a true monk

a monastery is not a place
that is like one thinks
it has within it all kinds of levels of
practice and monkhood
that many times is not focused on
non-dual reality
but more like a practice that solidifies
ego sense of *i am this or that*
when a monk is in this type of mental
way, he is more like a tool or instrument
for God
this is fine for what it is --
it is certainly better than being driven
by negative desires and running around
without any beneficial focused center
a monk, though is not meant to be like
one that is caught up in doership
he is to be focused on work in
the flow of life as one
he is to be focused on work as it is,
not separate from his being
he may wear ochre robes or buddhist cloth
or white or black or what have you
but he is not those outer things
not now, not ever
he is a perfect heart that is to be in love
with the SELF which is non-dual
when he first comes to the path
he has a past that is haunting him like
phantoms
dream substance that speaks of his experiences
that have now gone
he is to see that these experiences are not
happening now
they are gone and over
dead, buried and not to return
only he revives them in his mind
they are not real in terms of
being of substance and constant being
so he looks not to the past in the way
of attempting to understand it
but simply pays no attention to the images
and thoughts that rise and fall
his home is in the *now*
it is not the monastery or his past where his
family lives or anywhere else
it is in the *now*...

a monk is not a monk if he is caught up in
his identity with outer appearance and action
he has then simply changed identifications with the world
to something that he feels is more holy
this is not at all correct
no man is holy if he *thinks* he is holy
and no man is free if he *thinks* he is free
he has simply attempted to convince himself of
something
and this is so very false and can be more
harmful than thinking one is simply a persona that
is acting in the world
now, instead one is a persona that is *up high*
this is not at all in line with God and surrender
there is no *up high* or *down low* in truth
truth is and remains always *one*
it is not given more to one and less to another
it is not given out according to actions and appearance
as these things are not real
(in the way of being lasting and eternal)
it is within all hearts equally and does not change
to accomodate ego, not ever ...

a monk is a true monk when he is surrendered
and *living* the scriptures which means
one is *living* the path as it is laid out by Guru
and all that have come to liberation
which means the ego is to *die away* into the fires
of purification
the death that brings *eternal life*
there is no getting out of this or going half way
which is what ego would love and hopes will take
place
it is a true death that burns completely the persona
and all feeling and thought of separative existence
though this is not at all appealing to ego
it is the best thing possible that could happen to a soul
as this one is then out of the realm of
mistaken knowledge which brings in it's wake
suffering

the monk that is *true* is many times not
even noticed
he does not stand out
he does not gush his devotion about this or that
he does not try to gain affections are try to talk wise words
he does not try to be anything at all to anyone
he is simply quiet within and flows along with grace
and the heart that is of all hearts
he is like a sun unto himself
and he shines of his own light in his own being
that is slowly melting away in the light of God

a monk is not a thing to be taken and placed in a box
and when his time of being a monk is done
and the path is complete
what is he then?
simply himself
he is no longer bound by this or that or here or there
or needing of tools any longer
no more of this
he is what he has always been
the SELF