Although
the Orthodox Church does not have religious orders as the Latin (Roman
Catholic) church does, there are different styles of monastic
life in Orthodoxy, both individually and in community. Generally speaking some monasteries
may be more liturgical oriented, while others may be mores ascetic, while still
other may have a certain mystical tradition, and other be more inclined to
spiritual guidance and openness to the world for the purpose of care and
counseling. These various styles of monasticism, which take both a personal as
well as a corporate form, are not formally predetermined or officially
legislated. They are the result of organic development under the living grace
of God.
In
addition to the various spiritual styles of monastic life, three formal types
of organization may be mentioned. The first is that of coenobitic communion. In
the coenobitic monastery everything is shared: living quarters, food, work,
prayer, common efforts, cares, struggles, and achievements. The leader and
spiritual father of the coenobium is the Abbot (Egoumenos). The exhortation to
the Abbot in the Charter of St. Athanasius the Athonite is typical: "Take
care that the brethren have everything in common. No one must own as much as a
needle. Your body and soul shall be your own, and nothing else. Everything must
be shared equally with love between all your spiritual children, brethren and
fathers." The second form is called idiorhythmic in which the monks or
nuns pray together liturgically, but work and eat individually or in small
groups. In this type of monasticim the persons may even psalmodize and do the
offices separately, coming together only for the Eucharistic Liturgy, and even
then, perhaps, only on certain occasions. Finally, there is the eremitic type
of monasticism where the individual monks or nuns are actually hermits, also
called anchorites or recluses. They live in total individual seclusion and
never join in the liturgical prayer of the community, except again perhaps on
the most solemn occasions. In the rarest of cases it may even happen that the
holy Eucharist is brought to the monk or nun who remains perpetually alone.
The
Monastic Ranks
The
Orthodox monastic tradition has four classic ranks that apply equally to men
and women. The first step is that of novice (Greek:δόκιμος), which in church
terminology is called the rank of obedience. At this first stage the candidate
for monastic profession simply lives in the monastery under the direction of a
spiritual father or mother. There is no formal ceremony for the clothing of a
novice, he or she simply receives permission to wear the clothing of a novice.
In the Eastern monastic tradition, novices, may or may not dress in the black
inner cassock (Greek: Anterion [Αντερίον], Esorason [Εσώρασον], Slavonic:
Podriasnik) and wear the soft monastic hat (Greek: Skoufos, Slavonic:Skufia),
depending on the tradition of the local community, and in accordance to the
Abbot's directives. In some communities, the novice also wears the leather
belt. Monks are given a prayer rope and instructed in the use of the Jesus
Prayer.
If a
novice chooses to leave during the period of the novitiate, no penalty is
incurred. He may also be asked to leave at any time if his behavior does not
conform to the monastic life, or if the superior discerns that he is not called
to monasticism. When the Abbot or Abbess(Egoumenos or Egoumenissa) deems the
novice is ready, he is asked if he wishes to join the monastery. Some, out of
humility, will choose to remain novices all their lives. Every stage of the
monastic life must be entered into voluntarily.
Rasophore (Greek: ρασοφόρος,
rasophoros; Slavonic: ryasofor), lit. "Robe-bearer"-- If the novice
continues on to become a monk, he is clothed in the first degree of monasticism
at a service at which he receives the tonsure. Although there are no formal
vows made at this point, the candidate is normally required to affirm his
commitment to persevere in the monastic life. The Abbot (Egoumenos) will then
perform the tonsure, cutting a small amount of hair from four spots on the
head, forming a cross. He is then given the outer robe with wide sleeves, from
which the name Rassophoros is derived. He is also given a kamilavkion, a
cylindrical brimless hat, which is covered with a veil called an
epanokamelavkion. (These are separate items in the Greek tradition; in the
Russian tradition the two are stitched together and collectively called a
klobuk.) If he has not previously received it, a leather belt is fastened
around his waist. His habit is usually black, signifying that he is now dead to
the world and he receives a new name.
Although
the Rassophoros does not make formal vows, he is still morally obligated to
continue in the monastic estate for the rest of his life. Some will remain
Rossophoroi permanently without going on to the higher degrees.
Stavrophore (Greek: σταυροφόρος,
stavrophoros; Slavonic: krestonosets), lit. "Cross-bearer"--- The
next level for Eastern Orthodox monastics takes place some years after when the
Abbot (Egoumenos) feels the monk has reached an appropriate level of discipline,
dedication and humility. This degree is also known as the Little Schema, and is
thought of as a "betrothal" to the Great Schema. At this stage, the
monk makes formal vows of stability of place, chastity, obedience and poverty.
