If you have a desire to become a monk, go to your confessor. During confession and conversation, the priest will be able to understand how sincere your desire is. Many decide to leave the world only because they do not develop relationships in the family or have problems communicating with the opposite sex. This cannot be a reason for going to a monastery. The reasons for monasticism are sincere faith and the desire to devote one's life to the service of God.

At the first stage, the confessor will recommend that you test yourself by creating conditions that are closest to life in a monastery. You will have to learn how to get up every day at five in the morning and start your morning with prayers, attend church often, observe all fasts, read the works of the church fathers and the Holy Scriptures. You will also need to limit yourself in nutrition: give up excesses and eat only the food that is necessary for a normal physiological existence. In addition, it is necessary to abandon communication with the opposite sex, watching television programs and a computer. In this mode, you will need to live for at least a year.

The next stage is a visit to the monastery

If you have survived a year of monastic life, ask the priest to recommend a monastery for you. Having chosen a monastery, go to it to chat with a mentor. Most likely, after talking with you, the mentor of the monastery will offer you to live in the monastery for some time in order to get used to and take a closer look at the situation. This is a very important step: you will be able to get an idea of ​​the monastic life before taking the tonsure and possibly change your mind.

Sometimes people who have lived in a monastery begin to realize that monasticism is not their calling. There is nothing wrong with this, since only a few are created in order to become real monks. During your life in the monastery, the master and other monks will look at you to determine the degree of your readiness to withdraw from the world.

If after living in a monastery your decision does not change, then the mentor will appoint the next stage - preparation for. Be prepared for the fact that the preparation can be very long and will end with the fact that you will be asked to return home and think again. Monasticism is, first of all, a feat of obedience, so you will have to humble yourself and follow the instructions of the mentor exactly. The tonsure will take place only if the monks, mentors and priests are convinced of your complete readiness to serve and forever renounce the mortal world.

Hieromonk Sergius (Rybko)

How do you become monks? Is there a calling for this? Or is monasticism a certain step towards reaching church heights?
– It happens in different ways, and I won’t hide it: for some, monasticism is just a stepping stone to achieve a high rank. But still, most of those whom I met on my life path are people who really burn with their souls, striving for God with their whole being. No one is forced to be a monk, and in our time, monasticism is a special confessional feat. As you know, only dead fish swim with the current. And a monk is a person who has taken upon himself the feat of nothing less than confronting the world and the evil that exists in the world. This requires special internal forces that need to be nurtured in oneself. And, of course, without God's calling, without God's special blessing, without the grace that supports a person in this feat, it is impossible to be a monk.
— You know that with the filing of the media, we have the most perverse opinion about monasticism. What, in fact, is the Church's teaching on monasticism, and what is the essence of monastic life?
- I will immediately tell you about the most common misconceptions. In the media and in many works of fiction, not just the image of a monk, but a Catholic monk is often considered. In contrast to Western literature, in Russian classical literature I have never encountered the image of a depraved monk or a drunkard monk. Let's take L. Tolstoy's story "Father Sergius". The protagonist is a monk, a seeker, whose image is perceived far from unambiguous. But in the end he failed to be a monk, he could not stand it. That is, this story describes the tragedy of life, the tragedy of the search for a person, reflecting the tragedy of the spiritual searches of Leo Tolstoy himself.
The Orthodox teaching on monasticism is as follows. There is the salvation of man, that is, the attainment of the kingdom of God by him; and it must take place in this life: the kingdom of God is within you(), says the Lord in the Gospel. Salvation is a certain degree of victory over sin, a degree of spirituality, purity, virtue that a person achieves in this life. But, besides salvation, the achievement of which is the goal of all Christians, all members of the Church, there is also spiritual perfection - holiness. The goal of monasticism is the attainment of holiness.
Spiritual perfection is a complete victory over passions, a complete victory over evil - primarily in oneself. Then, if God blesses, and a person really reaches such heights, he, of course, becomes a bearer of grace in the world. You are the light of the world, says the Lord. A city on top of a mountain cannot hide(). The following statement of the monk is known: "Acquire a peaceful spirit, and thousands around you will be saved." Therefore, if a person has acquired spiritual perfection, he begins to shine like a lamp, through him the light of God's grace begins to pour out and transform the world around him.
Isn't it selfishness to engage in the salvation of one's soul only, when a person closes himself somewhere, prays and does nothing for his neighbors. And where in the Gospel is it written that the Lord commands not to marry?

