Monk
From Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A monk is a person who decides to obey a set of very strict laws or rules.
They usually do this because they believe in a religion. Monks think that by obeying these laws that they can live a very religious life. If monks obey the laws until they die, they believe that they can have a happy afterlife or make their god happy, or both.
Some monks live on their own (these are sometimes called Hermits), while others live with other monks in monasteries.
Some laws monks might choose to obey:
- Poverty: the monk cannot own anything.
- Chastity: the monk cannot have sex or a sexual relationship and cannot start a family or get married.
- Solitude: the monk must always be alone.
- Silence: the monk must not speak to other people.
- Generosity: the monk must always help other people, even if they do not want to.
- Stillness: the monk cannot travel far unless it is necessary. Sometimes this means that the monk must be cloistered which means that they must not leave their monastery. Sometimes they can be allowed to leave, but must not go very far.)
- Duty: The monk must do some things every day. For example the monk must pray or meditate and must do some work.
A monk can be a man or a woman. However women monks are usually called nuns instead. If a woman is called a nun and lives with other nuns then the place where she lives is called a convent, not a monastery.
