‘Brahmacharya’ is a monastic discipline centered on controlling the senses and directing attention toward spiritual practice.
Articles on Monks
Displaying 1 - 20 of 24 articles
Thai Buddhism involves daily rituals and collective acts of worship, unlike the individual-focused emphasis on meditation often found in Western Buddhist communities.
Monks wrote chronicles about the devastating heat of the 13th century, and detail what happened.
Saint Benedict imagined a life of stability, community and measure; one devoted to the care for souls and, ultimately, to spiritual salvation.
Warm rooms were often very unusual in medieval times.
A scholar of Buddhism explains authentic ways to engage deeply with the tradition, ranging from short meditation retreats to full ordination as a monastic.
Monks who failed to factor in the leap day placed spring equinox on the wrong day, which meant Ash Wednesday, Lent, Holy Week and Pentecost were also marked on the wrong day.
The pages of The Book of Kells certainly contain some of the elements that have been used to identify drug use in modern and contemporary art.
Through the power of rituals, inanimate objects can be understood to transform into agents who can see, hear, taste and respond to the concerns of those who worship them.
There is a long tradition in China of associating monkeys with the mind – symbolism that has helped the novel’s most memorable character, the Monkey King, find universal resonance.
Theravada Buddhism is the dominant religious system in several parts of South and Southeast Asia, but there is a rich diversity of beliefs and practices in this tradition.
Traditional ordination into a Buddhist monastic life requires meeting guidelines based on male and female genders.
Reproduction is at the very heart of evolution. So why has celibacy persisted for so long?
The late Vietnamese monk Thich Nhat Hanh popularized the contemplative practice around the world.
Piecing together the mystery of medieval chant books means studying hand-made objects from centuries ago.
Thailand’s Buddhist temples, important centers of culture and commerce, rely on donations from international visitors. Because of a steep drop in tourism, these temples have been hit hard.
In China, many Buddhists hope for birth in a buddha-land so they can complete their path under a buddha’s direct supervision.
The ancient term ‘acedia’ describes the paradoxical combination of jangling nerves and vague lack of purpose many of us are feeling now. Reviving the label might help.
Monks in Thailand are increasingly providing food and other essential items for laypeople – a reversal of traditional roles.
Buddhist monks in Thailand continue to collect alms from households, despite the threat of the coronavirus. The reason: the practice is an important part of merit-making.
Top contributors
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Associate Professor of Religious Studies, Rhodes College
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Dean’s Professor of Religion & Professor of History, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences
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Associate Professor of Patristics, Baylor University
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Assistant Professor of Religious Studies, Case Western Reserve University
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Postdoctoral research associate, Department of Music, Fountain School of Performing Arts, Dalhousie University
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Professor in the History of Art and Architecture, Trinity College Dublin
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Associate Professor of Religion and Culture and Religion and Culture Area Director, Catholic University of America
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Associate Professor of Chinese Studies, College of the Holy Cross
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Associate Professor of Old English, University College Dublin
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Associate Professor, Institute for Religion and Critical Inquiry, Australian Catholic University
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Professor in High Medieval History, Durham University
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Professor of Anthropology, UCL
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Professor of History, State University of New York at New Paltz
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Research Fellow, UCL
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Professor of Musicology and Music Theory, Dalhousie University