Taking a vow of silence may seem difficult to some, but many people find that spending time in quiet meditation brings out spiritual treasures they hadn’t imagined before. The monks of the cloister have their own version of this experience, but the practice is also beneficial to all who try it, regardless of religious belief or practice.

Monastic quiet monk is a spiritual practice recommended in a wide range of religions for purposes including becoming closer to God and achieving elevated states of spiritual purity. It is often accompanied by other practices such as celibacy, fasting, manual labor, separation from the world, and a commitment to a specific order of prayer.

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In the monastic tradition, silence is a way to clear the mind of distraction so that one can better listen to God. The rule of silence varies from one order to the next, but generally begins at the biblical hour of Compline (night prayers) and ends with Lauds (morning prayer). Silence is also an important part of the Quaker form of worship which uses infrequently-broken congregational silence rather than sermons or singing.

The observance of a vow of silence in modern times has been popularized by such figures as author Thomas Merton. Some people have taken a vow of silence as a form of protest against political or social injustice, while others do it as a way to deepen their faith through spiritual introspection.

While some cloistered orders require their members to speak only in certain situations, most monks do not take the extreme of a vow of silence. They do, however, have times of the day when they are expected to remain silent for work or in places where they are unable to talk because of a particular project they’re working on.