The Gospel describes such a case: the apostle disciples began to ask their Divine Teacher about various vicissitudes of family life, and the Lord told them: “It is better for a man not to marry” (see).
And as for a certain “egoism” of a monk, this is one of the delusions inherent in modern people. It is believed that if a monk, for the sake of saving his soul, hides in a monastery, goes into seclusion, then in this way a useful member of society, who could do a lot, does nothing. But it is not so. In fact, a monk does a lot.
First of all, a monk must conquer the evil in himself. After all, the Lord, before going out to serve the world, to preach the Word of God, withdrew into the wilderness, where he remained for forty days. The Lord is a God-man, so forty days were enough for Him. But for an ordinary, passionate person, in order to put his soul in order, in order to get at least some ideas about spiritual things, about good and evil, about the kingdom of heaven, in order to clarify the Gospel for himself and inscribe it on the tablets of his heart, Need, of course, not one year. After all, you can only teach what you know yourself, and you can only give people what you have. A person retires to monastic seclusion precisely in order to acquire something, and having acquired, bring and give it to people.
In addition, a person does not live alone in a monastery; in the average monastery there are from twenty to one hundred brethren. And above all, a monk performs service to his brethren. Now most of the monasteries are being restored and laborers, pilgrims live and work in the monastery - ordinary Russian people who also need to be told something, to give something spiritually. Orthodox Christians have always visited and continue to visit monasteries, and now entire buses of pilgrims are coming. And far from always these are pious, believing people who want to spend a holiday in a monastery. Often people go there on an excursion to see some historical sights and archaeological finds, or just to meet and talk with a real monk. And sometimes they leave as completely different people.
I took monastic vows in such a famous monastery as Optina Pustyn, and was one of its first inhabitants. I arrived there in 1988. I was then twenty-eight years old. The average age of the monastic brethren was from twenty-five to thirty-two years. The youth who came to us saw that the monks are people like everyone else and asked many questions. And we found a common language. Most of our inhabitants had a higher education and came to the faith out of unbelief. Very few of us were brought up in believing families - literally two or three people. All the rest were brought to the monastery by a spiritual search, a search for truth, a struggle against that lack of spirituality, against that evil and godlessness that they saw in the world. Hundreds of people visited the monastery every day, and thousands of people on holidays. The vast majority are non-church people, even unbelievers. Surprisingly, sixty percent of those who came were young people: schoolchildren and students. Such was the time: the end of the eighties, the communist system was cracking at the seams and collapsing, and people went to the monastery to learn something about God. Therefore, a monk is not an egoist, he is a person who prepares himself for the highest service.
If we take the history of Russia and the Russian Church, we will see that the fate of the Orthodox Church is closely intertwined with the fate of our Fatherland. And the fate of the Church is the fate of monasticism, because without monasticism it cannot be complete. The entire episcopate of the Church, according to the canons, that is, according to church laws, consists of monastics. And most of the saints, that is, people who have brought the richest fruits to the world, are monks.
The monks were the first to go to the forests, to the deserts. So St. Sergius of Radonezh settled in the forest, because he wanted to asceticize in solitude, to ask, pray to God for his sins. Very soon the disciples came to him, then a monastery was built. People began to settle around the monastery; more and more students came. As a result, a city arose - Sergiev Posad; now it is the regional center of the Moscow region. Where once there were dense forests, where wild animals lived, one person came, and as a result, a city grew. This is a typical story of the construction of Russian cities, many cities in Russia arose in this way.
But monks did not always go to Russian forests. There were distant forests where aliens lived, pagans who did not know about the True God, whose national culture was very far from Christianity. To these people the monks carried the light of faith, preached the Word of God. After all, Christianity must be preached not in word, but in deed. One saint said that the word receives its power from the power of life. When people see the holy, pious life of a righteous person, then his word really sinks into the heart.
Reverend Herman of Alaska is a Russian saint. He laid the beginning of his spiritual life in the Trinity-Sergius Hermitage near St. Petersburg, asceticised on St. Valaam, and then, with the blessing of the hierarchy, he went to preach the Word of God in distant Alaska. Alaska was then the territory of the Russian Empire.
For over forty years the Monk Herman lived and preached there. He was a simple monk, not even a priest. His feat of life, his holy life, mercy, love for others led to the fact that the people of Alaska accepted Orthodoxy. And until now, Alaska is Orthodox, the locals - the Aleuts - are mostly Orthodox. This is the life and feat of one person, in the end - the love of one person. Because Christianity is love and mercy. If we don't have love, then we are nothing.(). The person who does not have mercy and love for others is not a monk. A monk is a person who has love and cannot keep it in himself. He will definitely bring it to people. Love will guide him and always teach him what to do and what to say.
- In the modern world, where for many free relationships without any marriage is the norm, the vow of chastity and celibacy is a completely incomprehensible thing, madness. How can modern people understand this?
- In fact, this is a difficult question. The modern world - sorry for the harshness of the expression - is obsessed with all these relationships. Modern man does not understand how one can do without it, and he does not believe that there are people who can spend their lives in virginity, purity and chastity. However, there are such people. blesses family relationships, and there is nothing sinful in a married marriage. People must bear children, the human race must continue. Be fruitful and multiply(), - such a commandment of God was given to Adam and Eve.
But there have always been and are those who want to devote themselves to the service of God. And in order to make it more convenient to perform this service, they do not bind themselves by family ties. And this is God's blessing. “It is better for a man not to marry” (;), - said the Lord, because then he will have the opportunity, strength and time to serve God. To serve God means to serve your neighbor, that is, those who surround you. A person goes to a monastery in order to, having cleansed himself of passions, acquire greater love.
A person who has a family is very limited in many ways. A family (otherwise they say - white) priest has a spouse - a mother, children. He must somehow divide himself and his time between the parishioners, the flock and his family. A family is a family: it needs to be fed, clothed, it needs to be taken care of. And the family of a monk is a holy abode and all those whom the Lord brings to it for spiritual communion. And he has the opportunity to devote more time to these people. Therefore, missionaries are most often from monks.
One bishop told me that he sends monks to the most difficult parishes. Why is it so? When he sends a family priest, he says: "Vladyka, have mercy, I have five children, what will I feed them, where will they live, where will they study - they need to be educated." And indeed it is.
And the monk will be sent to a bear's corner, he will dig a dugout, he will live and build a temple. There is bread and water, grandmothers will bring something, some pickled cucumber, and he doesn’t need anything else. The monk will go where he is sent, as in the army. The monk is a kind of special forces. A priest of monks cannot refuse any parish, no matter how difficult and difficult it may be, therefore monks are sent to the most difficult places.
Those monks who are now reviving monasteries will hardly begin to restore their monastery, when they immediately have to revive and nourish some other churches of the diocese, most often also poor and destroyed. And in order to be able to fully serve God and people, a person takes monasticism.
The other side of the matter is communication with people of the opposite sex. You can look at a woman as a woman, or you can look at her as a creation of God, as an image of God. This spiritual beauty, believe me, is much more amazing and higher than bodily beauty. But only a pure, chaste person can see the image of God in others. This is mainly the property of the monks. To see in a person not a body, but the most beautiful creation of God, a spark of God, that is, a soul - for this, they also become monks.
As for marriage, according to the canons and rules of the Church, a person can marry only before he takes the holy orders. A priest cannot marry a second time. An unmarried person who has taken holy orders cannot marry. Such priests are called celibates; they are not necessarily monks, but, as a rule, then they take monastic vows.
What is the purpose of such institutions of the Church? The relationship of the priest with the flock should not be overshadowed by some bodily things. A priest is a spiritual shepherd, he should have the same relationship with his flock as a father has with his children. No wonder priests are called fathers. Naturally, there should be frankness between him and his spiritual children. If a girl comes to the temple and looks at the priest as a potential spouse, then she will start flirting, and, of course, spiritual relations will not work out. If she knows that a priest has no right to marry, she will, of course, tell him everything, she will be able to ask about everything and get advice.
—Father Sergius, as you know, monasticism has different forms. There are monks who live in monasteries, there are monks who live in the city, like you, who serve in the parish. Tell me, do modern monks carry those ascetic feats that are described in books, in the lives of saints?
— The forms of monastic life have always been diverse. From the very moment of its inception - in the third century - monasticism was persecuted. It arose as a result of the persecution of piety. How did it happen?
