THE WAY OF THE MONK

The Way of the Monk includes the Priest, the Lama, the Hermit, the Wiseman, and a number of others who follow a religious orientation and system or practice, whether organized or not,but, like the Way of the Fakir or the Way of the Yogi, everything has to be accepted from the beginning and followed to the end, without knowing where you will actually end up: whether HEAVEN OR NIRVANA, HELL OR HADES, OR PARADISE OR THE NEW EDEN,etc.etc. You will have to embrace ritual and rite, kneeling in prayer and also allow devotional attitudes to emerge. Emotion and 'LOVE' and other things will be the focus. Then,in some cases, obedience, chastity, and poverty will be your burdens. The Way of the Sufi is sometimes along this path as is the way of the Fakir. They sometimes share certain aspects of their respective paths,but few of us will give up our present state and embrace these paths. It is most informative to read the biographies and autobiographies of Westerners who have gone to Indis, Tibet,Egypt, Thailand, China, Japan,etc. to embrace the religions and practices of these lands,especially Zen, Yoga, Vedanta,Sufism, etc. The caution is NOT TO LET YOUR IMAGINATION SWAY YOU INTO EMBRACING ALL THESE THINGS.