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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

 

1,703 Responses

  1. Christine, thank you for the lovely way in which you’ve provided us with meaningful ways to support each other as monks in the world. I love knowing that there are others out there seeking to live a different way – and I feel the community of kindred spirits gathered by your ministry. I am so grateful – and look forward to the journey of being a monk in the world!

    Reply

  2. I have been seeking community to share my creative journey. I am thankful God led me here through a dear friend and beloved horse.

    Reply

  3. I have been very curious about the Mystics of Medieval times. (St. Teresa of Avila and St.Hildegard have been in my library for many years, two of my favorites) I was searching for the common themes of their lives. Silence, Meditation,Fasting and surrender resonated throughout. Then your book fell into my lap, by chance???? I work with collage and other media and have been praying for a more spiritual connection with my creativity.Your words resonate with my soul. Thank you for this sacred space. I sign this Manifesto with gratitude to God for leading me here.

    Reply

  4. Having journeyed for many years in the land of stillness,you are helping to bring me more deeply into a place of home.

    Reply

  6. I have learned so much from reading your blogs and am honored to be a part of a huge network of others seeking prayerful and thoughtful paths to a more peaceful world.

    Reply

  7. I am so glad I wandered upon this beautiful site. I have been praying for a special place like this in my life. I feel that God led me here and answered my prayers. Thank you God, for leading me here.

    Reply

  8. I am honored to be a part of this community, I have shared these values for over a decade now, and have been gratefully enjoying exploring through the Monk In The World course… A most welcome offering to my spiritual path. I’m glad and to become part of a more formal contemplative practice.

    Thank you for this opportunity.

    Reply

  10. I’ve been interested in the contemplative path for many years now and I’m very delighted to be part of this movement. I look forward to being uplifted daily . It will be great to have the support and friendship of like minded people to journey with. It will be like food for the journey. This is pure gift from a very understanding and loving God. How blessed I am.

    Reply

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