. Stillness (the stillness of pure Being) is an extraordinary, revelatory experience; in stillness one finds what scientists from Steven Weinberg to Richard Feynmann (who admitted we have no idea what "energy" or "matter" really is) could never understand.
But, the Taoists say, stillness in movement is infinitely more profound. Out of that infinite, boundless calm, Sri Aurobindo tells us, one can "see" directly the "energies" that stream eternally.
It is right here, withdrawing attention from the "world" constructed (at least, according to Dr. Anil Seth) by our brains, withdrawing attention further from the patterns of thoughts, memories, desires etc that we think of as "me", we discover that Awareness/Being within which "we live and move and have our being."
It's so simple.
Just remember to be.
5
I've never been to Greece -- but to Vina, CA, north of Sacramento, where a Trappist monastery allowed me to be a guest for three months, decades ago. It was a powerful experience -- work, prayer, study (and writing, for me), day after day after day. I participated in virtually everything but eating with the 30 monks.
While the Catholic Church is rightly under fire for abusive priests, these monks were clearly dedicated to living in community, welcoming a small number of visitors, and fulfilling their religious commitment. In doing so, the purpose they served in the world was far greater than it might appear: an example of quiet joy, of self-sacrifice, of contemplation that I was convinced rose thousands of miles beyond their grounds.
20
Lovely piece. I recommend to everyone a retreat every once in a while to leave the world outside for the one inside.
Very refreshing.
The first time I heard of the Jesus Prayer was in a story by J.D. Salinger, I think "Franny".
It really does work.
18
Our modern way is sick in many ways, but we grew up in it and know it as normal.
I once went hiking in the deepest desert for a month, away from anything visibly made by humans. I started to change and fall into a very conscious, quiet rhythm with the sun and moon. I never slept so deeply or thought less of “me”. Simply eating started to feel immensely pleasurable.
When I boarded the tiny plane again to back to LA, I suddenly started sobbing. To this day I don’t know why.
So many toxins, in so many places we thought good. Even each article you read in a paper is toxic in some way, despite its good intentions. Reading the news a lot makes one anxious, for a reason perhaps, not the news itself, but how it’s told.
I say meditation is a very good start if you want to start waking up... and changing well.
87
it seems you received the standard 'visitor to holy mountain' treatment.
you didn't happen to meet up with any of their investment team, real estate speculator monks, did you? didn't think so...
11
Wish I could go, but, alas, no women allowed.
76
@Beth Cioffoletti
True, women are not allowed on Athos, but there is a women's monastery very near Mt. Athos called Ormylia. There are also several monasteries here in North America that are connected to a network established by a former abbot of the Athonite monastery of Philotheou. He is now in Arizona at St. Anthony's, which has guest facilities for both men and women.
18
@Beth Cioffoletti
You don't have to go to that exact place to experience the joy of monastic prayer. There are many opportunities in many traditions all over the world.
If you are ever in Big Sur California, look up the Camaldolese Benedictines in Lucia. They have a retreat center there.
10
@Kurt
Yes I have been to that monastery in Florence Arizona many times. It is beautiful and amazing. We experience so many distractions daily; visiting a monastery helps us with our self checkups and gives us time for prayer and reflection. As a society we spend so much time figuratively and literally travelling the world, which is great, reading about the universe, black holes etc. However, there is a whole unexplored place inside ourselves (our soul) that is deeper than any ocean and more vast than any thing in the external universe. It is a struggle to go down this path requiring a humbling emptying of self (that's ironic), patience, and prayer; difficult to do so easily dispensed with.
8
Too bad I can’t go there. Wrong chromosomes. But at least I’m not Catholic. How can something so wrong feel so right?
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@Julie Zuckman’s, do you think it's so wrong for women to live monastically in nunneries today?
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I don't know if this story is apocryphal or not, but it is my understanding that there was one point in time when women were allowed on the soil of Athos. During WWII, the monks sheltered jews, men, women and children, from the Nazis hiding them in their communities and in the hills as well as aiding their escape into Turkey.
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In the spirit of Christian charity let us hope that Prof. Critchley did not write the headline for this article as it is unlikely that anyone could learn what it is like to be a monk in three days. Pick up on a few details? Yes. Learn what a lifetime spent in a monastery is like? No.
3
“Virgin Mary traveled to Athos with St. John the Evangelist and liked it so much that she asked Jesus for it to be her garden. Happy to oblige his mother, Jesus agreed.”
Yet, I as a Hellene female cannot step foot in Mt Athos.
Oh the irony or should I say misogyny?
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I visited Mt. Athos for ten days back in the early 1980s. The holiness is real. What is missing from this article are photos of the imposing monasteries and the beautiful serene faces of monks. Perhaps the best video introduction to Mt. Athos is the CBS special from 2011, which is available online:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mXl8C4-M_4
Most of the monks I met were convinced that Eastern Orthodoxy was the most authentic Christianity in existence. However, I also heard a story from a Canadian pilgrim I met who had got lost in the deep forests of the Holy Mountain and ended up encountering an old hermit, who offered him lodging for the night. The visitor revealed that he was, unfortunately, not Orthodox. The hermit's reply was simple: "Orthodox, Protestant, Catholic, it doesn't matter. God is love!"
