#Monastic

Hermit life is a pastime of fleeing civilization’s cacophony and pondering one’s existence to the scent of mosquito coils. In practice, any ideal or silence evaporates with the flick of an electric kettle switch, spawning residents of huts who secretly long for city lights. They chant self-sufficiency while finding solace in the thud of delivery trucks and having their meditation interrupted by wildlife. Ultimately, those who stage solitude often care most about unseen observers.

The Rule of St. Benedict is an infinitely detailed lifestyle manual allegedly designed to guide medieval monks in high-minded prayer and labor. Clad in vows of service to God, it effectively forces disciples to prioritize discipline over sleep at the morning bell, masquerading as spiritual devotion. Within the monastic community, what was meant to elevate holiness instead sparks a bizarre sport of one-upmanship over who can obey the most rules. The mesh of regulations, promised as a path to salvation, swiftly transforms into an inescapable cage.