Q. What is the conceptual foundation of the monastery?

A. Cosmology and ontology, the nature of existence and being, are the two primary aspects of metaphysics, which we all know is that abstruse branch of philosophy that deals with first principles of existence, causality, and truth. The Stoic cosmologist was Heraclitus, and we are the descendants of a lineage that is 2500 years old. The Stoic monachi are a community of metaphysicians who are creating, investigating, and examining theories of the ultimate ground of being and substance.

Inside the BESM, you’ll find brothers known for their devotion to inner exploration and dedication to the evolution and enlightenment of the soul (the mystic monk). Additionally, you’ll also find others bringing their academic research to their spiritual lives (the academic monk). All in all, the kinds of Stoic monks may range from mystics, intellectuals, artists, organizers, administrators, Samaritans, etc. And although no one of us is purely one thing, each of us has a dominant side, a preference, and a specialization.

Q. What are we actually doing in this monastery? I mean, what’s the point?

A. First, as with all Stoics, we are making a commitment to the excellent disposition and personal evolution of the Soul. One might say that the Stoic monk is a highly spiritual Stoic philosopher known for his rigorous, almost Olympic, practice, and his restless wish to unite and explore Reality; a work mostly done in his own monastery of one. The online monastery, on the other hand, helps him connect with his brother-prokoptons, as they all endeavor to walk a similar journey. It goes without saying that outside the monastery, the Stoic monk is engaged in the world just as any regular Stoic. He is working a job, socializing, befriending,
raising a family, and trying to be an exemplar of society.

Q. What kind of community can monks have in a monastery in cyberspace?

A. We are more than a community of individuals who are traveling the same path; we are brothers in a brotherhood. We study together, and our special bond helps us grow as Stoic practitioners at the highest level. As for our physical connection, we have all the avenues online at our disposal.

Q. Why do we use terms like Monk, Monachi, and Abbot?

A. We respect titles, traditions, and lineages when they increase our strength as individuals and as a community. Monachus is Latin and singular for monk; monachi is plural; and, Abbot is Middle English Latinization of abbod from abbatem, from Greek abbas which means father, a title of honor. The monachi may be addressed individually as Brother before the first name, and can be abbreviated Br., as in Br. Flavius. The abbot would have Ab. before the first name, as in Ab. Kaísar. Although there is traditionally an implied masculinity in the use of such terms, in the monasterium stoicorum it is gender-neutral. In the future, there may be additional levels of achievement with other honorifics to be earned denoting positions of respect and responsibility.

Q. What does all this pursuit of enlightenment have to do with Stoicism?

A. The Stoic monk is one who dedicates his life to intellectual and spiritual pursuits. He aspires to reach the ultimate goal of life with all his being by renouncing all that is not necessary to it. One might say that the Stoic monk is an intellectual ascetic who prioritizes personal enlightenment by way of developing a relationship with the divine. He is also unquestionably committed to one philosophy of life: Stoicism. As a consequence, he is a committed Stoic philosopher who trains at a deliberate and rigorous level.