MONK OR MONKEY?

MONK OR MONKEY?

Would you rather be a monk or a monkey? That strange, boldly-voiced question rang in my ears as I awoke with a startle from a dream a few mornings ago. I could make no sense of it, yet could not erase it from my mind, so I began to explore this odd combination of terms, hoping to get some insight into its meaning.

In my dictionary the word monkey immediately follows monk. I note that not only does monk resides in monkey, but also the word key, perhaps an indication that there is some key that I must discover to use to unlock this mysterious communication from my unconscious.

The dictionary defines monk as “a member of a religious community living under certain vows especially of poverty, chastity, and obedience.” A monkey is “any of various mainly long-tailed agile tree-dwelling primates,” or perhaps more to the point, “a mischievous person, especially a child (young monkey).”

My mental image of a monk does not center on poverty, chastity, or obedience, but rather is of a man dressed in a long brown robe, walking, holding a book, thinking about serious and profound matters. He is serene, studious, pragmatic, has a good sense of humor, and is of course deeply religious. He spends a lot of time in silence.

As for monkeys, my first thought is that they are playful, like children. They are active, ebullient, and exhibit what might be called a child-like intelligence. They are particularly fascinating because so much of their behavior mimics our own. Another association is what some Buddhists call “monkey mind,” that restless mental chatter caused by our thoughts as they flit aimlessly from one thing to another. One purpose of meditation is to focus and calm this monkey mind in an effort to create a more serene state of being. In this sense, as I sit in meditation, my inner monkey is striving to be more monk-like.

Yet another association is with the image of three wise monkeys: one with ears covered, Hear no evil; one with eyes covered, See no evil; and the third with mouth covered, Speak no evil. This image is thought to have originated in Japan as part of an ancient folk religion and many versions of it can be seen throughout the Far East. In some cases there is a fourth monkey with his hands tied, meaning Do no evil. This conception of wise monkeys relates directly to the monk; both represent the goal of a life devoid of evil.

So, after these reflections, what am I to make of my strange dream query? Must I choose between the monk and the monkey? I am resistant to choosing, and instead hope to combine characteristics of both these archetypes into my thinking and in my behavior. I aspire to be serious, studious, spiritual, and serene, and continue to enjoy periods of silence, but I also wish to cultivate more of those wonderful child-like monkey qualities, such as playfulness, exuberance, and perhaps a bit of mischievousness. I also wish to be like the three (or four) wise monkeys in avoiding hearing, seeing, speaking, or doing evil.

My lesson from this puzzling but inspiring dream is my intention for the New Year—2011—and that is to live my life devoted to being a monk in monkey’s clothing!