How to get to a nunnery for accommodation
To become a nun, you need not only to go through a long and difficult spiritual path. There are also bureaucratic issues that are important for you to know about. Prepare documents in advance: you will need a passport, a text with your autobiography, a certificate of marital status and a statement addressed to the abbess of the monastery.
How to decide to live in a nunnery and what to do:
- First, think carefully: do you need this? The decision must be firm and not raise any doubts. This step will radically change your whole life. Life in a monastery is far from fun - you have to work hard physically, fast and fight any carnal desires. In return, you will receive a calm life without worldly worries, in purity, light and faith.
- If you clearly understand that you need this, talk to your priest. He will not only help you choose a monastery for you, but will also give advice on how to prepare for leaving worldly life.
- Take care to complete all worldly affairs: pay off debts, warn relatives and settle all legal issues with property.
- Next, you need to come to the abbess of the monastery in which you plan to serve. She will tell you about all the nuances - what you need to take with you and what you won’t need, for example.
- Upon arrival at the monastery, you will need to show all of the above documents and obtain the consent of the abbess. After this, you enter the service for a probationary period. On average it lasts three years, but can be completed earlier provided good service. Everything will depend on the opinion of the abbess about your readiness to become a nun.
- After this time, the abbess submits a request for tonsure to the bishop in your name, after which you can be awarded the title of nun.
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Important: no contributions are required to join the service. Donations and charity are purely voluntary. If you sincerely want to help, then you can donate your funds to the monastery account.
It is equally important to understand in advance the real reason why you want to become a nun. If this is just an emotional impulse caused by a desire to escape from problems, it is better to wait for time so as not to regret it in the future. Your intention must be firm and final.
Reviews
Here are some reviews published in the Orthodox Faith newspaper.
I was accepted as a laborer into this monastery and am very pleased with my position. I may have to work a lot (I was given obedience in the laundry) and pray, but I like this life. It's calm, quiet, blissful here. I'm starting to completely forget about the life I had in the world. If the Lord wills, I would like to take monastic vows and stay here forever.
Elizaveta, 57 years old, Perm Assumption Convent
My cousin took monastic vows about three years ago. Since that time I have not seen her; she permanently lives in a monastery in the city of Gorokhovets and does not go anywhere. True, there was a letter from her, where she briefly wrote that she was praying for all of us, that she was healthy. I don’t really understand why she made such a decision, because everything was good in her life - wealth, her children grew up, they helped her. I think it’s not very sweet in the monastery; this life is definitely not for me. But this is her choice and it must be respected; whether to leave or not is everyone’s personal choice.
Lyudmila Nikolaevna, Nefteyugansk
I was 19 years old when I quarreled with my mother and ran away to Yekaterinburg, Novo-Tikhvin Convent.
I was offered to work as a worker. I couldn't stand it even for a week! The monastery has a terrible schedule - getting up at 5 in the morning, praying, then working in the garden and kitchen, again service, I collapsed in the evening. Five days later she returned home and made peace with her mother. Girls, it’s very difficult in a monastery, don’t take rash steps, life in a monastery is not for everyone. Nina, Alapaevsk
Life in the monastery
You should have a good idea of how unpretentious monastic life is like and what you need to be prepared for.
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The life of nuns is regulated and follows a strict schedule. The rules are set by the Russian Orthodox Church. For a worldly person, this is something completely incomprehensible and unfamiliar, because no one talks about it openly.
The routine of monastic life is subject to the circles of worship. At five o'clock in the morning you need to be at the morning service; you cannot refuse to attend it. One of the nuns strictly monitors the presence of Fr.
After the morning service it is time for breakfast. Immediately after it, around noon, is labor time. What a particular nun will do depends on her skills and abilities. Those who do not have useful skills engage in hard physical labor. The “chosen ones” serve in accounting, archives and are engaged in other intellectual work.
There is a short break during the day for lunch and then everyone gets back to work. At five in the evening there will be an evening liturgy, followed by dinner and a short personal time for communication.
