Hermit Girl Shakuntala
by
Sudeshna Ghosh
Many devout women who find themselves alone after retirement are enthused to become hermits or informal lay religious persons. You see whispers of them in little-traveled blogs, and some write me. In the midst of the allurements of the modern world, there is still a deep calling of the spirit for this ancient, solitary and silent path. Old age naturally lends itself to it. In fact, it was common that, at the sunset of their lives, the Hindus would take up the life of what was called 'sannyas," which only later became a state of life that could be embarked upon while still young. I took sannyas vows in my 40's.
If you are not looking to be supported by any religious institution, and if you do not pretend to any official status in the church, it is perfectly fine to embark on a dedicated life, sanctifying everything you do, every hour you breathe, and every joy you experience, to our Lord. You do not need anyone's permission. After all, you are already living alone, in some apartment or a house that has been left to you through some lucky chance or for which you worked when you were young.
There are many opinions about what constitutes a hermit or contemplative, but there are really only a couple requirements. Primarily, of course, one must be single, unmarried and unencumbered with children, otherwise your time does not belong to you alone. Hermits, or "solitaries" or whatever you call them, live alone. They are celibate and, for our purposes on this blog, the purpose for living that life is a spiritual one. There are people for whom the solitary life is a lifestyle or an escape, and it always bothers me when they are lumped in with the spiritual seeker in magazine and newspaper articles.
Modern hermitess, Rachel Denton
(Washington Post November 16, 2015)
Typically, these women are not leaving to walk into the desert or the forest, though some have done so. No. The modern mystic must pray in place, usually, because everything costs dearly these days, especially anything approaching an "inspirational" atmosphere. There are no free houses in the forests or free water in the desert, and few seniors are healthy enough to be too far removed from the medical establishment and the pharmacy, in any case.
It used to be common for the citizens of a village or town to support a local hermit or anchoress, and there were many patrons, in gratitude for their wealth, who would sponsor these virtuous individuals, giving them food and shelter and attending to their other needs, but faith and Christian charity are not what they used to be, and most tycoons of today are too busy erecting gigantic mansions and other testaments to their own importance to give thought to the needs of the humble seeker.
Didi Anuprabha
Even the common folk are contemptuous of the efforts of the contemplative. While searching for photographs to break up the text of this blog post, I was saddened to see a number of hostile comments left on the Washington Post's article about modern hermit Rachel Denton, a former Carmelite who lives as a hermit in a small village in England. The degree of ignorance about and resentment of the life of the spirit is quite high just now. Westerners are living in a period of extreme antipathy to genuine religious sentiment, and the kindness and compassion of Jesus are rarely found. Several of the commenters found fault with Rachel's simple house. They expected her to be living in a dirty shack or a cave in the forest, evidently. I would just say that, not only do we have to make do with what is available for our hermitage, we must also do our best to ignore the bitter rancor of the uninitiated and to pray for their enlightenment.
The article about Rachel can be found HERE
What is most concerning is that faith in the power of intercessory prayer is so weak, that the value of hosting a religious solitary is no longer appreciated, in general. Particularly now, we have entered an age in which the poor are vilified and, despite the blatant and continual "preference for the poor" expressed throughout the old and new testaments, prejudice against them is very intense. This increases the difficulty of the dedicated life, but when the call received in the soul is too strong to be ignored, we must respond and do the best we can to put ourselves at the disposal of our beloved, using modern means to assist us in our efforts.
Saint Ita, the Hermitess of Killeedy
In most cases, you will not take vows, though I did take the vows of a female swami ('sannyasini'), years ago, thanks to the auspices of my Vedanta teacher, Swami Swahananda. I carry these forward through my current religious life. I don't pretend to perfect adherence to all the precepts, but I take care with the traditional values of poverty and chastity which are the externals of a life lived in concert with the Divine.
First of all, as mentioned above, one has to be SINGLE, not a married woman living with husband and children. That would defy the intrinsic nature of the hermit life, which is solitary. Very occasionally, a husband and wife, with no living children, will retreat "into the forest" as did some of the Indian mystics of ancient lore and, though rare, this does happen. Before attempting it, I would recommend gaining the advice of a spiritual director, though. It is almost impossible to obey the dictates of a celibate life when living en famille. Monastic life is already difficult for most people, but there are exceptional sorts who are equally yoked with another who get on famously as a sort of miniature cenobitic monastery, a deux.