The era of the first centuries of Christianity was the era of martyrs; then all Christians were persecuted. Then Christianity emerged from the catacombs and became the state religion of the Roman Empire. Since all officials had to be Christians, naturally, they began to accept Baptism not only for the salvation of their souls, but also for mercantile reasons. Therefore, piety began to fade. Some, seeing such a picture, grieved, and began to retire into the wilderness in order to preserve the mood of the first Christians, the apostles - the disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ and the disciples of the apostles. Such people became known as monks.
Monk means solitary, but he is not alone, he is not alone. A monk is a person who is alone with God. In order to make life more convenient, the monks united in monasteries, especially since a novice monk cannot immediately retire to the desert and live alone. First, a person must undergo some temptation, living among people, to learn humility, obedience, love, mercy. And only after that, if it is God's will, you can go to complete solitude in the desert. There have always been few.
Basically, the monks lived in monasteries, which are special communities of people who are close to each other in spirit and interests. You, too, probably communicate and make friends only with those who are interesting to you and you will not go to visit everyone, you will not host everyone. The circle of our friends is determined by our interests. And the monastery is also, as it were, an association of people according to their interests.
When the persecution of Christians began - and throughout the history of the Church they happened often - the first blow always fell on the monks. They were considered the most important fanatics, because they were the most important bearers of the Orthodox faith. With their outward appearance and their whole lives, they preached other ideals alien to the world. A monk - this is how a monk is called in another way - is a person who lives differently, not like everyone else, a life that is not understandable to the world.
In response to external social changes and persecution, the Church, and with it monasticism, changed the forms of their life. The fact that a fairly significant number of monks are now ascetic in parishes is a consequence of the special conditions for the existence of monasticism under the Soviet regime, which from the very first days unleashed a wave of persecution on the Church, and above all on monasticism. Tens of thousands of monks were destroyed, tortured, exiled to camps, shot, executed. Now the process of canonization is gradually going on, that is, the glorification of these saints.
All the monasteries in Russia were closed. Only one - the Pskov-Caves Monastery - was not persecuted, was not closed. This happened only because the territory on which it is located was ceded to Estonia, and Estonia until 1939 was not part of the Soviet Union. In 1939, the monastery did not have time to close: the Second World War began. And then the policy of the state changed, and the monastery remained open. This is the only monastery in Russia that has never been closed.
All other monasteries were closed, plundered, and their inhabitants were either shot or sent to camps. Therefore, it is quite natural that those who left the camps, or those who managed to escape from persecution, lived somewhere in the world, with relatives and acquaintances. Quite often they settled in villages, lived in bathhouses, cellars or worked on collective farms, for example, as accountants.
I knew one nun, a schema woman. In 1916 she entered a convent and was tonsured at the age of sixteen. During the years of persecution, she was exiled to Kolyma, where she spent nine years. She talked about all the hardships that she had to endure. Returning from Kolyma, she got a job as a nurse: she gave injections to old, elderly people, brought them medicines. This is also a ministry of Christian mercy. For exemplary work, she was given an apartment. I went to church and prayed. When she retired, she began to constantly serve and serve at the temple, while living in the apartment she received. Many nuns and monks then lived like that.
Then, even under Stalin, monasteries began to open. Under Khrushchev, persecution resumed: about seventy monasteries were closed, and only sixteen remained active. Under Brezhnev, monasteries, thank God, did not close, although they experienced very strong pressure from the state. The first monastery reopened under Soviet rule, already in the post-Brezhnev era, was Danilov. And since 1988, the opening and restoration of many holy monasteries began, and now there are already more than five hundred of them. By the way, the opening of such a multitude of monasteries in such a short period of time has never happened anywhere in the history of the Christian Church.
Now a few words about the ascetic feat. There will be no monasticism without asceticism. Of course, the modern state of mankind is significantly different from the ancient one: health is not at all the same, food is not the same, and the ecological situation has deteriorated greatly. Therefore, the requirements that were placed on monks in antiquity are now unrealistic, and the feats that they carried are impossible for modern monks. But this is not the main thing. A monk is not someone who encloses himself in four walls, does not eat anything and does not sleep. A monk is a perfect Christian, and Christianity is love for one's neighbor and love for God. The whole Gospel is expressed in these two commandments, the monk devotes his whole life to their fulfillment. This means that a monk is a person whose goal and meaning of life is to serve one's neighbor. In this regard, modern monks perform their service. They are performed in parishes, in holy monasteries, restoring holy monasteries from scratch or from ruins. It is generally characteristic of our time to bear the feat of construction, the revival of monastic life.
In addition, the monks are engaged in writing and publishing spiritual books. The greatest of the spiritual authors of the 20th century, in my opinion, is the abbot. A book of his letters "Repentance has been left to us" has been published. Among modern spiritual writers, the most close to me is the archimandrite, who is now ascetic in Georgia, along with several novices, in the desert in the Caucasus Mountains. The publishing house named after St. Ignatius of Stavropol, which exists at our church, published one of his books: "Adam's Sin". It is devoted to the question of whether it is possible to save unbaptized babies and unbaptized in general. There are very different views on this problem in the Church, and the author of the book, having considered various opinions, clearly proved that if a person not be born of water and the Spirit, cannot inherit the kingdom of heaven(). Therefore, no one can be saved without the Sacrament of Baptism. The Church has always known only one exception to this rule - when a person was martyred for Christ without being baptized. Such a person was baptized with his own blood and was considered not only baptized, but also a holy martyr. The Church has not known any other examples of the salvation of the unbaptized throughout its two thousand-year history.
—What should a young man, or perhaps not a very young one, do who has a desire to devote himself to monasticism? What would you advise him?
—I will tell a person who is not very young that one should go to monasticism at a young age. Those people who have lived for their own pleasure and in their old age decide to go to a monastery, fearing that there will be no one to look after them in old age, do not act entirely honestly. In addition, in the monastery you need to work, and for this you need to have health. And in itself the ascetic way of life, fasting, divine services, which in the monastery are both longer and more frequent than in the world, require a certain physical health. Therefore, not every person in years needs to go to the monastery.
Of course, God's Providence calls people in different ways. But the best monks are still "obtained" from the young. says that most of the saints of the Orthodox Church went to the monastery at the age of twenty. Maybe not exactly at twenty, but at twenty-one, twenty-four, twenty-five. This is the most blessed age when the soul of a person is still soft, has not yet been imprinted with anything: no sins, vices, skills, delusions. His soul is like a blank sheet of paper on which you can write holy writings.
In addition to our desire, it is necessary, first of all, that there be the will of God for a person to go to a monastery. The will of God must be sought. How it's done? Probably, it should not be that a person has just been baptized, just started going to church, and immediately enters a monastery. Anything, of course, happens, but first you need to go to church, become an Orthodox Christian.
says that before becoming a monk, one must become a perfect layman. Living in the world, visiting a holy temple, one must try to take everything possible from the treasury of the Church, that is, to reach a certain spiritual level, to become a real Orthodox church person. It is necessary to observe the fasts that the Orthodox Church prescribes, to make a daily prayer rule, regularly, at least once a week, visit the temple. An Orthodox person must go to church on all Sundays: the day before, that is, on Saturday evening, and on Sunday morning, as well as on the Twelve Feasts, which are so called because there are twelve of them. In general, a Christian must love worship, love the spiritual life, be sure to read spiritual books.
Those who aspire to monasticism need to get some idea of ​​monastic life by reading the writings of the Holy Fathers of the Orthodox Church, that is, those who are canonized as saints. These books, written by holy people, tell about monastic life, about the inner monastic feat, about how monks lived and how they should live, about the history of monasticism. Before entering the monastery, one must understand what real, genuine monasticism is, so as not to be mistaken, so that it does not turn out that a person has built castles in the air for himself, and life turned out to be completely different. You also need to know that monasticism in the 21st century is very different from what it was in antiquity.
Having received an idea about monasticism, then, as a rule, they take a blessing from their spiritual father. And first they go to the holy monastery to see, and then they decide to stay. Here is what I could advise to those who wish to prepare for the monastic life and find a monastery for themselves.

