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Tales of a Magic Monastery
Here, the charming, mature stories from the internationallly beloved monk are accompanied by original art. Like the parables of Jesus, these tales repeatedly unfold new levels of meaning if we are willing to sit with them.
96 pages, Paperback
First published February 25, 1981
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
February 22, 2022
These short snippets remind us to seek the divine in everyday life. They remind us to look outside ourselves, while always trying to improve ourselves. They are fun, funny, humorous and yet probe deeply into both the meaning of human existence, and the means to attain sanctification. I can pick up this book any day and flip to any story and be
I have had my copy of this book for years. When I was married I had 8 six foot high book cases filled with books. Not I have switched to mostly eBooks. And have less than 100 physical books, and only about 30 from that original collection. This is one of them. Below are two sample stores from this book.
The sections in this book are:
I Are You Rich or Are Your Poor?
The Pearl Of Great Price
A Visit from the Buddha
The Great Debate
II How Big Is Your Heart?
Myself
The Best Place To Pray
The House of Perfect Love
What Am I Leaving Out
III Is This What It Means To Be A Real Monk?
The Monk Whose Face Was Red
A Creature of Contraction and Expansion
The Crystal Globe
IV Where is the Answer to the Great Question?
The Original Sound
No Distance
It’s Very Simple
Infinite Respect
Surrounded by God
V Could You Go Deeper?
What Do They Need
Write My Own Bible?
Back to the Depths
VI When?
Now
Next Monday?
VII Who Will Lead Me Into the Heart of God?
Together
The Great Silence
So Small Outside
David’s Flute
VIII Who Needs Me?
Beautiful, Worthwhile, Noble
The Well
IX What Is Your Gift?
The Audacity of Humility
The Woman Who Wanted Greatness
What Do I Need To Know
You’ll Find It Very Handy
X What Color is Your Robe?
The Monk In The Red Robe
The Room of Righteous Indignation
The Problem of Heaviness
XI Still Holding Out?
What Will You Give Me?
The Two Brothers
The Mountain of Indecision
Exceses
The Gun
Boredom
XII The Real Thing?
Christmas at the Monastery
A Brother of St. Francis
Seven Hundred Leagues
On the back of the book M. Basil Pennington, O.C.S.O. states:
“In the tradition of the masters Father Theophane seeks to put us ion touch with some of the deepest mysteries of life through the medium of story. Like the parables of Jesus these tales repeatedly unfold new levels of meaning if we are willing to sit with them. The use of the story is the rediscovery of our times and the Monk Theophane (an experienced retreat director and a true spiritual father) is a master of the art.”
This is a wonderful little volume that I have on my all-time favourite list. I highly recommend it.
I have owned this book 21 years and have likely read it more than once a year in that time.
Read the review on my blog Book Reviews and More.
Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2019 Catholic Reading Plan!
I have had my copy of this book for years. When I was married I had 8 six foot high book cases filled with books. Not I have switched to mostly eBooks. And have less than 100 physical books, and only about 30 from that original collection. This is one of them. Below are two sample stores from this book.
The sections in this book are:
I Are You Rich or Are Your Poor?
The Pearl Of Great Price
A Visit from the Buddha
The Great Debate
II How Big Is Your Heart?
Myself
The Best Place To Pray
The House of Perfect Love
What Am I Leaving Out
III Is This What It Means To Be A Real Monk?
The Monk Whose Face Was Red
A Creature of Contraction and Expansion
The Crystal Globe
IV Where is the Answer to the Great Question?
The Original Sound
No Distance
It’s Very Simple
Infinite Respect
Surrounded by God
V Could You Go Deeper?
What Do They Need
Write My Own Bible?
Back to the Depths
VI When?
Now
Next Monday?
VII Who Will Lead Me Into the Heart of God?
Together
The Great Silence
So Small Outside
David’s Flute
VIII Who Needs Me?
Beautiful, Worthwhile, Noble
The Well
IX What Is Your Gift?
The Audacity of Humility
The Woman Who Wanted Greatness
What Do I Need To Know
You’ll Find It Very Handy
X What Color is Your Robe?
The Monk In The Red Robe
The Room of Righteous Indignation
The Problem of Heaviness
XI Still Holding Out?
What Will You Give Me?
The Two Brothers
The Mountain of Indecision
Exceses
The Gun
Boredom
XII The Real Thing?
Christmas at the Monastery
A Brother of St. Francis
Seven Hundred Leagues
On the back of the book M. Basil Pennington, O.C.S.O. states:
“In the tradition of the masters Father Theophane seeks to put us ion touch with some of the deepest mysteries of life through the medium of story. Like the parables of Jesus these tales repeatedly unfold new levels of meaning if we are willing to sit with them. The use of the story is the rediscovery of our times and the Monk Theophane (an experienced retreat director and a true spiritual father) is a master of the art.”
