The time zone issues sound fun: > A visit to Mount Athos also involves literal time travel. The monasteries there still go by Byzantine time, in which the day begins at sunset, not midnight, so the time zone changes literally every day. Visitors may have to set their watches back by as much as seven hours as they cross the border. And don't forget to change the date as well. Mount Athos never adopted the new-fangled…
When they tap the chestnut at 3:30am for prayer, is that a bedtime event (their time) or a daybreak event (standard timekeeping)?
The former. 3:30 am is like 8:30 pm. Local hour is about six hours behind regional.
I often yearn for the "unearthly quiet" and structure of a monastic life. I am not religious but I just feel as if I don't belong in society: I don't care about work, jobs, careers, riches, fame. I would like a life of study, contemplation and silence.
When I read Neal Stephenson's "Anathem", the thing that called out to me the most in that novel was the "mathic" life of the main protagonist and his contemporaries. A life of contemplation, study, and garden husbandry is very appealing.
I am convinced that in pre-secularism days, when "religious" was pretty much the default assumption, there were plenty of monks/nuns who went down that path not because they were particularly devoted but because they failed to fit into any of the conventional roles offered by society but didn't want to become outcasts either. Yes, this might be a misconception (inspired by Eco/Connery?), but it be surprised if there want some truth in it. From that perspective, contemplation and study is more a possible nice side effect than the actual function. With the modern awareness about how unsustainable a norm of spouse-and-three-kids is, perhaps we should consider freeing the monastic lifestyle from religious baggage and think about a mental framework for "orders" for other kinds of lifetime devotions?
I often yearn for the "unearthly quiet" and structure of a monastic life. I am not religious but I just feel as if I don't belong in society: I don't care about work, jobs, careers, riches, fame. I would like a life of study, contemplation and silence.
In the book "Wanting", the author has a bit explaining silent retreats, which are basically vacations where no one is allowed to talk and everyone reads. I thought they were an interesting idea to kind of test out monkhood. Similarly, I have always wanted to try John Carmack's idea of taking a computer away to a hotel for a week and working on a project and ordering room service
> I have always wanted to try John Carmack's idea of taking a computer away to a hotel for a week and working on a project and ordering room service
How much of that desire has survived the lockdowns?
I am an atheist. I still want to monk. I want to monk in my own way, which would probably be growing vegetables, keeping chickens, and making open source software. I don't see how that's possible given the way society is currently organized - it requires periods of time spent to commercial toil, in order to pay landlords, taxes, etc.
So I'm trying of think of something monastery like, but without the religious aspect, and I'm really drawing a blank. Since you basically surrender your life to the community and ultimately to whoever is leading it, the religious element seems almost necessary to make this work. I think the only exceptions to this are probably something like the military or meditation/yoga practice communities - but they almost inevi…
The Glass Bead Game (aka Magister Ludi) by Herman Hesse is more or less about a secular monastery. I highly recommend it.
There's a good 60 Minutes segment on this from a few years back: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mXl8C4-M_4 I also believe you have to follow the Greek Orthodox religion to be able to visit - they might make some rare exceptions. (might be wrong)
I personally know a Catholic who had no trouble getting a permit to visit, so I don't think that's true.
I remember an interesting story from history books. During the 14th century plague, Serbian emperor and empress asked for a safe place at Athos peninsula. They were granted access, but the empress needed to be carried away all the time, and carpets needs to be put before her whenever she goes anywhere. It worked out because the rule was not that women are not allowed there, but because "women may not put step on the holy ground of Athos peninsula".
One of the bad aspects of religions are such restrictions that have no base whatsoever. If we omit this anachronism, Agion Oros, as it's commonly called in Greece, is a nice place to visit (Christian men only) with an unspoiled environment and peaceful way of living. It's common for many Greeks to visit at least once this special place (something like Hajj/Hadji), but in recent times this has been declining. There are 20 monasteries [0], not all of them Greek and it's true that there are many daily things performed different than our ways.
I am an atheist. I still want to monk. I want to monk in my own way, which would probably be growing vegetables, keeping chickens, and making open source software. I don't see how that's possible given the way society is currently organized - it requires periods of time spent to commercial toil, in order to pay landlords, taxes, etc.
Sounds like you want to join a commune? You could look into that.
It's also why Russia's October Revolution of 1917 happened on November 7th. The state officially switched a year later, and November 7th = October 25th in the Old Style calendar. Wonderfully confusing.
While we are at curiosities, I'd like explanation (please without googling) as to why Octoberfest in Munich, Germany always begins in September?
As someone born and raised in Munich, I'll answer that question without Googling ;)
The Oktoberfest is named for the marriage of Crown Prince Ludwig and Princess Therese in October 1810 and happened in October, until in 1872 it was decided to move the begin a couple weeks earlier, because in Munich the October weather is often very cold and rain-plagued.
I often yearn for the "unearthly quiet" and structure of a monastic life. I am not religious but I just feel as if I don't belong in society: I don't care about work, jobs, careers, riches, fame. I would like a life of study, contemplation and silence.
As far as I know monastic life is not really work-free or worry-free. It's still a society with a lot of baggage. You are even expected to work for free and don't question the authority of the "upper-class". The only chance to be "free" would be to live in a very remote area, alone. That's a tough life but at least you don't have any answer to anyone.
>"The only chance to be "free" would be to live in a very remote area, alone"
That's the route Daniel Shellabarger [aka Daniel Suelo] took[1]. He quit his job and went to live life as a hermit/hobo in the Am-Southwest. It's not an easy life --most people would not take that deal, but maybe for him it is. It's very ad-hoc and with very little regimen.
