Visit the Abbey of the Arts online retreat platform to access your programs:

Login Here

Monk Manifesto

Sign the manifesto!

Want to join us in starting a monk revolution?

For a PDF version of the Monk Manifesto click the link to download a printable file.

The Monk Manifesto is also available in Spanish, German, and Norwegian translations.  Click here for PDFs of Manifesto del Monje, Mönchs Manifest, and Munkemanifestet.

We invite you to. . .

  • Sign the Monk Manifesto below (scroll all the way to the bottom for the comment box). State your solidarity with others who want to express their inner monk in everyday life.
  • Subscribe to the Abbey email newsletter and receive regular soul nourishment.
  • Watch the visual meditation version.
  • Share the monk love with others by sharing this page with others.
  • Join the Holy Disorder of Dancing Monks!

Monk: from the Greek monachos meaning single or solitary, a monk in the world does not live apart but immersed in the everyday with a single-hearted and undivided presence, always striving for greater wholeness and integrity

Manifesto: from the Latin for clear, means a public declaration of principles and intentions.

Monk Manifesto: A public expression of your commitment to live a compassionate, contemplative, and creative life.

  1. I commit to finding moments each day for silence and solitude, to make space for another voice to be heard, and to resist a culture of noise and constant stimulation.
  2. I commit to radical acts of hospitality by welcoming the stranger both without and within. I recognize that when I make space inside my heart for the unclaimed parts of myself, I cultivate compassion and the ability to accept those places in others.
  3. I commit to cultivating community by finding kindred spirits along the path, soul friends with whom I can share my deepest longings, and mentors who can offer guidance and wisdom for the journey.
  4. I commit to cultivating awareness of my kinship with creation and a healthy asceticism by discerning my use of energy and things, letting go of what does not help nature to flourish.
  5. I commit to bringing myself fully present to the work I do, whether paid or unpaid, holding a heart of gratitude for the ability to express my gifts in the world in meaningful ways.
  6. I commit to rhythms of rest and renewal through the regular practice of Sabbath and resist a culture of busyness that measures my worth by what I do.
  7. I commit to a lifetime of ongoing conversion and transformation, recognizing that I am always on a journey with both gifts and limitations.
  8. I commit to being a dancing monk, cultivating creative joy and letting my body and “heart overflow with the inexpressible delights of love.”*

*quote is from the Prologue of the Rule of Benedict

 

1,758 Responses

  1. Hello! I could have sworn I’ve been to this blog before but after browsing through some of the post I realized it’s new to me. Anyways, I’m definitely happy I found it and I’ll be book-marking and checking back frequently!

    Reply

  2. I’m so grateful to join this beautiful community. I’m 52 old and still asking myself what is the meaning of my life. Never find m’y vocation in this world. But I know there is an answer Somewhere. Maybe here?

    Reply

  3. I am committing myself to these principles, May Fellow Travelers as well as God’s guidance be available as I do my best to follow the ways of Jesus. May I be motivated in my intentions to strive for a perfect heart full of love for the Divine, others, and the rest of Creation. Amen. Amen.

    Reply

  4. I am a Benedictine Oblate Novice and embrace the journey ahead as a monk in the world and as a creative; to share and assist others in finding joy in the everyday.

    Reply

  5. I am delighted to join you in this journey of how we desire to show up in the world. I am looking forward to co-creating with you.

    Reply

  7. When I tried to enter a website URL in my previous comment, the system gives me an error message that says “please enter a URL” after I had done precisely that. I had to take the url off to submit my comment.

    Reply

  8. I am already a monk in the world as a member of a monastic order without a residence, and I’m delighted to find this community as well. I commit to living out the Monk Manifesto as a Monk in the World one moment at a time.

    Reply

  9. Since I met Jesus on 2003, my life and attitudes have changed so much!
    I have been in the dessert for quite some time now, and now hope to become a Monk in our World

    Reply

  10. I have been a pilgrim in the desert, in the mountains and in the city. May 22, 2007 my Creator saved me from myself and set me on a healing journey. It’s been lacking in one thing, sharing with other Monks. I agree to commit to living as a Monk in the World and uphold these manifestos moment my moment. I commit to living a compassionate, contemplative, and creative life and sharing with all in my path.

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *