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Comment by rpmisms | Hacker News Reader

For all those in this thread talking about monasteries without having ever been in one, please try the experience. If there's an Orthodox monastery near you, try seeing if you can stay for a few days. They generally aren't rich by any stretch of the imagination, but even staying for a few days and following the lifestyle will give you insight into why the monastic life is a valuable and valid choice in our increasingly chaotic and bombastic society.

The peace you feel when in one and the sinking feeling going back into "the world" are both experiences everyone should have.

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Actually it seems to be a growing industry: monasteries are opening up their rooms to paying guests.

We stayed in one in Italy recently, south of Napoli. It was like a very, very quiet hotel with a peaceful garden and a resident cat. I'd have happily stayed longer. I was also in one last year in Belgium, it was part of a larger church establishment but the location was so central it was like staying in a nice hotel. Again - quiet. Both were without luxuries of a 4 star hotel but very well appointed and with excellent breakfasts, and locations.

>It was like a very, very quiet hotel with a peaceful garden and a resident cat.

The cat is a great selling point. They should make sure to point that out on their webpage; it'd be a bonus point for me.

I stayed at an AirBnB residence in Germany when I traveled there, and they had a bunch of cats. Getting to talk to a local, and have cats around, was a nice experience.

>Both were without luxuries of a 4 star hotel but very well appointed and with excellent breakfasts, and locations.

4-star hotels don't have cats, so that's a negative when comparing them to places like this.

Monasteries have always opened their rooms to guests. Its part of the rule of Benedict to offer hospitality, including food.

You seem to have missed an important word in the grand poster's story: monasteries are opening up their rooms to paying guests. Sanctus Benedictus never set any rule about renting rooms and selling breakfasts.

By the way, monasteries existed long before the Benedict order, and other orders existed in parallel. Some monasteries did not welcome visitors, especially women and couples.

> especially women and couples.

You're making this seem misogynistic, but indeed, typically female monasteries were not (and are still not) open to men.

You're not wrong I was incomplete in my previous statement. Monasteries would often try to render assistance to the exceptionally needy, but have historically operated as regular inns only for those who could stay within the convent walls. This was basically restricted by sex. Even today, if you're going to do a retreat at a monastery, couples typically would have to stay away from the cloister (many monasteries - but not all - offering retreats typically have a separate house for these individuals, a short distance from the main cloister). Only single men would be permitted into a male monastery (behind the cloister for the night) and single women to a female one.

Re the paying stuff. As far as I'm aware (and I've researched a few monasteries in my area and know several monks), the payment is a suggested donation, not a requirement. Of course, that's my own anecdata. I would be interested in knowing if there is a monastery charging for the actual stay, because typically they're not supposed to.

3 day silent retreats completely changed my life.

As someone who spent a decade in depression and near the edge of suicide, there are two things I ask people to try before killing themselves.

1) A silent retreat 2) An Ayahuasca ceremony

Those two things helped more than years of therapy and anti-depressants.

A pretty intense exercise regimen also helped me out a lot, but its hard to get someone to pick that over death when they are close to the edge so I don't include it.

I can understand silent retreat, could you please elaborate on Ayahuasca? I want to do it, but I am also worried a bit about the experience. Also, I am not a physically strong person, not sure if that should be a factor to consider.

Physically strength is not required at all. But you do vomit usually, so if you have some sort of intense fear of that it could be an issue.

I don't believe there is anything mystical benefit to Ayahuasca, although the psychedelic element can definitely fuel your creativity if you want it to.

But certain drugs appear to have long-lasting effects on mental states, even if they aren't administered daily. Ketamine is another drug that shows promise in this area. There needs to be real studies around this, but in my experience the 2 day session is highly effective for at least a year afterward.

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