(11) Stoics & Monks

Beyond the previous post about Monks and Stoics, I've
found that the Stoic lifestyle corresponds nicely with the
great Benedictine Way.

STOIC: The Stoic philosopher Seneca believed that in order
to live well we need to develop a stability of mind. By this he
means the "well-being of soul," which he calls Tranquility.
Seneca puts the question: how can the mind "maintain a
consistent and advantageous course, be kind to itself and
take pleasure in its attributes...[and] abide in its serenity,
without excitement or depression?" What this Stoic philo-
sopher is talking about is a life led simply and steadily via
the practice of *apatheia.*

And Seneca continues: "it takes a great man...to allow none
of his time to be frittered away, such a man's life is very long,
because he devotes every available minute of it to himself.
None of it lies idle and unexploited, none of it is at the
disposal of another." In this case he is talking about a
person who is sufficient unto himself, a person who knows
his likes and dislikes, a person who can plan ahead. He
is describing a self-contained person who is capable of
determining his own course by employing the Stoic lifestyle.

BENEDICTINE. Obedience: Over the course of my life I have
had to discern as to Whom or What I need be obedient. It
hasn't been an easy effort, fraught with a lot of failure on my
part. There has been a lot of trial-and-error, working through
territories that were part of a *via negativa* for me. Regardless,
one learns from this painful approach. In obedience I continue
trying to follow the whisperings of the Spirit, the Logos, working
in my heart and mind.

Stability: Becoming a stable person isn't easy. Like darkness is
to light, like chaos is to order, there's a linkage that must be
understood before one can run a sturdy course. The psyche is
full of such polarities, and mine surely has exemplified a great
variety of such. I've had to come to terms with these polarities,
and the job will never be finished. One must make the effort to
retain a stable and sturdy hand, always!

Conversio Morum: This is about spiritual formation, inwardly
and as an expression in the world. I harken back to That to
whom I am obedient, the Spirit, the Logos! Over my many
years I have been continuously surprised as I moved along
a Spirit- prompted path set forth for me. I have made fabulous
discoveries along the way--discoveries that have brought forth
insights and perhaps a little wisdom. My soul has steadily
grown, though sometimes I don't know it except through
hindsight.

Still, I make room for my being human. Perfection is not the
same as Change. Long ago I determined that the evolution
of my soul is a process towards ideal agency, making the
"ideal real."

Ora et Labora: This is about Prayer and Work. Praying has
always proved difficult for me. I am rarely pleased with myself
when praying. I've studied prayer, and there are different modes
of which I am sure I have participated. But I mainly like and try
to follow the kind of praying Christ suggested: private, simple,
and from the heart. Indeed the ancient Stoics also proposed
the same sort of prayer.

As for my Work, I'm a born scholar and possess the monastic
"Love of Learning." And I direct my learning mainly toward that
great Benedictine mandate "To Seek God." Though monastically
oriented, my universal approach through many years has also
been that of the spiritual Stoic philosopher.

Over the years I have written out my learning, not preaching but
rather hopefully sharing. Nonetheless, my aim is not to push
my few small pearls upon any soul--but rather to bring forth what
I have learned along my way as a sustenance for those who
find such appealing.