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Exactly how do these people contribute to the betterment of the world? Yes, their carbon footprint is small, and they probably don’t do much damage (though if you want to avoid technology, why use a car?). But what do they do for humankind? There is so much that can be done to improve the world and the lives of the masses of people who don’t live monastic lives. It is actually quite selfish to withdraw from the world. Any religious sect that would not be sustainable if everyone alive chose to do it is problematic. A “religious experience” like this seems quite self-centered.
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@Dfkinjer - They are the exact opposite of what nearly the rest of the world is all about. They don't *do* anything. They are just *being.* And too, in and of itself their own lives call into relief all of our own. To just be when all the world has to do? Priceless.
35
The monks are very active in their spare time in their workshops. For example the creation of Holy Icons that are available for purchase. They are also taking care of the gardens and cooking and feeding the pilgrims that visit. There is no fee but many will make a donation. This alone is a selfless contribution to mankind. I have never visit Mt Athos but have visit some of the Orthodox monasteries in this country and have stayed overnight. It’s a similar experience; you are eating in the main hall with the monks, attending the different church services and exposed to a constant prayerful environment. It’s hard not to be changed by this experience. The most important thing the monks are doing is that they are praying for us.
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@Nick Livanos
Sorry - how do the effects of that praying manifest themselves? Are there any records or data we can point to?
It all seems so solipsistic. The rest of the world can't isolate itself and hide from harsh reality. If the monks want to radiate positive energy they should be teachers, and work among the poor - or go into politics and be activists fighting for change.
Isolating yourself on the top of a mountain is just that. No one knows you are there or feels the effects of your being there.
I don't begrudge anyone wanting to drop out and to get high on meditation. But let's call it what it is.
11
I was disappointing to read that the love professed by this order can not be extended to Catholics and that the resentments dating back 1200 CE continue to this day.
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"The only female creatures allowed on Mount Athos are cats?" Sorry, perhaps there's been a reformation since 1974 when I was on Mount Athos, but I saw chickens then. Make me an omelete / ομελέτα.
12
I've known about Mt. Athos for decades.
Actually, what I learned was that women were so foul that not even hens were allowed. It was never dressed up in my history books as a "garden" for Jesus to give to his mother.
As a female, I hope the whole mountain falls into the sea.
I have the Republican Party and Donald J. Trump as my pet misogynists.
I consider monasticism to be socially-approved mental illness and Mt. Athos to be just the local mental hospital.
Society deserves better.
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@rosa I think some of the comments mentioned similar, but female, environments available in convents, even one nearby in Greece.
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@Mike
So what’s your point?
Are you suggesting that separate but equal (?) is ok?
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@rosa
Consider spending time for prayer or reflection in a local convent. Perhaps the Carmelites would welcome you. Or a non Christian order, there are many Buddhist retreat opportunities. I hope your path leads to peace.
8
Fascinating read. I always wonder, though, how can such deep spirituality and piety can exist right alongside the sexism that denies women the same experience. Somehow, I just don't think that was what Christ was all about.
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@Sally Jane, there are many active nunneries that would welcome your visit.
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@Sally Jane I thought the same. I re-read the article because I thought I misunderstood. No women allowed. Pff! That ruined everything. What are we? Demons?
13
There are amazing Orthodox monasteries all over the world, for men and women. So, Orthodox monastics don’t want to be distracted by the opposite sex. Is that so bad?
13
I thought the purpose of The Stone was to be a forum for philosophical ideas. It appears to have turned into a travelogue. I would like to read serious philosophical thought written in such a way that nonprofessionals could appreciate it. I really don't want to hear about Critchley's vacation.
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@Richard Miller -- Maybe re-read the article. The location and scenery were not the essential point. Could have been a Buddhist monastery in Nepal or in Nebraska.
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@Mike At your suggestion I re-read the article. It is true that a similar piece could have been written about any monastery. But similar observations about any other group of monks would still not count as anything intellectually serious. And as a further note, don't you find Critchley's tone patronizing to the monks?
1
"It appears to have turned into a travelogue."
As the note at the end explains, this is part of a series. Follow the link there.
"... a forum for philosophical ideas."
There are in fact "philosophical ideas" throughout the piece. Here are a few:
* "... the happiest person I’ve ever met."
* "monasticism"
* "... I was described as an atheist, which is not exactly true."
* "... what connects it (and fails to connect it) with antiquity ..."
* “Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me.”
Those examples embody "philosophical ideas" that can be related in some way to the works of Aristotle and Plato.
2
Several years ago, I drove a few hours from my home in Boston to spend a week at a Benedictine monastery in rural upstate New York, experiencing the millennial (in the old sense) Benedictine daily schedule with the monks. The experience has stayed with me. If I may add a few comments to Mr. Critchley's testimonial: (1) There are more similarities than differences between the various monasteries of Eastern and Western traditions; (2) Most of us are just a few hours drive from the nearest living monastery -- no need to travel to another part of the world; (3) Three days is very brief if the purpose is to understand "What It Is Like to Be a Monk". I had to leave after a week for other life responsibilities, promised myself I would return soon, and didn't... Life is busy... Oh well.
