The Secret to True Freedom According to Monks
Monk Mindset for Living Well
Monk Mindset 6
Seek Nothing to Find Everything: Detachment
Reflection on the Monk Mindset & Quote
Freedom – one of the greatest ideals of Western civilization. And freedom is good. But there are many types of freedom.
Political freedom -- to vote democratically. Economic freedom – to choose one’s work, to own capital and make purchasing decisions. Freedom of choice – to choose what you want to do and when.
Thomas Merton, the Trappist monk – and indeed the entire monastic tradition advocates that the most important form of freedom is mostly counterintuitive.
When we make decisions that go against our flourishing and most authentic identity, we are actually not free.
True freedom is the capability and desire to make decisions and live in a way that helps us most to flourish.
And we flourish most abundantly in God.
Therefore when we act and make decisions counter to Him, we are actually not free. Instead, when we decide in ways that go against God and our flourishing it’s actually an illusion of freedom.
In these cases, we think we’re free, but we’re actually trapped, or sometimes even enslaved.
In the monastic tradition this leaving of sin – leaving that which is contrary to our joy and true life – is actually the first stage to journeying deeper. It’s where the battle begins.
The next twist is that on our own we’re never fully capable to leave behind what keeps us from flourishing. We need help.
Put It Into Practice This Week
What is one thing deep in your heart you know you’re addicted to (and we all have something)? You want to turn away from it but you know it’s there.
Imagine – what if you were free of this? What if it no longer had power over you?
In your heart, ask for the help and the grace to be free of it for some period of time – a month, a week, even today. Really believe this grace will be granted to you.
When the temptation emerges to give in to this addiction – remember what it felt like to be free and say a prayer for help in that moment to endure.
Then, see your progress and repeat.
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