Then he is tonsured and clothed in the habit, which in addition to that worn by
the Rassophoroi, include the paramandyas (Greek: παραμανδύας; Slavonic:
paraman), a piece of square cloth worn on the back, embroidered with the
instruments of the Passion, and connected by ties to a wooden cross worn over
the heart. The paramandyas represents the yoke of Christ. Because of this
addition he is now called Stavrophoros, or Cross-bearer. He is also given a
wooden hand cross (or "profession cross"), which he should keep in
his icon corner, and a beeswax candle, symbolic of monastic vigilance the
sacrificing of himself for God. He will be buried holding the cross, and the
candle will be burned at his funeral. In the Slavonic practice, the Stavrophore
also wears the monastic mantle, which symbolizes 40 days of the Lord's fasting
on the Mountain of Temptation. The rasson worn by the Stavrophore is more ample
than that worn by the Rassophore.
After the
ceremony, the newly-tonsured Stavrophore will remain in vigil in the church for
five days, refraining from all work, except spiritual reading. Currently, this
vigil is often reduced to three days. The Egoumenos (Abbot) increases the
Stavrophore monk's prayer rule, allows a more strict personal ascetic practice,
and gives the monk more responsibility.
Great
Schema
Great Schema (Greek:
μεγαλόσχημος, megaloschemos; Slavonic: Schima)--Monks whose Egoumenoi (Abbots)
feel they have reached a high level of spiritual excellence reach the final
stage, called the Great Schema. The tonsure of a Schemamonk or Schemanun
follows the same format as the Stavrophore, and he makes the same vows and is
tonsured in the same manner. But in addition to all the garments worn by the
Stavrophore, he is given the analavos (Slavonic: analav) which is the article
of monastic vesture emblematic of the Great Schema. For this reason, the
analavos itself is sometimes itself called the "Great Schema." It
drapes over the shoulders and hangs down in front and in back, with the front
portion somewhat longer, and is embroidered with the instruments of the Passion
and the Trisagion (i.e., the Cross of Calvary, spear, reed, sponge, skull and
Adam's cross-bones and Peter's cock.) The Greek form does not have a hood, the
Slavonic form has a hood and lappets on the shoulders, so that the garment
forms a large cross covering the monk's shoulders, chest, and back. Another
piece added is the Polystavrion (Πολυσταύριον, "Many Crosses"), which
consists of a cord with a number of small crosses plaited into it. The
polystavrion forms a yoke around the monk and serves to hold the analavos in
place, and reminds the monastic that he is bound to Christ and that his arms
are no longer fit for worldly activities, but that he must labor only for the
Kingdom of Heaven. Among the Greeks, the mantle is added at this stage. The
paramandyas of the Megaloschemos is larger than that of the Stavrophoros, and
if he wears the klobuk, it is of a distinctive thimble shape, called a
koukoulion, the veil of which is usually embroidered with crosses.
The
Schemamonk also shall remain some days in vigil in the church. On the eighth
day after Tonsure, there is a special service for the "Removal of the
Koukoulion".
In some
monastic traditions the Great Schema is never given or is only given to monks
and nuns on their death bed, while in others, e.g., the cenobitic monastaries
on Mount Athos, it is common to tonsure a monastic into the Great Schema only 3
years after commencing the monastic life.
In Russia
and some other traditions, when a bearer of some monastic title acquires the
Great Schema, his title incorporates the word "schema". For example,
a hieromonk of Great Schema is called hieroschemamonk, archimandrite becomes
schema-archimandrite, hegumen - schema-hegumen, etc.
[The Orthodox attitude towards monasticism is
best summed up in the collect of the Prodigal Son with which the ceremony of
profession opens: (The monk here is a penitent,)
Make haste to open Thy Fatherly arms Unto me
who have wasted my life like the prodigal Despise not a heart now grown poor O
Savior, Who hast before Thine eyes The boundless riches of Thy mercies. For
unto Thee, O Lord, in compunction do I cry: O Father, I have sinned against
heaven and before Thee.
[and the verse which is chanted during the
clothing: (The monk
here is the betrothed of God.)
My soul shall rejoice in the Lord; for He
hath Put on me the garment of salvation, and with the Tunic of gladness hath he
clothed me. He hath put Upon me a crown as upon a bridegroom, and as a Bride
hath he adorned me with an ornament.
In the
Orthodox Tradition there is no prescribed length of time that a person must
remain in one or another of the monastic ranks. This is so because of the
radically personal character of the vocation. Thus, some persons may progress
rapidly to profession, while others may take years, and still others may never
be formally professed while still remaining within the monastic community. The
decision in these matters is made individually in each case by the spiritual
director and the head of the community.
All
Christians are obligated to keep the Lord's commandments, but this requires
effort. Fallen human nature, enslaved by its passions is reluctant to fulfill
this obligation. It seeks pleasure and avoids the pain involved in fighting the
passions and selfishness. The monastic life is so arranged as to facilitate
this work. On the other hand the worldly life, particularly in our secular
society, makes it harder to be an ascetic. The problem for the Christian in the
world is that he is called upon to reach the same goal under adverse
conditions.
Source: http://saintandrewgoc.org/home/2012/5/2/types-of-monasticism-in-the-orthodox-church.html
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