From the book Is Salvation Possible in the 21st Century? Hieromonk Sergius (Rybko)

It happens that you can hear from women of all ages that, they say, they decided to go to a monastery. Someone says this as a joke, someone seriously thinks about how to get into a convent to live, and some, especially girls, after parting with their loved one and believing that life is over, decide to go to the monastery, as if to spite everyone. And also in church circles you can hear stories about some negligent mother leading an immoral lifestyle, who abandoned her children and went to a monastery, now living there for her own pleasure on everything prepared.

But is it so easy to get into the monastery, and is life so carefree "with everything ready"? Of course not. Getting into the monastery is quite difficult., because it will be necessary to prove not only to herself, but also to other nuns that the decision was not made spontaneously, that all the pros and cons are weighed, that the woman is ready for such a vital act. Only in the old days could one be imprisoned in a monastery without the will of the person himself, and now he will have to go through a long difficult path on his own in order to take monastic vows.

Required Qualities

Go to the monastery - what is needed for this? You need a lot, first of all, you need to have a number of qualities, namely:

In addition, it should be borne in mind that the nuns are constantly engaged in hard physical labor, earning their living, so it is very desirable to have good physical health and endurance. And you will also have to observe fasts and stand at services that last several hours in a monastery in a row. . Therefore, in addition to the physical You also need to have spiritual power. Each person must first decide for himself whether he can endure such a life, because it is very problematic to remove the monastic rank from oneself.

How to start preparing for monasticism

So, how can a woman enter a monastery? If the decision is made firmly, you can begin to prepare for monastic life. First you need to start the life of a churched person - regularly attend services in the temple, confess, take communion, observe fasts, try to follow the commandments. You can, with the blessing of the priest, serve in the temple - clean the candlesticks, wash the floors and windows, help in the refectory and perform any other assigned work.

It will be necessary to resolve all issues related to worldly affairs - to determine who will look after the apartment or house (often future nuns simply sell their property and invest in the improvement of the monastery), resolve any legal issues, place pets, if any, in reliable hands. Next, you need to talk with your spiritual mentor, tell your intention. The priest will help you choose a monastery and prepare for the monastic life. It is imperative to receive the blessing of the confessor for leaving life in the world.

