Meditation Retreats

How Living In A Monastery Changed My Perspective On Love

It wasn’t until some time after my stay at my monastery that I had my true aha moment.

I realized how much stress we as humans expose ourselves to every day, from watching TV to loud noises to hectic conversations. These distractions take us so far from our true calling, which I saw as happiness and gratitude.

Most self-help books rely on positive affirmations to create desire, but I began to see this as a retelling of the simplest gesture: the act of praying. So I started praying and asking God to guide me. In doing so, I saw the kind of increased joy in trusting that there was a higher power, and it wanted to help me return to myself and not deceive me.

Suddenly, many things from my previous life came back to me, such as my beloved old apartment in the center of Copenhagen. I also prayed for help and determination, and then relevant books, people, inspiration, and healthy choices began to pop up as if they were flying out of nowhere.

The famous psychologist Carl Rogers (who identified himself as an atheist) concluded at the end of his life that there is an area beyond scientific psychology. He described this as the indescribable, the spiritual. This is how I felt: For me, spirituality has become a connection to a higher level of gratitude and happiness that can only be compared to being in love. It is a love that begins as an affair and develops into an eternal marriage.

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