The following story of a Catholic nun, who has a huge on-line presence, is interesting in that her motivation for engaging in social media and website development was inspired by her religious vow. An early adopter too with a website developed in the 1990s then going on to produce podcasts and videos in 2004 for her monastery with no walls. Physically located in Herefordshire.
Sister Catherine’s writing is imbued with humour and wisdom. And she is clearly engaged with issues of the day setting them in the context of her faith and understanding as a Christian. I just nipped over to iBenedictines and her three posts written over Easter speak clearly and compassionately. The following is taken from a recent Telegraph newspaper article.
“….Sister Catherine has taken on external clients, developing websites for computers and smartphones on a professional basis. But, although nowadays her skills are a source of financial support for the monastery, there was a religious motivation for developing them: “The Rule of St Benedict [guidance for monks and nuns in the Benedictine order, written by the saint in the 6th century] is very keen on what it calls ‘hospitality’; that is, welcoming people to the monastery and giving them a taste of what cloistered life is like,” she explains. “And we thought the internet is a brilliant way of doing that.”
I think… you’ll find that practically every monastery in the country [now] has an internet presence with all the bells and whistles.”
I love the above sentence found towards the end of the article. Many bells being rung here at Throssel this week during the ceremonies for Jukai. No whistles though!
In a few days Jademountains.net (formally Movingmountains and before that Jade mountains – started in 2003) will be ten years old. In 2005 when I flew from Vancouver to Japan my motivation for starting to post regularly was to share my Pilgramage with the lay and monastic sangha of my religious order. Few people can make a spiritual journey or to ‘journey’ as I do and sharing practice and passing on the teachings is my basic religious aspiration. I continue here because….I can’t bring myself to stop! It would be like stopping talking! All too easy to think of sound and silence as being opposites, which they are not.
It is my dear Dharma Sister Rev. Master Meiten’s 89th birthday today. Time for celebration, and admiration too.
Dear Rev. Master Mugo,
Please don’t stop posting, these posts are an inspiration and a delight and help so much in my practice. Just thinking of someone like Rev. Master Meitan, whose books I love so much being 89, hurrah!!! Inspiration is all along the way, even in the silence. Walked with my dog, Cocoa this morning and it was enough just to be quiet and hear the birds and bring my racing mind back to the moment and all that is. Thank you and I am so grateful for the internet and all the connection we get listening to dharma talks, reading your posts, and seeing how others practice.
Peace, Colette
Colette – Yes the internet has changed so much for our Sangha hasn’t it. One of the main reasons I started Jade (formerly Moving mountains) was to reach out to people who are largely training on their own and don’t have people close by to sit with. Rev. M. Meiten is amazing and no mistake.
Long may Jade Mountains continue, here’s to the next 10 years!
Dear Andy. Thank you. I’ll keep on keeping on and make my best effort to post reasonably regularly.
I’m very glad you made the decision to carry on with the blog. I find your posts refreshing, informative, but most of all, they contain precious jewels of teaching which have helped me immensely. Bravo on ten years!
Bit late in responding Reverend. Thanks very much for your kind words. I do feel badly for not posting more often these past months. Monastic life is full.
Happy Birthday Reverend Master Meiten. You are a metaphoric “bell and whistle” to the world!
Happy Birthday to Rev. Master Meiten–89 is a venerable age indeed! And thank you, Rev. Master Mugo, for carrying on with sharing over the “world wide web” for 10 years. That is commitment!