The life of a monk is filled with vows of celibacy and silence. Monks practice restrictions on their diet, dress and use of electronic devices. Now, 17 students at the University of Pennsylvania are getting a taste of this culture in a new class on monastic life and aestheticism.

Justin McDaniel, who teaches the three and a half monthlong course, said he originally started the class to fill the demand for hands-on humanities courses, an area that was lacking at UPenn.

‘I talked to the people who were taking the typical religion classes, and there seemed to be a lot of student interest,’ McDaniel said.

The majority of the class material is on Catholic and Buddhist monastic tradition, with a focus on monastic history. Contemporary monastic society is also covered in the class, McDaniel said.

For the hands-on portion of the course, McDaniel had his students integrate the ways of monks into their own lives. The class began with gradual restrictions such as a dress code — black shirts for women, white for men. But the real challenge came when they had to go a full month without technology, physical contact from other humans and news from the outside world, McDaniel said.

McDaniel said he feels that putting these principles into practice is the best way for students to really grasp the topic.

‘Sometimes the best way to learn is by doing things,’ McDaniel said. ‘We can talk about these monastic groups, but you want to really see what it would be like to take on these restrictions.’

By taking on these restrictions in their everyday lives, McDaniel said students will not only be able to grasp an idea of the rigid lifestyle the monks live, but also understand what makes them choose the monastic life, and perhaps gain some inner peace of their own.

‘Throughout history, people all over the world have been taking restrictions in their life in order to gain paradise with God or religion,’ McDaniel said. ‘What we’re trying to do is answer questions such as: Does this make your mind change? Do you look at the world differently? Why would people do this?’

As expected, there have been some difficulties for students in adapting to the monastic lifestyle, McDaniel said. He said a few students have struggled with the course and considered dropping out. But, he said, the students generally dedicate themselves and see the benefit of the class.

McDaniel, who spent some time living as a Buddhist monk in Thailand after studying as an undergraduate student, said his own experiences with religion have helped him to become an expert on the topic. He uses that expertise in teaching the class, he said.

‘I bring in my own experience, but the class is not about my experience,’ McDaniel said. ‘I’ve studied the subject for most of my life, so instead, I bring that knowledge to the class.’

McDaniel said he has impressed with the amount of work and dedication students are putting into his class. The course is really for students who want to live a little bit differently, he said, and the success of the course has much to do with the effort and eagerness of the students to participate, he said.

‘The students are coming from all kinds of religious traditions and a wide variety of approaches and reasons that they’re taking the course,’ McDaniel said. ‘But one thing that links them is a desire to learn more about themselves. Will they continue to do this after the class? I doubt it, but they will have gotten a taste of something different.’

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Published on February 29, 2012 at 12:00 pm

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