I am delighted to share another beautiful submission to the Monk in the World guest post series from the community. Read on for Elaine Breckenridge’s reflection “Chickens and Kinship.” A few years ago, I signed the Monk Manifesto and pledged myself to “The Holy Disorder of Dancing Monks.” I took the commitment seriously and adopted the Manifesto as my new Rule of Life. Most recently, the Spirit has given me an opportunity to go more deeply into practicing point four: “I commit to cultivating an awareness of my kinship with creation and a healthy asceticism by discerning my use of

I am delighted to share another beautiful submission to the Monk in the World guest post series from the community. Read on for Celeste Boudreaux’s reflection “Healing Art.” For Celeste I see you, though you try to hide Blending into the wall Daughter of a defective mother (Whose empty eyes betray her lipstick toothed smile) You lurk in the corner, timid and sad and skinny Child of a deceptive poverty Cinderella’s colorless little sister Dwelling in the big house, eating ashes Bearing in silence your public shame and private anguish Called to be the strong one, the good one Who

I am delighted to share another beautiful submission to the Monk in the World guest post series from the community. Read on for Cathy Warner’s reflection “Two and a Half Horsepower Zen.” A few months ago I ran an extension cord across the backyard, plugged in my mini-wood chipper, dragged downed limbs and small dead trees into a pile, stood in a sunny spot, and fed branches one at a time into the hopper where a whirling blade chipped, shaved, bit, and spit the cedar, rhododendron, and maple into a heap of garden muesli. Often when gardening or cleaning house,

I am delighted to share another beautiful submission to the Monk in the World guest post series from the community. Read on for Anne Knorr’s reflection,”Ebb Tides.” Walking along the rocky shoreline during ebb tide, an eighty-five year old man named Billy Proctor can often be seen in tall black rubber boots looking for treasures washed ashore.  It is a ritual he has observed since childhood and over the years he has collected a myriad of hidden jewels; large aqua-marine glass buoys, chiseled arrow heads, ancient metal jewelry from the “original people” as he calls them, colorful bottles of all

I am delighted to share another beautiful submission to the Monk in the World guest post series from the community. Read on for Nicole Walters’ reflection “The Rhythms of the Dawn.” The quiet of the morning is broken by the alarm that starts off on the periphery of a dream and shifts to a nagging pull into reality. I stumble out of bed, untangling the little limbs wrapped around my body.  In the dark I can’t decipher which child is to my right and who is to my left but I don’t want to wake either one. My husband lies across

I am delighted to share another beautiful submission to the Monk in the World guest post series from the community. Read on for Christine Aroney-Sine’s reflection, “Enter the Re-Wonderment of the World.” This year has been an amazing awe and wonder springtime on America’s west coast. In California the spectacular blooming of the desert brought thousands of people out to relish the brilliant oranges, yellows and purples of the flowers whose seeds lie dormant, sometimes for years waiting for rain. In Oregon brilliant purple lupines waved their heads across the mountainsides and here in Seattle, smiling daffodils gave way to tulips and

I am delighted to share another beautiful submission to the Monk in the World guest post series from the community. Read on for Beth Adoette’s reflection “Grace. Daily Grace.” I am not a fan of catchphrases. They make me cringe. “One Day at a Time” is one of those sayings that seemed to be written on every other card I received in the mail when I was going through a serious health issue years ago. “Just Breathe” is another one. Two words that can create in me more anxiety and hyperventilating than attempting to be still without them. But I