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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

 

1,701 Responses

  2. I was taken by the word “transformation” when my grandfather had me memorize Romans 12:1,2 as a very young child. I was also determined to learn what the word “compassion” meant after I heard that same grandfather say it (I was very young at the time). These words have been the guideposts of my journey and I am still exploring their meanings. I learned a couple of decades ago that I have been a contemplative all of my life. Thanks to the influence of Kathleen Norris, I became a Benedictine Oblate, but I live in a rural area, far removed from a monastery or even any place to share with others of like mind. Thank goodness for such sites as this one!

    Reply

  3. This is a beautiful site I will explore as my heart and soul have been on this path for some time now. I’m glad we met. You may find more kindred souls at the website of http://www.janphillips.com who is a wondrous spiritual leader and encourager of persons to add their creativity to the world.

    Reply

  4. The Monk Manifesto speaks deeply to the self I am praying to become. The process of “becoming” is of course a gift, but one must consent and make room for that gift. The resources I have found here at Abbey of the Arts help me do that.

    Peace and blessings–and many thanks.

    Reply

  6. A friend lent me a copy of ‘The Artist’s Rule’ , and this lead to discovering ‘The Abbey of the Arts’ and the Monk in the World movement.

    I found that it resonated deeply with many initiatives that I’ve been trying to make in my own life (in England): to live more contemplatively, to practice hospitality and try to build community; growing more of our own food and living more simply.

    It’s really inspiring and encouraging to join this e-community.
    Thank you to Christine and all the other participants.

    Reply

  7. in the midst of the 3rd month of a personal Year of Jubilee, almost like a Sabbath year if you will, with the accompanying rest, self-exploration, laying fallow, freedom and forgiveness, this is a perfect set of principles to which I can dedicate myself for the good of the world, myself, included. I belong to a wonderful group of women who are together following the Artist’s Rule book monthly per chapter. What a wonderful community, and a powerful process which reinforces the work I am doing in solitude and quiet. Thank you for giving us the words to express a commitment to something so vital.

    Reply

    1. Dear friends, thank you for the invitation to commit my life as I was first called as a child. Here I have found the community of kindred spirits I have been searching for – God bless you!

      Reply

  9. I would like to add my name to the manifesto. I am an Irish/Northumbrian Explorer in the Community of Aidan and Hilda.

    Reply

  10. When I read the words of this manifesto, I feel something move so deep within me. At times a soft moan accompanies this movement, and I am a little surprised to find the sound has come from me as well. The things on this list are generally not what characterizes what is expected or rewarded in this culture, so I am grateful for the focus, intention, and sense of community they bring along with the opportunity to publicly express my commitment to live a compassionate, contemplative, and creative life.

    Reply

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