Serendipity - Summer 2008 Issue

What I Think About I Am

MY LIFE IS an expression of exactly what I think about. Everyone who looks at me knows precisely who I am and what my attitude is about anything in my life. I cannot hide anything from my world or myself.

It is lots of fun to be on the campus of the University of Healing and dwell with dedicated monks whose entire lives are tuned into listening and following what each hears within them. With such a deep inner concern and joy - and the most viable word here is joy - I share with the Absolute Monastery monks the theme of being myself and having fun. This is not an occasional theme, but a program unconditionally played in every area of our life being resident and nonresident monks.

I am amused as some people visit the monastery campus and find it difficult to realize we have chosen to be monks by our own preference - and we choose to remain a monk on a permanent basis, never leaving our monkhood. Once ordained a monk I am a monk eternally - the ordination is selfadministered.

It is not a matter of limiting myself from experiences and having "things", but rather "unlimiting" myself and having everything.

It is amusing to consider if I were a musician I would never "consider" not being a musician because I am drawn into some other field of interest. Once I make a choice and am a dedicated being, a professional in any field, being interested in anything else would not change my being a musician; it would only enlarge my musicianship to include other fields.

So a nurse may be a doctor, secretary, minister, and or whatever else is of their interest. A father or mother is always a parent regardless what other areas of genius they entertain.

The values, the principles, the expectation of any field only enhance the original calling and ennoble all.

I live in my optimal optional bliss unique to me. My inner beingness is reflected in the choice of whatever may be my outer most advantageous optional attire. My perfect untroubled happiness, my spiritual bliss so penetrates my beingness I am always radiantly garbed.

A doctor as a father responds to life differently from a doctor as a monk. Only the term father and monk would vary but not out of keeping with what a monk is or a father is. Consistent in its entirety.

The somber sober attitude most have of a monk is a far cry from the reality of a monk in the Absolute Monastery. Or the reality of a monk’s daily existence in any other cloister - as a place where people live a life of meditative seclusion and contemplation, school, university, monastery or convent.

Absolute Monastery monks are filled with joy, dance the latest dances, climb the highest mountains, ski and swim and fly and travel the world allowing each exciting adventure be a further meditation in their inner world of both peace and bliss, all enthusiastically alive. Every monk is vital dynamic alive at all times.

It is amusing to see how some visitors to campus feel that monks are inhibited and are not allowed to do whatever the visitor feels the monks should be able to do. Smile!

Monk Rulebook

I WRITE THE "MONK rulebook" and I write new the monk rulebook whenever I choose. I find that what I intuitively formatted in the rulebook is exactly how I feel to respond to life now. In all of my thinking I have no interest in changing the book and its philosophy.

At first I thought I must have hundreds of "little" rules to cover every exigency. I thought I must know and control everything before hand, every inconsequential contingency, and determine where my values are and how my associate monks and I must act under any circumstance. So I, in company with my associate monks, made up dozens of rules, pages of rules, some commonplace and some exclusively for my organization, my Absolute Monastery.

I finally decided that everything was summed up in one philosophical concept, one truism that covered every possibility in living a cloistered life in the presence of "other" monks and in my divine solitude, my selfaware and selfcreated bliss. Ideally, be myself and have fun!

Absolute Monastery monks feel the program is an exquisitely created rulebook and now thoroughly delight to follow the rules.

Absolute Monastery Monks-at-large

AS MIGHT BE expected every monk does not live in an outer monastery. Each monk carries their monastery - the monk guidelines of being themselves and having fun - in their heart and soul, and each live in a state of perpetual bliss. Some monks travel the world, live in many different countries, hold many professions, and some are married and have families. Being a monk is not a limitation but a guideline in living life to its most exciting and fulfilling capacity. Every monk is an exciting person. Every monk is a revealed person. Every monk is so pure of heart and spiritually illumined and dedicated that each is a joy to be with and share his daily environment is wherever the setting may be.

As a monk I am a living example of "What I Think About I Am." Having the title of Monk before my name is an honor and a privilege. As a monk I live my own life and keep my nose out of the lives of others. As a monk I have no business or interest in what another is doing but rather I have a deep insight into myself and what motivates and drives me to accomplish my goals in life. As a monk I am always thinking about the blessings of my life and how I can be an even greater blessing in my life to my creation and myself.

Monks of the Absolute Monastery living around the world each are living according to their original purity and integrity. Each finds what they understood while living in the Monastery is something that gives substance to their everyday lives living in a world of events and happenings which challenge them to remain pure and true to their ideals. Each monk is a student of the University of Healing and a campus Absolute Monastery participant.

Each monk has given one hundred percent of themselves to the programs of the Absolute Monastery and is a registered student of the University of Healing - most are graduate students and many postgraduate students, each has spent time on the campus and lived harmoniously with the principle of being yourself and having fun. All have dedicated themselves to walking their spiritual path with blissful delight.

Permanent campus monks include Monk: Abbot Herbert Beierle, Associate Abbot Ellen Jermini, Sylvia M Enz, and Ingeborg Puchert.

Visiting on campus presently is Monk: Monk-at-large Anita Lopp.

Monk-at-large include Monks: UNI Co-Founder Mark Beierle, Paul Beierle, Faith Beierle, Stefan Strässle, Irene Merkle, Christina Nussbaum, Gregor Müller, Gertrud Suter, Heinz Oertli, Jerôme Suter, Sabrina Suter, Katarina Tawiri-Suter, John Dainty, Herbert Marty, Chioma Agogbua, Sybil Emole Agogbua, Andrew B Aikins, Barbara Bandi, Roland Edwards, Henri Breitenkam, Dolores Cheeks, Tony Cordova, Aline Côté, Frances Enz, Beatrice Enz, Daniela Ferrari, Giordiano Ferrari, Teddy Forbes, Francesca Fumlsola, Joseph Guerro Jr, Lydia Hunziker, Rösli In-Albon, Rhonda Joyce, Marie McMahon, Silvia Moström, Alice Nasife, Esther Nyamalor, Roger Allen Perry, Jeff Provence, Barbara Rich, Delisa Renideo, Samuel Sasu, Lureen Slater, Annemarie Stalder, Don Steckdaub, Doris Heidi Steiger, Edith Strebel, Joya Esther Christiane Trefzer, Christy Ugwuegbu, Sankara Uthman, Daniele Vanetti, Dorothea Ruth Zimmer-man.

Monks are always welcome on the campus of the Absolute Monastery. The Monastery is the spiritual home of each monk, of each student participants in and of the UNI and the University of Philosophy, the Church of God Unlimited and the many functions of the campus.

For those who would like to visit the Monastery campus and or extend their visit, a booklet is available called, notably, Monastery Rules, smile!

—Dr Herbert L Beierle

Nigeria Seminar 2008

GIST MAGAZINE

Summer 2008

In This Issue:

Serendipity - Summer 2008 Issue

What I Think About I Am