Chapter 3: Calling the community together for consultation (paragraphs 2-3)
In a monastery no one should follow the prompting of what are merely personal desires nor should any monk or nun take it on themselves to oppose the abbot or abbess defiantly, especially in a public forum outside the monastery. (From para. 2 of Ch. 3 of Saint Benedict's Rule, trans. by Patrick Barry, OSB, 1997.)
I've leaned that a fruit of meditation can involve putting aside "what are merely personal desires", so that I become more attuned to the promptings of the Spirit that move among us all.
To be attuned to the voice, to the breath of my heart is peaceful. To be listening to the murmurs of my mind is stressful. Thus, the need to practice the latter though it entails a moment-to-moment 'toil'
ReplyDeleteChrist within me is my teacher. "It is proper for disciples to obey their teacher," is another line in this Rule Chapter. For me to "presume to defend my own views obstinately" disregards my discipleship of being attuned to Christ, the teacher who knows more than I what is for the good of all. And often those words of wisdom come from the mouths of others if I have the faith to listen. My classroom is the meditation practice where I learn to be attentive to the teacher.
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