Lights out no later than 23:00, which is strictly checked. Practice shows that nuns have no desire to stay up all night, because they get tired during the day, and they have to get up at 4-5 in the morning. No concessions or deviations from the rules are made for anyone.
You cannot leave the monastery without the permission and blessing of the abbess. There is no Internet, no TV, alcohol is also prohibited.
Watch a video about how to enter a monastery:
The spiritual world of man
The spiritual world of a person is extremely diverse and in almost everything depends on state traditions and the characteristics of upbringing. Still, there are common points that are characteristic of virtually all nations. It is spiritual life that makes a person human; it is capable of revealing all the best that is in him.
A believer and his spiritual world
Faith in God aims a person at spiritual values that go beyond the boundaries of everyday life.
In addition, specifically spiritual life is the basis of human life and establishes moral and ethical standards. A person tries not to do bad things - in other words, not to harm anyone, not to do anything that could harm his soul. A truly religious person is a role model in almost everything, since he is very kind, peace-loving, modest, generous, and constantly ready to help in difficult times. Compliance with the spiritual precepts of the greatest religions truly makes a person much purer and takes his life to a higher quality level.
It is extremely important that a believer constantly sees around him countless proofs of the truth of his own faith. A large number of events show him the omnipotence of God and assure him that the Lord will never leave him alone. Just the awareness of this gives a religious person powerful spiritual support, and also helps to courageously endure various problems.
The spiritual world of an atheist
If a person does not believe in God, this does not mean that he does not have spirituality. After all, everything depends on the person himself. It has been proven that in practice many atheists are more conscientious and good people than believers.
For an atheist, the first place in his spiritual world is occupied by the main human values. Kindness, mercy, love, honesty, empathy - even as an atheist, these qualities are extremely necessary . It’s simply impossible to forget about them , you can’t ignore them. And also, other important values remain, such as the thirst for knowledge and research into the mysteries of our world.
We should not forget about conscience, which is an important spiritual property of a person. After all, a person who lives according to his conscience will never allow himself to act dishonestly, shamefully, or unfairly.
Other teachings
The overwhelming majority of other teachings currently available also pay great attention to the spiritual world of man. In the first place for them is the development of man, his capabilities, and knowledge of the world.
Even in occult teachings, which, based on the beliefs of conventional religions, are completely incorrect, spiritual development is considered not just necessary, but the most important and priority. For followers of alternative teachings, his path turns into a path of knowledge. And on this path there is no place for greedy, proud, bitter people. The path of knowledge is full of traps: to pass it, you need to have crystal purity. And here the most important values are the same - justice, honesty, selflessness.
Again, the motivation, the basis of spirituality, is the desire to understand our world. The thirst for knowledge, the desire to realize, to understand, have always been characteristic of man. There are usually no dogmas in the way of these teachings. In addition, doubts about the truth of certain aspects of the teaching and the desire to ask questions are only welcome. It is not enough to just read about something; you need to test everything from your own experience. As a result, life turns into not just following established dogmas and rules, but a journey into the unknown, which is full of adventure.
We hope this article will help you understand questions regarding entering a monastery and will be useful. Dedicating your life to God is a truly serious and difficult decision, but it has many benefits. Of course, this path is not suitable for everyone, but for those who want to find something new for the soul, something bright and pure, this choice is suitable.
How can a man enter a monastery?
If a man realizes that he wants to devote his life to serving God and renounce worldly concerns, he must go through several stages.
How to get to the monastery in this case:
- First of all, a blessing is required. From the outside, it may seem to people that his desire is caused by an escape from reality, a lack of goals and aspirations. If this is really the case, the priest may refuse. Therefore, the priest will look closely at the future monk for a long time to make sure that the decision is correct. After the blessing, the man receives novice status and can move on to the next step. It is important to come to terms with any decision, even if it is negative.
- Next, the novice begins to serve in the monastery to which his spiritual mentor assigns him. First you need to talk to the abbot and get his permission. During novitiate, a man lives in a monastery and undergoes tests through fasting, hard work, and daily prayers. He also studies the Bible and understands other religious aspects. The period of novitiate is not quick - it can last from five to ten years. During this period, a man is free to change his decision and return to ordinary worldly life.
