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Kurisumala
Ashram is not a clerical community. The principal activity of the
Community of Kurisumala is living the monastic charism, as already
explained in
Spiritual Objectives.
Its temporal needs are met by the dairy farm which makes it
self-supporting. Many families have settled near the Ashram, some
of them on land donated by the community. Almost a hundred local
families are supported by the Ashram by accepting milk from them at a
good price, supplying medicines to the under-privileged and offering
guidance. The farm is a source of jobs and financial help for many
others. A medium-sized vegetable garden and a small bakery
managed by the brothers provide vegetables and bread for the community's
consumption.
The
Benedictine - Cistercian tradition lays great emphasis on hospitality,
'receiving each visitor as Christ Himself.' In the Indian
tradition, too, reception of guests has been given a prominent place.
No wonder, then, that Kurisumala Ashram, where both these traditions
merge, is well known for the warm welcome it extends to people from
every cross-section of society. There are buildings for male and
female guests and hermitages for those who prefer more solitude.
Those who come for a stay are given the opportunity to share in the
prayer services and life of the community, to the extent allowed by the
rules of enclosure. They are expected to give a helping hand
'Ashram seva' by participating in household chores, vegetable-cutting
and the like. Every aid and help for deeper prayer is made
available, including priestly ministry, spiritual guidance. Guests
can avail themselves of the library facilities, opening the eyes of
their mind to the Written Word, or go for a quiet stroll through the
lush surroundings, inclining the ear of their heart to the Word revealed
in nature. The church, open round the clock, is a place for silent
prayer and reflection where they can 're-charge their batteries' and
contemplate their Creator in the cave of their hearts. The
guest-book at the Ashram bears words of gratitude and and praise for
this 'Kurisumala experience' whereby many have experience 'El-Shaddai',
the God of the mountain.
Another
important ministry is the publication and distribution of religious
classics, Bibles and other books. Pride of place goes to the
four-volume set, 'Prayer with the Harp of the Spirit', translated from
Syriac by Francis Acharya. The publication of a Malayalam
translation of the gem of Eastern Christian spirituality, the
'Philokalia', was a major event. It was an inter-religious and
inter-denominational effort, and is now into its third edition.
Another book of note is a translation of the 'Ladder of Divine Ascent',
again a classic of the Eastern tradition. These and other books
are available for sale at the Ashram book-stall.
A visitor
to the Ashram may be surprised by this apparent 'busy'ness of the monks.
Nevertheless, like the tranquil 'eye' in the middle of a cyclone, there
lies, at the core of these activities, something that transcends the
mundane realities of life. As a matter of fact, they give
expression to the ashramites' heart-felt desire and prayer that the
Ashram becomes a spiritual leaven in the Church, a beacon of hope for
the heart-broken, a haven for the children of God—in
short, a prefiguration of His Kingdom on earth. |
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