Trip to the monastery

So, preparation completed, the blessing is received, the abode is chosen. Now you should go there to talk with Mother Superior. She will tell about the peculiarities of life in the chosen monastery, traditions and living conditions. You should have the necessary documents with you:

  • The passport.
  • Brief autobiography.
  • Marriage certificate or certificate of death of the spouse (if any).
  • Application for admission to the monastery.

You should know that tonsure is allowed only to persons who have reached the age of thirty. If a woman has minor children, it will be necessary to present a certificate of establishment of guardianship over them by responsible persons (sometimes they may also require characteristics for guardians). You need to know that in this case the confessor may not give a blessing for the monastic life and the abbess will advise you to stay in the world and raise your children. Staying in the monastery, having a minor child in the world, is possible only in exceptional cases. The same applies to the situation when a woman has elderly parents who need care.

There is no requirement to make a deposit, but you can make a voluntary donation.

What awaits in the monastery

It is impossible to take tonsure immediately upon arrival at the monastery. A probationary period of three to five years is usually set. At this time, the woman will look to monastic life and will be able to understand whether she is ready to finally leave the world and stay in the monastery. Before taking the vows, a woman goes through several stages of monastic life.

That's all the answers to the questions, how to go to the monastery, what is needed for this. If the woman was not afraid of the upcoming difficulties, the desire to serve God and neighbor is still strong, and going to the monastery is a decided matter, perhaps this is her way, because, as experienced priests say, not people accept into the monastery, but the Lord himself.

Since it carries within itself the renunciation of a sinful life, the seal of being chosen, uniting forever with Christ and dedication to the service of God.

Monasticism is the destiny of the strong in spirit and body. If a person is unhappy in worldly life, escaping to a monastery will only aggravate his misfortunes.

It is possible to leave for a monastery only after breaking ties with the outside world, completely renouncing everything earthly and dedicating one's life to serving the Lord. One desire is not enough for this: the call and command of the heart make a person closer to monasticism. To do this, you need to work hard and prepare.

The path to the monastery begins with the knowledge of the depth of spiritual life.

Took monastic vows

Departure to the convent of women

How can a woman enter a monastery? This is a decision that the woman herself makes, but not without the help of a spiritual mentor and God's blessing.

Do not forget that people come to the monastery not to heal spiritual wounds received in the world from unhappy love, the death of loved ones, but to reunite with the Lord, with the cleansing of the soul from sins, with the understanding that all life now belongs to the service of Christ.

The monastery is happy to see everyone, but as long as there are problems in worldly life, the walls of the monastery will not be able to save, but can only worsen the situation. When leaving for a monastery, there should not be any attachments that delay in everyday life. If the willingness to surrender to the service of the Lord is strong, then the monastic life will also benefit the nun, peace will be found in daily labors, prayers and the feeling that the Lord is always there.

If people in the world behave irresponsibly - they want to leave their wife, leave their children, then there is no certainty that the monastic life will benefit such a lost soul.

Important! Responsibility is needed always and everywhere. You cannot run away from yourself. You need not go to the monastery, but come to the monastery, go towards a new day, a new dawn, where the Lord is waiting for you.

Leaving the monastery of men

How can a man go to a monastery? This decision is not easy. But the rules are the same as for women. It's just that in society, men have more responsibility for family, work, children.

Therefore, leaving for a monastery, but at the same time, drawing closer to God, you need to think about whether loved ones will not be left without support and a strong shoulder of a man.

There is no big difference between a man and a woman who want to enter a monastery. The reason for leaving the monastery is different for everyone. The only thing that unites the future monks is the imitation of the way of life of Christ.

Preparation for monastic life

Monk - translated from Greek means "lonely", and in Russia they were called monks - from the word "other", "other". Monastic life is not a neglect of the world, its colors and admiration for life, but it is a renunciation of pernicious passions and sinfulness, of carnal pleasures and pleasures. Monasticism serves to restore the original purity and sinlessness with which Adam and Eve were endowed in Paradise.

Yes, this is a hard and difficult path, but the reward is great - imitation of the image of Christ, endless joy in God, the ability to accept with gratitude everything that the Lord sends. In addition, the monks are the first prayer books for the sinful world. As long as their prayer sounds, the world stands. This is the main job of the monks - to pray for the whole world.

As long as a man or woman lives in the world, but feels with all their heart that their place is in the monastery, they have time to prepare and make the right and final choice between worldly life and life in unity with God:

  • First you need to be an Orthodox Christian;
  • Attend the temple, but not formally, but penetrate the soul into the services and love them;
  • Perform morning and evening prayer rule;
  • Learn to observe fasting bodily and spiritual;
  • Honor Orthodox holidays;
  • Read spiritual literature, the lives of saints and be sure to get acquainted with books written by holy people that tell about monastic life, the history of monasticism;
  • Find a spiritual mentor who will talk about true monasticism, dispel myths about life in a monastery, and give a blessing to serve God;
  • Make a pilgrimage to several monasteries, be a worker, stay in obedience.

About Orthodox monasteries:

Who can enter the monastery

The impossibility of living without God leads a man or woman to the walls of the monastery. They do not run away from people, but go for salvation, for the inner need of repentance.

And yet there are obstacles to entering the monastery, not everyone can be blessed for monasticism.

Cannot be a monk or nun:

  • Family man;
  • A man or woman raising small children;
  • Wanting to hide from unhappy love, difficulties, failures;
  • The advanced age of a person becomes an obstacle for monasticism, because in the monastery they work hard and hard, and for this you need to have health. Yes, and it is difficult to change ingrained habits that will become an obstacle to monasticism.

If all this is not there and the intention to come to monasticism does not leave a person even for a minute, no one and nothing will certainly prevent him from renouncing the world and entering a monastery.

Absolutely different people go to the monastery: those who have achieved success in the world, educated, smart, beautiful. They go because the soul yearns for more.

