Becoming a Community of Disciples

Chapter 1: Legislative Teachings – Organization of the Monastery

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choose to do, that they call holy; and what they dislike, that they regard as unlawful.

Four Kinds of Monks

Cenobites

Live in monasteries; serve under a Rule and an Abbot.

Anchorites

Formerly lived in monasteries; now live in isolation.

Never lived in monasteries; never served under a Rule nor an Abbot; call holy whatever is right in their own eyes.

Sarabaites

Gyrovagues

Wanderers without a fixed monastery, Rule or Abbot.

10 The fourth kind are the monks called “ gyrovagues ,” whose whole lives are spent in province after province, spending three or four days in monastery after monastery as guests: 11 always wandering and never stable; slaves of self-will and the attractions of gluttony 4 ; in all things they are worse than the Sarabaites. 12 Concerning all of these and their most miserable way of life it is better to remain silent than to speak. 13 Leaving them then, let us proceed with God’s help to make provision for the cenobites—the strong kind of monks.

Whether All Should Receive Necessary Things Equally (RBen §34)

1 As it is written: Distribution was made to each one according to his need (Acts 4:35). 2 We do not mean by this that there should be personal favoritism (may it never happen!) but rather that infirmities should be taken into consideration: 3 thus one who requires less should give thanks to God and

4 Gluttony – the sin of eating too much.