Meditations on the Monk Who Dwells in Daily Life

Rating:
Summary: Meditations By Former Monk who still Teaches...
Review: In reading Soul Mates and Care of the Soul I was distinctly taken back to my time of 'Doing CPE.' In realizing the deeper values of taking care of the Soul, I have made it a practise of staying close to former Monks who teach me about contemplation and meditation. I point out 2 quotes.

"A Pilgrim was walking along a road, when he passed a monk sitting in a field...seeing men working on a stone building...he said to the monk, "Who is that working on the abbey?" Answered, "My monks. I'm the abbot."
"It's good to see a monastery going up." said the Pilgrim. "They're tearing it down," said the abbot."
"Whatever for!" asked the Pilgrim.
"So we can see the sun rise at dawn," said the abbot.

As another pointed reading appears twice I will also abbreviate: "Sometimes in their chanting, monks will land upon a note and sing it in florid fashion; a syllable of text for 50 notes of chant. Melisma, they call it. Living a melismatic life in imitation of plain-chant, we stop on an experience, a place, a person, or a memory and rhapsodize in imagination! I believe these two examples say volumes about Thomas Moore as Teacher.
Retired Chap Fred W Hood

Rating:
Summary: Hard to judge
Review: This is a rather short book. It gave a few insights here and there. Perhaps I didn't understand it as deeply as I should have, but I finished reading this book feeling a bit empty handed. Perhaps I read through it too quickly. Apparently, the publishers must have seen something about it that they thought worthy. As a book loving, yet frugal consumer, I would recommend borrowing this book from the library, if possible. Then, if you think it worthy of your possession, then you can buy it later.

Rating:
Summary: Good things come in small packages...
Review: Thomas Moore, better known for books such as 'Care of the Soul' and 'Soul Mates', compiled this brief collection of meditations, aptly entitled 'Meditations: On the Monk Who Dwells in Daily Life'. Most of us obviously do not live in monasteries; few of us even consider monastic spirituality or practice in our daily lives.

Moore was slated early for a life of reflection, but soured on religious practice and observance early. He entered a preparatory seminary at age 13 to become a priest, but found that the tendency toward authoritarianism was a bit too much (a common trait with prophets and saints throughout much of history).

'When I finally left the order, I left most of religion behind. I lived as an agnostic of sorts for a while. In my monastery days I had studied music seriously and had written and directed a considerable amount of music, and so, once out of the order, I planned on the life of an academic musician. Unexpectedly, my love of theology and religion stayed with me.'

Having put some distance between the formal structures and his own life, over time he has come to an important realisation.

'In my life now both the priesthood and the monastic life are made of subtle stuff--not literal ways of life, but possibilities powdered so finely that they have become values, nuances, styles, and elements of character giving my life a certain tone and colour.'

Moore's meditative reflections are each less than one page long, which make them ideal both for rapid study (recommended only if you're going to come back to them later) as well as for small, bite-sized meditative morsels to slowly appreciate and inwardly digest.

'The monk lives according to the advice of Marsilio Ficino--partly in time, partly in eternity. Whatever is done is never fully of this world, and yet it's always in this world. We could all live partly out of this world, and perhaps discover the limits of worldly law and convention.'

In talking of different themes -- silence, hospitality, charity, prayer, music, God, humanity -- Moore interjects insights of his own and those he has inherited from friends, mentors, teachers, and history.

This book makes a perfect gift book; a wonderful, thoughtful book for short meditations; it is a great thing to carry around for reflective periods during the day.

Sometimes a monk, used to chanting, will suddenly strike upon a note that lingers, that stays with the soul in the ear for longer than usual. Perhaps this is the voice of God speaking. As we go about our daily lives, perhaps the common detail that assumes a new proportion -- has a little more resonance -- is God's way of trying to speak to us.

Let this book be an opening to that awareness.

Rating:
Summary: Good things come in small packages...
Review: Thomas Moore, better known for books such as `Care of the Soul' and `Soul Mates', compiled this brief collection of meditations, aptly entitled `Meditations: On the Monk Who Dwells in Daily Life'. Most of us obviously do not live in monasteries; few of us even consider monastic spirituality or practice in our daily lives.

Moore was slated early for a life of reflection, but soured on religious practice and observance early. He entered a preparatory seminary at age 13 to become a priest, but found that the tendency toward authoritarianism was a bit too much (a common trait with prophets and saints throughout much of history).

`When I finally left the order, I left most of religion behind. I lived as an agnostic of sorts for a while. In my monastery days I had studied music seriously and had written and directed a considerable amount of music, and so, once out of the order, I planned on the life of an academic musician. Unexpectedly, my love of theology and religion stayed with me.'

Having put some distance between the formal structures and his own life, over time he has come to an important realisation.

`In my life now both the priesthood and the monastic life are made of subtle stuff--not literal ways of life, but possibilities powdered so finely that they have become values, nuances, styles, and elements of character giving my life a certain tone and colour.'

Moore's meditative reflections are each less than one page long, which make them ideal both for rapid study (recommended only if you're going to come back to them later) as well as for small, bite-sized meditative morsels to slowly appreciate and inwardly digest.

`The monk lives according to the advice of Marsilio Ficino--partly in time, partly in eternity. Whatever is done is never fully of this world, and yet it's always in this world. We could all live partly out of this world, and perhaps discover the limits of worldly law and convention.'

In talking of different themes -- silence, hospitality, charity, prayer, music, God, humanity -- Moore interjects insights of his own and those he has inherited from friends, mentors, teachers, and history.

This book makes a perfect gift book; a wonderful, thoughtful book for short meditations; it is a great thing to carry around for reflective periods during the day.

Sometimes a monk, used to chanting, will suddenly strike upon a note that lingers, that stays with the soul in the ear for longer than usual. Perhaps this is the voice of God speaking. As we go about our daily lives, perhaps the common detail that assumes a new proportion -- has a little more resonance -- is God's way of trying to speak to us.

Let this book be an opening to that awareness.