Monasticism is open to everyone, but not everyone is fully prepared for it. Monasticism is a life without sorrows, in the sense that a person gets rid of worldly fuss and worries. But this life is much harder than the life of a family man. The family cross is difficult, but having run away from it to the monastery, disappointment awaits and relief does not come.

Advice! And yet, in order to set foot on the difficult path of monasticism, which belongs to a few, one must carefully and carefully consider, so as not to look back later and not regret what happened.

Took monastic vows

How to deal with parents

Many parents in ancient Russia and other Orthodox countries welcomed the desire of their children to become monks. Youths were prepared from childhood to accept monasticism. Such children were considered prayer books for the whole family.

But there were also deeply religious people who categorically opposed the ministry of their children in the monastic field. They wanted to see their children successful and prosperous in worldly life.

Children who have independently made the decision to live in a monastery are preparing their loved ones for such a serious choice. It is necessary to choose the right words and arguments that will be correctly perceived by parents and will not lead them into the sin of condemnation.

In turn, prudent parents will thoroughly study the choice of their child, delve into the essence and understanding of the whole issue, help and support a loved one in such an important undertaking.

It's just that the majority, out of ignorance of the essence of monasticism, perceive the desire of children to serve the Lord as something alien, unnatural. They begin to fall into despair and longing.

Parents are sad that there will be no grandchildren, that a son or daughter will not have all the usual worldly joys, which are considered to be the highest achievements for a person.

Advice! Monasticism is a worthy decision for a child, and the support of parents is an important component in the final approval of the correct choice of the future path in life.

On Raising Children in the Faith:

Time for reflection: worker and novice

To choose a monastery in which the future monk will remain, they make more than one trip to holy places. When visiting one monastery, it is difficult to determine that a person’s heart will remain here to serve God.

After staying in the monastery for a few weeks, a man or woman is assigned the role of a worker.

During this period, a person:

  • prays a lot, confesses;
  • works for the benefit of the monastery;
  • gradually comprehends the basics of monastic life.

The worker lives at the monastery and eats here. At this stage, they look at him in the monastery, and if a person remains faithful to his vocation of monasticism, they offer to remain in the monastery as a novice - a person who is preparing to be tonsured a monk and undergoing a spiritual test in the monastery.

Important: obedience is a Christian virtue, a monastic vow, a test, the whole meaning of which comes down to the liberation of the soul, and not to slavery. The essence and importance of obedience must be understood and felt. Understand that everything is done for good, and not for torment. Fulfilling obedience, they understand that the elder, who is responsible for the future monk, cares about the salvation of his soul.

With unbearable trials, when the spirit weakens, you can always turn to your elder and tell about the difficulties. And unceasing prayer to God is the first helper in strengthening the spirit.

You can be a follower for many years. Whether a person is ready to accept monasticism is decided by the confessor. At the stage of obedience, there is still time to think about the future life.

The bishop or rector of the monastery performs the rite of monastic tonsure. After tonsure, there is no way back: moving away from passions, sorrows and embarrassments leads to an inextricable connection with God.

Important: do not rush, do not rush to become a monk. Impulsive impulses, inexperience, ardor are falsely taken as a true vocation to be a monk. And then a person begins to worry, despondency, melancholy, escapes from the monastery. Vows are given and no one can break them. And life turns to flour.

Therefore, the main instruction of the holy fathers is careful obedience and testing for a certain period of time, which will show the true intention to be called to monasticism.

Life in the monastery

In our 21st century, it has become possible for ordinary laity to approach and see the life of monks.

Pilgrimage trips to women's and men's monasteries are now being organized. The pilgrimage is designed for several days. The laity live at the monastery, in specially designated rooms for guests. Sometimes accommodation may be paid, but this is a symbolic price and the funds from it go to the maintenance of the monastery. Meals are free, according to the monastic charter, that is, lenten food.

But the laity do not live in the monastery as tourists, but join the life of monks. They pass obedience, work for the good of the monastery, pray and feel the grace of God with all their being. They get very tired, but the fatigue is pleasant, gracious, which brings peace to the soul and a sense of the closeness of God.

After such trips, many myths about the life of monks are dispelled:

  1. There is strict discipline in the monastery, but it does not oppress the nuns and monks, but brings joy. In fasting, work and prayer they see the meaning of life.
  2. No one forbids a monk to have books, listen to music, watch movies, communicate with friends, travel, but everything should be for the good of the soul.
  3. The cells are not dull, as they show in feature films, there is a wardrobe, a bed, a table, a lot of icons - everything is very comfortable.

After tonsure, three vows are taken: chastity, non-possession, obedience:

  • monastic chastity- this is celibacy, as a constituent element of striving for God; the concept of chastity as abstinence from satisfying the lusts of the flesh exists in the world, therefore the meaning of this vow in the context of monasticism is something else - the acquisition of God Himself;
  • monastic obedience- cutting off one's will before everyone - elders, before every person, before Christ. Trust God boundlessly and be obedient to Him in everything. Accept with gratitude everything as it is. Such a life acquires a special inner world that is in direct contact with God and is not overshadowed by any external circumstances;
  • Non-possession means renunciation of all earthly things. Monastic life renounces earthly blessings: a monk should not be addicted to anything. Refusing earthly riches, he gains lightness of spirit.

And only with the Lord, when communication with Him becomes above all else - the rest, in principle, is not necessary and not important.

Watch a video on how to go to a monastery

Father Seraphim Rose described three types of monasticism, as he called,

"three types of monastic situation".

First situation

This is an already established old monastery. This is what is usually meant by the words "go into monks." To become a monk - for many it means to go to a monastery. And Father Seraphim writes that spiritual fruit in such a monastery is achieved through the suffering associated with staying in such a place, as well as through continuous connection with the past. Such a monastery, as it were, pulls a thread from the past, people join it, due to this, a spiritual fruit is obtained, and plus the suffering associated with being in such a monastery.