8
Beautiful story! Though I’m a bit wistful that I, as a woman, will never get to visit Athos... (Though I did get to see the peninsula from above once, on a plane flight to Athens from London, and that experience itself was transcendent!)
10
Lovely. I was immediately struck by the similarities to Buddhist monastic life, including the healing power of mantras/prayers. Also the profound importance of music in spiritual experience. This was a wonderful piece. Thank you.
23
Why does this article make me want to reread “The Varieties of Religious Experience” by William James?
Monasticism in the modern world functions as a reminder that techological advances are a blessing but also an obstacle to communing with God, Nature, the Universe.
But technology is not the only obstacle. Other hindrances are politics and power.
The Christian God is a righteous God but also a forgiving one. Bearing grudges from the Crusades suggests that the monks might study the parts of the Bible and Gospels that address forgiveness. The importance of the Greek Orthodox Church in Greek politics suggests more study of the admonition of Christ about rendering unto Caesar the things that are owed to Caesar and to God what is owed to God.
At its best monastic life can show us how to live the life expected by our various religions, which should bring us closer to the Creator.
14
Welcome (or welcome back) to Anglicanism, Mr. Critchley. I suggest you visit one of the Episcopalian monastic orders when you return to the US.
5
One may also visit a Hare Krsna Vaisnava temple, esp. during during a kirtan to experience such joy!
5
Great article. Helps us understand in part why Western Civ had a thousand year hiatus after the Fall of Rome. All that human talent hermetically and unproductively sealed in monasteries. Guess it was the best place to hang out and avoid being a peasant or getting crushed by rampaging war lords.
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@Mark Evans
It was also in the monasteries that the basics of ancient Greek and Roman civilization were preserved and passed on during the barbarian "dark ages" in Europe. So much for "all that human talent hermetically and unproductively sealed in monasteries."
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@Mark Evans
You have your history and geography confused. The “thousand year hiatus” you describe may be an accurate designation for what happened in what we now know as Western Europe (though I suspect medieval historians would argue otherwise)— but it is utterly inaccurate for Europe’s Christian East.
There, Byzantium flourished as a powerful empire during exactly that first post-Roman millennium, and it is Byzantium that created Mount Athos.
22
My days on the Holy Mountain sit like a garden in my heart as I visited several monasteries and stayed at Vatopedi monastery. The rhythm of living is as the author described. The prayer and experience of intimacy with God is matter of fact and natural.
It is a witness of what can be if only we desire it.
33
although the circumstances of my life make it impossible for me to live monastic life as such, I do bring some of that into my home; a daily life of prayer and meditation, combined with service to others. It helps instill in me a sense of being joyous and free--a gift of the Holy Spirit. i even find this spirit (sometimes) while at Mass at the Catholic church up my street
24
My experience of Athos in 1977 occurred during the celebration of a return to democracy after the fall of the junta that ruled Greece, a celebration lasting months that included a student strike at the university where I taught in Thessaloniki. I too found it arduous and exhausting because I didn’t experience the feeling of grace and neither did my host, a young man there to be saved but also to hide after the young woman he loved married his friend. He insisted that most of the monks arrived in despair or resentment and so in search of a reason not to hurl themselves into the sea below. The testament to simple if uncomfortable living is that while some monks left Athos none killed themselves. Some drank more than one glass of wine however. Since I was recovering from the death of a woman I loved my host and I waxed with sentiment but with the philosophic mind Wordsworth wrote of in his most famous poem. I was relieved to return to the city and could not comprehend a life of chanting, of cold and of prayer. I don’t know which comes first, faith or rejection of a fairly brutal world, but I shared the sense of peace and solace at Athos, less so joy since the monks in my surround were young and struggling.
21
We all struggle and look for safety and companionship as our days dwindle. Good that some found that.
I once lived in a Rescue Mission for 5 years, one that insisted that men and women stay apart, and the life was spartan. The monastic apartness was startlingly appealing, though listening to other people's religions daily was a problem, for it displaced the time for my own.
There is a commonness to shared poverty and responsibilities. I have always seen that commonness as spirit, which some call God. Odd that wealth causes so many of us to walk away from our common family.
It is good to be reminded of peace and quiet.
Hugh
17
An honest attempt to give an account of a good personal experience of life and mystery. Thank you.
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"But my time in Athos was the closest to religious experience that I have ever come."
As Prof. Critchley's entire basis for philosophy is grounded in the disappointment of religion (and politics), it is not surprising that religious experience is not part of his ontology.
But not to despair, he had already taken off the cross when he came back to Athens.
Should he seek such experience again, he probably knows that he does not have to go as far as Mt. Athos to find it.
9
Outsiders are often romantically mezmerized by monasticism because of its rarified ways. Remember that Jesus, himself, did not live a monastic life. It is simply a way of life out of many ways. It should never ever be held up as a model way of life for the masses. Elements of it, perhaps. But certainly not monasticism itself. Saint Benedict is more ancient than the monks of Athos and he was eminently practical.
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