Welcome to Abbey of the Arts
The Abbey is a monastery without walls, offering online classes, retreats, books, and resources to nurture contemplative practice, creative expression, and kinship with nature.
When you think of a monk, what comes to mind? Come on. Give it a moment.
Too much of what we do online is skimming without contemplation. This is an opportunity to think and reflect a minute.
What's your traditional picture of a monk? Robed, hooded, sandled?
Check out what it might look like, according to Abbey of the Arts, to be a Monk in the world.
Monk Manifesto
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 by spending time in nature and recognizing that it is the foundational matrix from which I live and love.
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 a commitment to regular practice ofSabbath 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.
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Abbey of the Arts has e-courses and live courses as well as a blog, resources and links. Check it out for an old world practice in an e-world context.
Upcoming classes
- Lectio Divina: The Sacred Art of Reading the World, (e-course), Sept 13 - Oct 25 2010
- Way of the Monk, Path of the Artist (e-course), Sept 13 - Oct 25 2010
- Awakening the Creative Spirit: Experiential Education for Spiritual Directors (live program), Nov 7-12 2010
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