Here Father Seraphim speaks of monasteries in the tradition of the Church Abroad. In August of this year, just a month ago, Abbess Alexandra from ROCOR(A) gave a report on the monasteries of the Church Abroad. She visited all the historical monasteries of ROCOR. She describes four women's monasteries of the Church Abroad and the main ROCOR male monastery Jordanville. Her report carefully examines the routine of life and worship in such monasteries, but nowhere in the entire report is it mentioned, even briefly, the main deed of a monk - the Jesus Prayer. Maybe she has her own opinion, of course, but from other eyewitnesses who have been to these monasteries, I also heard that the main efforts there are aimed at receiving pilgrims and maintaining ancient buildings. Usually these monasteries have rather large real estate, which is difficult to maintain, the monks work for this, and I have never heard of the Jesus Prayer in the monasteries of the Church Abroad.

Although there is a slightly different monastery, different in spirit, it is located in Boston. In the USA there are even several such monasteries in the Church, which is friendly to us, where there is a completely different attitude to the Jesus Prayer, but they are all English-speaking, a little bit in a different Greek tradition, but there are such monasteries.

The second type of "monastic situation",

which Father Seraphim writes about, arises when a person begins to ascetic himself, according to his understanding of the examples of the great ascetics of the past. Father Seraphim explains that this is the most dangerous of all the monastic paths open today. And it's understandable why. Father Seraphim gives many reasons why this is dangerous, and explains what qualities a person must have - an almost impossible combination of qualities - in order to survive in this way. And, besides, such a hermitage in Russia is also a physically dangerous path. If in America, where Father Seraphim lived, you can fence off the territory, write “private territory”, and it will be well enough guarded, then in Russia all this is much more dangerous.

But there is one more thing that was not in the time of Father Seraphim, which is both good and evil. These are modern means of communication. If such an ascetic really tries not to use the Internet, then he chooses the second type described by Father Seraphim with all the dangers. If he uses the Internet, then he approaches the third type, because he has some people of the same wisdom with whom he can communicate, and then what Father Seraphim called the third type of “monastic situation” turns out.

The third type of "monastic situation"

arises when a group of several people begins to struggle, supporting each other. This case is very frequent for true Orthodoxy in Russia. There are parishes here, they are either apartment-type or churches (but the TOC managed to keep quite a few churches), in these communities there are people who try to live like a monk, they usually stick together, and later one of them receives tonsure. Thus, upon arrival, a small monastic community is obtained, usually of an urban type, which is often called monasticism in the world.

There are many problems here, but four lie on the surface. The first is how to keep fit, the second is how to maintain some isolation from the world, the third problem of female monasticism is how to deal with arrogance (this is the other side of the obedience problem), and the fourth problem is collective pride.

1) How to keep fit

What is this problem? At first, and even for a long time, for several years, a person who tries to live like a monk retains some understanding of why this is necessary. A person tries to strive, and then, over time, some getting used to such a life is developed, efforts begin to weaken, life enters into some kind of its own channel, and the initial understanding begins to fade and become clogged with fuss.

This is where it's important to stay in shape. For this, the five basic occupations of a monk and every Christian are important. It is important to learn these activities before taking the vows, so that they become habitual and that they create a form.

What are these occupations that keep it up like that? I will list them in random order.

a) Psalms

Psalmody is worship. And here it is very important for monastics to get accustomed to daily worship even before taking tonsure. At least to the minimum. It can be performed at home, it can be performed without a priest (a priest is not even needed at such monastic services). This is some part of the services of the daily circle, at least it is Vespers. This is some kind of backbone, which simply must be, without which everything will be blurred.

b) Reading

Daily reading of the Holy Fathers. Reading can be very small, but attentive. Firstly, these are ascetic readings, about how to change oneself, because it seems to a person that he knows exactly what he needs to do in order to change, but the holy fathers find how to do it better. And another reading is reading that helps many, this is reading some living books about Orthodoxy, which remind you of why all this is needed, some lives, but not verified, but written “in hot pursuit”, where they describe and pluses, and minuses, and mistakes, which tells how people who tried to asceticism actually lived. So we just end up in good company. Because when a person lives in the world, he inevitably communicates with people, and with good people, but they have a slightly different arrangement. And when we see the life of holy people who struggled and tried before, they become some of our company with which we communicate.

c) Thinking

Thinking first of all about your sins. There is one very good trick here. It is difficult to force ourselves to do this, because our inner person will not want to do it, but if you get used to it, then this is a very good habit. Once a day, or better twice a day, to mechanically “inventory” sins for a day or half a day: what I did wrong during this time, this, this and this. And think about how I could not step on this rake the next time I find myself in this situation.

Here, of course, it’s better not to think for yourself (and this is a very important point), you can’t trust your own ideas about your mistakes, but you need to consult with someone. When there is a good and experienced priest, it is good, but it is not at all necessary that it be a priest. It is enough that there is a man of the same wisdom with whom this could be discussed and who can suggest something from the outside. Sometimes you can see things from the outside that you can't see from the inside. I myself have nothing, but the neighbor always sees not only what he has, but also how he can improve! But it's actually useful to discuss everything. Here, of course, the thought arises that I myself know, but if I myself know, and this does not help, then it means that I know something wrong.

d) The fourth lesson is what is called prayer

This is the same Jesus Prayer, some special rule associated with the Jesus Prayer. This is a completely separate issue. But how does she help? Unlike the previous three classes, which create a kind of skeleton, it creates the joy for which all this can be done. As one contemporary leader of the Jesus Prayer said, our day is like smoked glass, and the monastic rule, the Jesus Prayer, is like a small window wiped in this glass through which light is visible.

e) Needlework

This is work. Its main goal is to prevent thoughts from wandering, it is such an anchor for the mind, but it is also needed in order to live by one's work. Because monastics often have a temptation of a special kind: the world begins to help monks a lot, completely undeservedly. All sorts of sponsors appear, and then there is a temptation to live at the expense of sponsors, somehow rely on them, somehow communicate with them. But this is a big trap, it corrupts a person very much. Of course, it is better, like the apostle Paul, who made his own tents, to work and earn a living on his own. And this is in the catacomb traditions: the catacomb monks did not hesitate to work in secular jobs. But organizing your own business for a monastery or for a small monastic community, even in the world - doing something and selling something - is very troublesome, and not safe in Russia. And it's easier when people, having some skills, just quietly work in their areas in secular jobs.

