Monday, December 3, 2012

(3) New Monastery


It took some time doing the architectural design for the new
monastery.  Even before I could set to work I had to talk to not
only Philip but the other monks residing on the San Ysidro site.
They provided a written-out overview of what they needed,
which was helpful.

The chapel was to be the centerpiece of the monastteru.  And on
opposite sides of the grounds, facing the chapel, they wanted the
monastic living quarters.  Though avant-garde when it came to
being a dual monastery, they still thought it wise to separate the
living quarters of the men from the women.  And at the far ends,
there would be other quarters for the novices and visitors.  There
were numbers, too!  Their ideal was a full population of sixty for
each monasteru that would eventually be built.  Also, in the
monastic quarters, each monk would have not only a bedroom
and bath but also a connected study and office,

I was somewhat taken aback, expecting that they would demand
something more austere.  But the traditional monk's cell was not
part of their vocation.  In spite of the multi-billion dollar inheritance,
these monks committed themselves to also bring money into the
monastery.  In other words, beyond what they might bring with
them, once they committed and were accepted by their fellow
monks, future earnings were expected to be forthcoming and
handed over to the greater community.  In a nutshell, these 
monks were expected to work for a living.

Additionally, the monks wanted two classroom buildings built
out in the garden areas.  Monks have always been "big" into
gardens, and these monks were no different.  Landscaping,
alone, would be a serious task in terms of vegetation selection
and design.  Not easy, because building successful gardens
pre-supposed knowing the climate and soil one would encounter.

Of course there were a lot of fine details, but all around I had my
work cut out for me.  It was going to be a really big assignment
not only for me but also for my firm.  Fully aware of this responsibility,
I quaked a little in my shoes.

But once my design was completed, accepted by the Millennial
Monastery community as well as my management, the wonderful 
part of the work began.  Fortunately our firm was plugged into local
construction companies as well as professional landscapers.
And, of course, the hardest part was working through all the
county ordinances.  As the architect-in-charge, I spent a great
deal of my time overseeing the steady rise of this new monasteru.

And one wonderful day there it was in all its splendor.  The
Millennial Monastery California was open for business.  Other 
monks from Arizona came pouring in, joining the squatting monks 
who happily returned their rental trailers.  It had been a long
eighteen months, but well worth the time.  I looked at "my"
creation and was proud as a peacock.

There was another reason for my happiness, too!  After some
considerable deliberation, I had chosen this new monastery
to be my new *home.*

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