I just got back from a three day silent retreat at a monastery. I was tempted after breaking the silence on the final day, to state my willingness to cook, clean, and work in their library in exchange for room and board. Then I remembered that the cat sitter needed to be relieved of duty and it was time to go home and resume my responsibilities. Eventually, I would also want to find out what was going on with my favorite TV show and catch up with my ungodly celebrity gossip. However, I am committed to finding a way to bring silence and depth into my daily life and the following books may tide me over until the next retreat, even though waking up at 5:30 a.m. has already slipped away.
An Infinity of Little Hours: Five Young Men and Their Trial of Faith in the Western World's Most Austere Monastic Order by Nancy Klein Maguire
Alone In Community: Journeys Into Monastic Life Around the World by William Classen
A History of Celibacy: From Athena to Elizabeth I, Leonardo da Vinci, Florence Nightingale, Ghandi and Cher by Elizabeth Abbott
Silence: The Power of Quiet In a World Full of Noise by Thich Nĥát Hanh
In Silence: Why We Pray by Donald Spoto
Nuns: A History of Convent Life, 1450-1700 by Silvia Evangelisti
And Then There Were Nuns: Adventures In a Cloistered Life by Jane Christmas
Unveiled: The Hidden Lives of Nuns by Cheryl L. Reed
Business Secrets of the Trappist Monks: One CEO's Quest For Meaning and Authenticity by August Turak
The Monks and Me: How 40 Days At Thich Nĥát Hanh's French Monastery Guided Me Home by Mary Paterson
Fire Monks: Zen Mind Meets Wildfire At the Gates of Tassajara by Colleen Morton Busch
Chant: The Origins, Form, Practice, and Healing Power of Gregorian Chant by Katharine Le Mee
1 comment:
"10% Happier" by Dan Harris is another good book on meditation.
Post a Comment