It's about how to keep in shape.

2) The second problem is how to maintain some isolation,

or, in worldly terms, how not to hang out. And now there is not only ordinary communication with people, but also communication on the Internet.

But different people have a different psychological structure, a different need for communication, so each person must come up with some kind of system for himself, how, in the absence of external walls of the monastery, to organize some kind of internal fence, some kind of isolation, otherwise unsanitary conditions will develop.

3) How to deal with arrogance,

with a desire to command. A very big problem of female monasticism. These nuns often find themselves involved in parish or diocesan activities, or in general church activities. Here it is very difficult to resist, so as not to start being in charge, especially if you are the boss by position (all the more, you need to restrain yourself more strongly), and there can be several tricks.

One very good rule to keep in mind can be summed up as “keep your head down”. And you just need to remember about the very danger of giving orders. And with joy to meet cases that allow you to humble yourself a little. Rejoice in every such unpleasant occasion, and they include the need for some kind of work, and harassment from the authorities. And, again, here you need to develop some kind of scheme for yourself, how to put the right shutters on your desire to command. It is advisable to develop not on your own, but in consultation with someone who sees it from the outside.

4) The next danger is collective pride

This is not only for monastics, but it is a very dangerous thing for the TOC in general. I myself am a sinner, but what a good organization I belong to!.. Father Seraphim writes about collective pride specifically in relation to that group of people who organized their monastic community virtually from scratch. He says that "the appearance of being 'correct' can produce spiritual complacency and a dismissive attitude towards those who, while not being members of their group, are not so 'correct'."

Father Seraphim gives advice on how to deal with this. He writes: "The less such a group is in the public eye, and the less it focuses on its 'correctness' and its differences from older institutions, the greater the chance it has to maintain its spiritual health." That is, such a group should be as little as possible in the center of public attention.

Here we smoothly moved on to a side, but burning issue of female monasticism, to the problem of appearance,

clothing problem

I am not talking here about those who live in monasteries, but those who live in the world. There are two approaches here. Someone thinks that you should always walk in a cassock, and someone thinks that it is not necessary.

Whoever walked down the street in a cassock knows that this is a very strong attraction of attention, two types of attention. The first is drunkards, who immediately have a great religious impulse, in a drunken state they have a need to communicate on religious topics. And the second is, again, undeserved very good attention from people. Sometimes, on the contrary, it is aggression, but more often it is some kind of signs of attention: they give way to a seat, skip a queue. Is it necessary?

I studied the arguments in favor of wearing a cassock on the street. There are several arguments.

a) first argument

which is most often found, was formulated by one of those present here as follows: "He called himself a load - climb into the body." Yes, a monk makes certain vows during tonsure, but among them there is no vow to walk in medieval everyday oriental clothes. Because the cassock and the apostle are common clothes in the East, they have been preserved there as everyday clothes to this day.

But how important is it to walk around the streets in oriental medieval clothes? In the service - there is a ceremonial, a ritual, but in everyday life?

b) second argument:

One Greek priest in America told me, emphasizing why it is important to walk in a cassock, how he was standing somewhere on the street, and young people were standing nearby, they did not see him and used some swear words. Then they saw him, apologized and began to speak good English. And now, this is an argument in favor of the cassock. In fact, Orthodoxy does not have a goal to teach people to express themselves this way, and not that, and whoever tried to teach young people not to use obscene language knows how much violence against them really is, how serious coercion it is for them. But is it necessary, with the help of the cassock, to turn Orthodoxy into some kind of system of restrictions and coercions?

c) another reason:

I preach Christianity when I wear a cassock. It seems to me that this is not a sound reason at all. If a person seriously thinks that he is preaching Christianity with his appearance, then this is an occasion to hit himself on the forehead and treat himself somehow more soberly.

d) the fourth reason:

I don't feel like a monk in secular clothes. No matter how ridiculous it sounds, but, in fact, this is a serious reason, because a person feels differently in different clothes. In shorts, they say, in one way, in a strict suit - some other dispensation. And the cassock helps someone to maintain the right dispensation. So, maybe for someone this is an argument, I don’t know and I don’t undertake to judge here. They say, “the form protects the spirit”, but here we can also say that the form of the spirit does not always protect, but sometimes replaces. And, perhaps, “less masquerade” is better, so as not to draw attention to your own monastic person.

Now we can talk about landmarks, not about problems. The Highest Landmark is understandable which one, I take it out of brackets, and as for earthly landmarks, it is better for us in Russia to focus not on the monasteries of the Church Abroad, but on catacomb monasticism. They walked down the street in secular.

In catacomb monasticism, there were different options, there was no desire to drive everyone under some kind of single charter. They walked around in secular and still walk the streets in secular, in modest decent clothes that do not attract attention. Do not hesitate to work in secular jobs. They did not always live together in a single place. But they had some monastic rules of their own. And it is the catacomb traditions that can be a guide for us.

In conclusion, I would like to say that the most important thing is not to condemn other types of monastic life. When a person chooses monasticism, then, in my opinion, it is very cool, and other monks should rejoice. And if it seems that it would be worth it to organize it somehow differently, then, in fact, thank God that there is at least somehow.

Monks, after all, they are all a bit like relatives, they should rejoice at each other - even if in some ways they understand monastic practice in different ways.