Why do nuns live in convent?

Answer 1

The whole point of becoming a monk or nun was to divorce oneself from ordinary life and the world in general, simply to become closer to God.

Monasteries were self-contained worlds of their own where sin, disease, temptation and secular matters were (as far as possible) avoided and unwelcome. Monks and nuns not only changed their location when they joined a monastery, they also had to change the way they thought, the way they spoke and the way they behaved.

All concept of "me" and "what I want" was put at the very end of the list of priorities; humility and obedience without question were much more important, but above all God must come first in all things, at every moment of the day and night. Self-denial, accepting punishment even for things they had not done and going without sufficient sleep were everyday hardships that must be borne without complaint.

The Temptations and sins of the world were outside the walls of the monastery and most monks and nuns never set foot outside once they had taken their vows.

Answer 2

well its very basic actually, they would do it becasue From a religious perspective, monastic life was the high road to heaven. A monk or nun left "the world" behind to devote themselves to lives of repentance, self-denial, and prayer. People with a strong desire to pursue higher spirituality, or concerned about the weight of sin they had to struggle with, would embrace such a life.

Answer 3

They lived apart from other people, the monks in monastaries and the nuns either in churches or other edifices for them alone. Both the monks and the nuns raised their own food. The nuns often taught in private Christian schools.

Answer 4

The monk William of St Thierry wrote advice for novice monks in his "The Golden Epistle"; he said: "So whether you eat, drink or do anything else, do everything in the name of the Lord, devoutly and religiously". This passage sets the tone for all monastic life across Europe throughout the medieval era.

The Cistercian monk Matthew of Rievaulx wrote: "Flee from the midst of depravity and perversity, from danger to security, from work to quietude, from shadow to light, from the corruption of the flesh to delight in the spirit". This sets out the idea that the outside world was seen as corrupt, sinful and dangerous, while life inside a monastery was safe from the snares of evil.

The regime was extremely strict and far from comfortable. Ailred of Rievaulx wrote in 1135: "Our food is scanty, our garments rough; our drink is from the stream and our sleep upon our book. Under our tired limbs there is a hard mat; when sleep is sweetest we must rise at the bidding of a bell . . . self-will has no scope; there is no moment for idleness or dissipation. Everywhere is peace, everywhere serenity and a marvellous freedom from the tumult of the world, such unity and concord is there among the brethren that each thing seems to belong to all, and all to each . . . To put all in brief, no perfection expressed in the words of the gospel or of the Apostles, or in the writings of the Church Fathers, or in the sayings of the monks of old, is wanting in our Order and our way of life."

Lack of sleep, a boring diet and the strict daily routine was not to everyone's taste, but there were always more applicants to enter monasteries than places available.

Answer 5

Because these buildings, called ,,monastery", were cholic plasec for them. They were their homes.