Cody Sallee

ENGL 401
5/10/2016
Informational Polished Draft

Monks
Has anyone ever heard of a monk? What does one look like in your
mind? A bald guy, wearing a brown robe- he is meditating. Monks are special
people. They have chosen to live a life much different than that of you or I.
Monkhood is not bound to a certain religion. Many religions have monksmost commonly Jainism and Buddhism. The word monk comes from the
Greek word monachos, of which the root word monos means alone.
Monks dedicate their lives to worship. They worship to gain a deeper
understanding of themselves, to increase in their spirituality, and to practice
their faith. A monk can be described as: a person dedicated to serving all
other living beings, or to be an ascetic who voluntarily chooses to leave
mainstream society and live his life in prayer and contemplation. Today we
will examine what it means to be a monk.
Raise of hands: who would be able to give up their cell phones and internet
to live their lives in prayer? Not many of you. Can anybody tell me what
Asceticism means? Alright, well asceticism is a lifestyle by abstinence from
worldly pleasures, often for the purpose of pursuing spiritual goals. Being an
ascetic takes hard work- it involves patience. It can be hard to keep oneself
from splurging in the material world. Asceticism is closely related to
monkhood as it is one of its most basic elements- humility and frugality.

Monks have long been held in high regard. Their willingness to help all
beings helps make the world a better place. When monks lit themselves on
fire in protest of the Vietnam War, it sent a powerful message to the world.
Monks live a frugal life, never taking more than they need to survive.
Only men can be monks- their female counterparts are known as nuns. The
gender-neutral term for these people is monacists. Within Easter Orthodox
monasticism are three levels of asceticism: Rassophore, Stavrophore, and
the Schema-Monk. When someone joins a monastery, they enter as a novice.
After three years or so the abbot, the leader of the monastery, may grant
him access to the rank of Rassophore, which is translated as beginner. The
monk will then wear a piece of clothing called the Rassa. While monks may
stay in this stage for the rest of their lives, the rank of beginner inherently
urges them to progress to the next level after some time.
The next stage, Stavrophore, is known as the cross-bearing stage.
Monks in this stage wear a cross at all times on their person. Upon initiation
into this stage, Stavrophores are given the wooden hand cross, a lit candle,
and a prayer rope. A prayer rope is used to count how many times one has
prayed in a single day. Upon the death of a Stavrophore, they will be buried
with their cross.
The final stage of monkhood within Eastern Orthodox is called the
Great Schema. This stage is reserved for those who have attained high
spiritual excellence. Someone being initiated into the Great Schema stage

takes the same vows as a Stavrophore, but is given an analavos to wear over
his shoulders and chest. The analavos contains embroidered vestures that
symbolize the Great Schema. Another piece called the Polystavrion is added
to the analavos which is comprised of a cord with several crosses on it. This
piece holds the analavos in place- it is symbolic of being dedicated to serving
the kingdom of heaven. There are differences between monasteries on this
stage. In some monasteries monks are only granted status of the Great
Schema upon death, while in other monasteries monks are granted this
stage after only a few years of monasticism.
The monastery life is not for everyone, but those who dedicate their
lives to worship will find a simpler lifestyle. What do you dedicate your lives
to? Right now, it must feel like school. I urge you to consider what it might be
like to become a monk or a nun. What might change in your life? How might
your personal relationship shift? Take time today to consider the impact of
monasticism in the world and how it plays into your lives. Class dismissed.