The monastic life was a meager and humble existence. Monks were men who originally lived alone as hermits and eventually banded together to form tiny spiritual communities. They were twelve or more pious men who abandoned all of life’s luxuries which were said to bring “evil or impurity” to the hearts of men. Simple, somewhat redundant lives were lived this way because it was believed to be the way to ensure a pure and holy life that would lead to heaven. Communal rules for speech and demeanor governed their daily lives. The monks lived and worked under the care of an Abbot, a person who took the place of the Lord or father in the monastery and handled the concerns and best interests of those under his care.
The monastic life emerged in isolation with solitary men. It was an especially grueling way of life, physically and mentally draining on an individual. These early monks lived like hermits, in complete solitude in the desert; the monasteries had yet to be developed.......

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Title: Early Monastic Life
Approximate Word Count: 1144
Approximate Pages: 5 (250 words per double-spaced page)

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