- Having completed the novitiate, a man undergoes the rite of tonsure - only after this he is considered ordained a monk. tonsure is a symbolic ritual and a sign that from this moment a person devotes himself entirely to serving God.
Of course, a man must understand all the responsibility and all the difficulties that lie ahead. Once he becomes a monk, there is no turning back. Therefore, you need to think carefully before deciding to change your life so radically.
How to prepare yourself for monastic life
If you translate the word monk from Greek, you get the word “lonely.” In ancient times, such people were called monks. This word comes from the expression “other”. Staying in the monastery means not accepting unnecessary lusts and immorality, and not ignoring the whole world. Monasticism exists for the revival of the original without sinfulness and chastity.
Following the path of Christ is a difficult and painful lot, but you will gain a greater ability to perceive with joy all the adversities sent by the Lord. In addition, the monks pray every day for our imperfect light. It exists as long as prayer is heard in monasteries. The fateful goal of monastic service is prayer for all of us.
If a person lives among ordinary people and feels that this is not his place, that he feels in his heart the desire to retire to a monastic monastery, then he needs time to prepare to make the decisive choice of which life to choose.
To become a real monk you need:
- to be a true Christian;
- coming to church not out of formality, but to love and be imbued with all your soul in the divine service;
- respect prayer rules - morning and evening;
- recognize religious holidays;
- read books written about holy people from the history of monasticism.
Buddhist community Shedrub Ling, Sverdlovsk region
The doors of the only Buddhist monastery in the Urals are open to everyone - tourists, pilgrims and volunteers. The monastery itself is located on the picturesque Mount Kachkanar - in some places harsh and rocky, and in others covered with alpine meadows. The monastery has two stupas, a temple and a library. They also conduct educational courses here, and you can combine business with pleasure: fill gaps in your knowledge of Buddhism and work on the construction of a temple. In the warm season, you can pitch a tent near the monastery; in the cold months, you will have to live in a common room, and spend the night on the floor in sleeping bags.
Getting to Shedrub Ling is not easy. There is a bus from Yekaterinburg to the city of Kachkanar, the travel time is 4.5 hours (from 600 rubles), then you need to follow the exact instructions given on the monastery website (you will have to overcome an 8 km long hike).
shedrub-ling.ru
The authorities periodically threaten to demolish the stupas and houses of the Shedrub Ling community for the sake of developing iron ore deposits, but for now the monastery remains in its place. Photo: Photobank “Lori”
Ivolginsky datsan, Buryatia
Located 30 km from Ulan-Ude, datsan is the main Buddhist monastery of the CIS. In addition to stupas and temples, there is a university on its territory. Pilgrims and tourists also come here to see the incorruptible body of Hambo Lama Itigelov, who went into nirvana in 1927. The Ivolginsky datsan accepts male volunteers and provides them with the opportunity to live and eat in the monastery. Women can also work, but they will have to stay in the nearest village. Before your trip, you must contact the monastery by phone: +7 (301-40) 2-33-77 (inquiry) or +79834590985 (Tubden Lama).
You can get to the datsan from Ulan-Ude by two minibuses. The first one is for an hour and 45 rubles. will take you to the village of Verkhnyaya Ivolga, the second one in 10 minutes. and 25 rub. - to the monastery.
Temple of the Pure Land in the Ivolginsky datsan Photo: Photobank “Lori”
Holy Dormition Pskov-Pechersky Monastery, Pskov region
After the publication of Archimandrite Tikhon (Shevkunov’s) book “Unholy Saints,” the monastery is experiencing a new surge in popularity. Although there was no need to complain about the lack of attention before - the proximity of the Pushkin Mountains and Pskov made it part of an exciting tourist route. Due to the influx of people, the time of free stay in the monastery may be limited. Men should contact Monk Maxim (+79113697648), and women should contact the pilgrimage service, +79118902163. You can follow the information on the official page vk.com/pechory.
It is convenient to get there from the Pskov bus station by bus in an hour and 100 rubles.
Haymaking in the Sursky Ioannovsky Monastery.
Photo: Sergey Alekseev