But even those of us who are single and free to give all our life to God (since no human has any claim on it) have difficulty, at times, in keeping a schedule because of the press of day-to\-day business. In my case, I am disabled, and it takes forever to get even the simplest things done. Even though my ailments prevent me from adhering to the acetic practices typically enjoined on a swami, they provide their own pains and torments that probably far outweigh the little fasts and uncomfortable sleeping arrangements and what have you. Each of us needs to find our own way, given our own unique circumstances, while ignoring the carping critics.
Swamini Vishwagodavaari Mata
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One advantage of living in community is that there is a framework of time into which one can slip oneself. You don't have to remember that meditation is at noon, nor do you need to keep your eye on the clock, because there are several outside prompts. Simply seeing your other sisters walking to the temple for noon meditation is enough. When I was a nun in the Vedanta convent, I would grab my chaddar (prayer shawl) and follow them. In some institutions, there are lovely bells that chime to announce all the "official" prayer times.
Gradually, over the years, my schedule got lost. There are numberless impediments to a meditative life when one lives in an apartment, for instance, as I do. A house is well beyond my means, but even a freestanding house is not necessarily quiet and tranquil. Friends tell me of having to endure a cacophony of jarring music, fighting neighbors, barking dogs, and the shrieks of rowdy, inebriated party guests at nearby homes. My residence of the last 14 years has grown increasingly chaotic and boisterous, with many intrusions. Peace and quiet seem to be the dearest attributes of any habitation, and contemplation is often nearly impossible. Even reading can be a challenge, at times. These conditions are not conducive to spiritual life, but we have to try to move through it, using whatever few aids are available in the modern era. The first is ear plugs. The second is a cell phone.
Cloistered Catholic Nun
Where Catholic religious women live alone, together
Using as a model the Hollywood convent schedule from my time with the Vedanta Society of Southern California, I programmed into my phone the following skeleton schedule. [Yes, I have a smart phone. It was given to me and has become another essential tool in the arsenal of the modern hermit.]
Keep in mind that this is a skeleton schedule, meditation periods are an hour, but they can be shorter or longer, practically speaking. It just depends on what is happening that day. If I am in horrible pain, I may spend the whole day in prayer, as I am unable to do much else, physically speaking.
My schedule:
4:00 a.m. Rise
6:00 a.m. meditation
7:00 a.m. breakfast
11:00 a.m. Elevenses (tea & bisquits)
12:00 p.m. prayers & meditation
1.00 p.m. Lunch
3:00 p.m. Divine Mercy Chaplet ( on Fridays and special feast days)
4:00 p.m. Tea
6:00 p.m. prayer & meditation (108 on my prayer rope)
7:00 p.m. dinner
9:00 p.m. bed
Keep in mind that one's entire day is supposed to be conducted in the spirit of prayer, so that even periods of work, the fruits of which are offered to the Lord, become part of the overall meditative endeavor. Mindfulness must be carried through all of it.
Now, there is a lot that I have to squeeze into that schedule, but I don't want an alarm for absolutely everything, so I am writing down the other items and will keep the full list somewhere near my living room altar. I need to apportion my work time between my writing and my painting which, in addition to the housework necessary to maintain myself, constitute what would be recognized as "work" by secular society.
The amount of time you will be able to dedicate to prayer will vary, according to your station in life, but every one of us has SOME portion of time that is free. Just do the best you can, and remember that brother Lawrence used to say that he was as much with the Lord amongst his pots and pans as he would be in the choir stall.
Brother Lawrence
To the other mystics among us, I encourage you not to lose heart. You can partake of the mystical life, even if beset with many duties and barking dogs. I have been living this life since 2003 and have probably made all the mistakes and have had all the setbacks. Feel free to write me for encouragement. In the meantime, try setting the alarm clock and see if that helps you.
God bless us all
Silver Rose
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