Skinny-dippin' with St Ethelflaeda!

[BlueTrain]

I think I came in to my interest in monks and solitaries with St. Columba of Iona and quite by accident. Somewhere, maybe somewhere else, I mentioned going to a funeral in a church where I used to dance some 35 or more years ago. The church was St. Columba's church in Tenleytown, D.C. I will go read the original reference when I get a chance.

I never did make it to Iona.

[eyesup]

For me;
Immersing in and focusing on the worldly is discouraged. It distracts me from God.
Experiencing the world while focusing on the divine, is not. it focuses me on God.
Many people get mixed up trying to do this. It takes concentration and effort but makes the trip worth it.

Depends though, on what you are trying to accomplish.

Duane

[jbeegoode]

I think I came in to my interest in monks and solitaries with St. Columba of Iona and quite by accident. Somewhere, maybe somewhere else, I mentioned going to a funeral in a church where I used to dance some 35 or more years ago. The church was St. Columba's church in Tenleytown, D.C. I will go read the original reference when I get a chance.

I never did make it to Iona.

St. Columba is a contemporary and mentioned many times in the book.
Jbee

[BlueTrain]

I did skim over the original link and it is interesting. I imagine that nearness to suitable waters would be a prerequisite. However, those practices would not have been possible for the solitaries I was referring to. But some of the early monks, pre-1066, had a pretty rough life as it was, between religious disputes (they had those then, too) and Viking raids. Even so, their life may have been no worse than average and later, possibly better than average.

The solitaries, but not necessarily hermits, were enclosed religious. They were not permitted to go anywhere outside their enclosure, which in a few cases may have only been a cell. Apparently there were many of them in Britain at one time but the only detailed reference I have was written before WWI, I believe (and I do not have it at hand). Nevertheless, according to one rule book for solitaries that I have, bathing was encouraged and shaving "at certain times" was part of the rule.

Reading over the book, many things remind me of being married.

There are still monk and possibly nuns who live a totally enclosed life, even to the extent of never leaving their enclosures to eat, except once a week. To make that possible, those enclosed are served by lay monks. The only monastery I am in regular contact with is not enclosed, although they still live under a rule.

[jbeegoode]

I read up and wrote a note on "The Naked Hermit" with an excerpt.

https://thefreerangenaturist.org/2019/09/26/the-naked-hermit/#more-6002
Jbee

[BlueTrain]

I very much liked the post (on your website). I figured you deserved to hear something nice from me.

I might be semi-religious but not particularly spiritual. You shouldn't try to read too much into what I say, though, concerning why I do certain things like being nude when possible, which isn't that much. It can be as confining as much as liberating. But it's certainly nice when the stars come together, as people used to say.

I'm aware of some religious individuals who were nude, although there seemed to have been different reasons for the nudity. Sometimes it's never really explained, if an explanation is needed. Personally, the most interesting are the skyclad monks of India (Jainism). In their case, the idea is the extreme poverty of no possessions, as far as being nude. Other aspects of Jainism are complicated and mostly over my head. The more I study religions, the less I understand. People read the Bible as though they'd have to pass a test someday, yet miss the main points. The thing I understand the least is prayer. So I guess I haven't got one.

There's an interesting website about hermits called Hermitary. Nudity is mentioned in passing in a couple of places but that's not what it's about.

For nudity to be accepted here in the U.S., that is, more than it is already, there would have to be a great cultural shift in attitudes for it to be like it is in India. Or at least the way we think it is in India. There are a few legal and semi-legal nude beaches in this country but otherwise, nudity is illegal.

[jbeegoode]

I figure spiritual behavior and religious practice is protected under the 1st Amendment. Some of my practices and any of these monks, or Jains certainly would qualify. So, it is legal in this country to practice a spiritual nudity. I haven't seen a law suit yet that defends this specifically. The practice of law and authority has made it illegal, but the law is unconstitutional. Lots of worms there to get law aligned with Constitution Rights.

Winning a case would depend on the quality of the courts, which is getting rigged more every day. Still, it would seem cut and dry for a reasonable judge. If the anti-nudity law is to hold, it needs to address this spiritual/religious issue. The ensuing confusion would cause some publicity, and some cultural shift and get rid of the laws, until new laws would sort it out.

Then there are many places in the country that now have no anti-nudity laws and people are not exercising their rights, so I'd suspect that making nudity legal until the religious/spiritual end is cleared up, would mean that or social/cultural practice of nudity generally in USA wouldn't be much different.

It would get government off my back, and set me free along with anyone else who understands spirituality in naturism. It would make public the notion that seeing another member of ones species without covering is harmless. It would make the notion that experiencing nature and awareness is a spiritual act more common and acceptable.

It is still a long way from no restrictions for any reason because the whole anti-body thing is pretty benign and silly in the first place.
Jbee

[jbeegoode]

 Hermitary.com is extensive. I'll be spending some time there I'd bet. Thanks.
Jbee

[BlueTrain]

The roads lead everywhere although I find reading things on-line to be a little difficult and some blogs are especially bad in that respect. I visit a few other similar websites, but any more suggestions would be boring and probably a little confusing. They vary greatly. And at least a couple have disappeared. Such is the nature of the internet.