Silence and solitude

There are many forms of silence. Refusing any contact is a form of silence TOO.
The silence that is a matter of principle to the monks, is one by which man can come to himself and eventually to God.
It may sound paradoxical, but exactly solitude, being alone, can bring you to the deep realization that you are one with all and each. It teaches you that openness toward the other and the Other is part of the basis of your being human.

At all times, but especially during the hours of night, the brothers are to be zealous for silence, which is the guardian both of speech and of thought. (Constitution 24)

Those who prefer nothing to the love of Christ make themselves strangers to the actions of the world. In the monastic tradition this involves a certain degree of physical separation. (Constitution 29)

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