We’re All Monastics Now

We’re All Monastics(məˈnastik) Now

By Leo Babauta

My Zen teacher Susan recently told a group of her students at the end of a Zen meditation retreat(rəˈtrēt), “We’re all monastics now.”

In this global pandemic(panˈdemik), we’re in an era(ˈerə,ˈi(ə)rə) of isolation(ˌīsəˈlāSHən), retreat. We’re also in an era of heightened(ˈhītn) uncertainty.

This can be a terrible thing, and drive us to loneliness and distraction … or it can be a time of practice, reflection, and deepening.

We can choose to see ourselves as monks(məNGk) deepening into the stillness of a monastery(ˈmänəˌsterē).

It’s our choice.

If you’re staying home these days, it can be a time of endless Internet distractions … or you can open to the opportunity to use the beautiful solitude for meditation, reading, writing, contemplation(ˌkäntəmˈplāSHən), journaling. It can be a time of practice.

If you’re feeling the anxiety of the moment, it can be a time of near breakdown and freneticism(frəˈnedək(ə)zm) … or it can be a moment to slow down and be still. Practice mindfully with whatever feelings are coming up.

You can go to the latest memes(mēm) and viral(ˈvīrəl) videos (which are fun!) … or you can find a text and study it.

You can get caught up in frustration with how others are acting during this crisis(ˈkrīsis) … or you can practice opening in compassion(kəmˈpaSHən), with compassion meditations.

This is a great opportunity to deepen into mindfulness and practice, to learn to face head-on the uncertainty and fears that arise(əˈrīz) in us, and to connect to the humanity((h)yo͞oˈmanədē) going through this rather than disconnect from them.

We’re all monastics now — how will we use this time?

https://zenhabits.net/monastics/