This is a wonderful little volume that I have on my all-time favourite list. I highly recommend it.
I have owned this book 21 years and have likely read it more than once a year in that time.
Read the review on my blog Book Reviews and More.
Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2019 Catholic Reading Plan!
April 13, 2009
Tales of A Magic Monastery is one of those books you can read cover-to-cover, or just read one short 'story'. It can be read to and by 'children' of all ages but understood only by the heart. Although it's possible to link some of the vignettes to Gospel parables, if one tries to do that, so much beauty will be lost, as will much of the wisdom I expect. Just read it...with an open and loving heart.
June 28, 2016
Read this book after the sad passing of my old pastor, Father William Bovard. He was a great man and this was one of his favorite books to use in his homilies.
It's puzzling and Zen-ish and probably will require much study to understand. But I'm glad I have a copy and I'm glad to keep it on my shelf in tribute to Father Bovard. He was a great man.
It's puzzling and Zen-ish and probably will require much study to understand. But I'm glad I have a copy and I'm glad to keep it on my shelf in tribute to Father Bovard. He was a great man.
January 23, 2018
I'm not positive whether I'm the wrong audience or in the wrong mood or these very short "stories" are obvious and dumb.
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April 20, 2024This was once recommended to me by a professor in college and has been sitting on my shelf since then. I enjoyed a couple of the stories, but overall it wasn’t for me.
March 19, 2010
Incredibly weak little snippets.
November 19, 2022
This has been one of my favourite books for many years.
About 10% of it I'm not completely on board with. Maybe 80% is delightful. But the other 10% is so brilliant and profound that it's worth a five-star rating for the whole book.
So, basically this is a small book with beautiful, classic black-and-white illustrations that go along with short vignettes that form a collection. Some of them are allegories, some are brief burst of thought, some are tiny stories. The whole of the collection is readable and thought-provoking.
I should probably confess that everyone I've ever recommended this book to has hated it. No, hated is too strong. They have not "got" it. I think if you approach this book as a story, it doesn't work. But if you approach it as a collection of creative meditations, then you read it more slowly, more thoughtfully, one at a time, and then it reveals its charm and insight.
Bottom line: this may not be for everyone, but for those prepared to take a little time with each creative entry, the rewards are plentiful.
About 10% of it I'm not completely on board with. Maybe 80% is delightful. But the other 10% is so brilliant and profound that it's worth a five-star rating for the whole book.
So, basically this is a small book with beautiful, classic black-and-white illustrations that go along with short vignettes that form a collection. Some of them are allegories, some are brief burst of thought, some are tiny stories. The whole of the collection is readable and thought-provoking.
I should probably confess that everyone I've ever recommended this book to has hated it. No, hated is too strong. They have not "got" it. I think if you approach this book as a story, it doesn't work. But if you approach it as a collection of creative meditations, then you read it more slowly, more thoughtfully, one at a time, and then it reveals its charm and insight.
Bottom line: this may not be for everyone, but for those prepared to take a little time with each creative entry, the rewards are plentiful.
December 31, 2025
DNF at 75%. I thought, I can suffer through this book, it’s so short. But each story is a ridiculous acid trip that makes no sense. There might have been meaning in them if I were on acid, but as I have never been and never will be, there’s no reason to continue the torture. I picked it up because the back said the stories were ‘like the parables of Jesus’. Not at all. Some are even demonic.
Why did I give two stars? I think there was one story that made me go “hmmmm” but it was lost in my memory with the mush of the other stories. The drawings are quite good, though.
Why did I give two stars? I think there was one story that made me go “hmmmm” but it was lost in my memory with the mush of the other stories. The drawings are quite good, though.
October 19, 2022
Delightful
June 11, 2023
Very thought provoking mediations.
January 23, 2010
Funny, perceptive, and perplexing parables about a fantastical monastery. Almost dream-like, as if Salman Rushdie were to try to write parables for a desert father. Some made absolutely no sense until I read and thought about them over and over again. Others were a bit easier to digest. Nice to have something that wasn't too trite. Cool illustrations, too. A couple favorite:
The Mountain of Decision
"How long have you been a monk?" I asked.
"A real monk? Not long. It took me fifty years to get up the Mountain of Decision."
"Do you have to see first before you decide, or is it that you decide first and then you see?"
"If you'll take my advice," he said, "you'll drop the questions, and go right up the mountain."
The Mountain of Decision
"How long have you been a monk?" I asked.
"A real monk? Not long. It took me fifty years to get up the Mountain of Decision."
"Do you have to see first before you decide, or is it that you decide first and then you see?"
"If you'll take my advice," he said, "you'll drop the questions, and go right up the mountain."
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June 22, 2011
A collection of weak, cliched, tiresome little prose-poems which are very much a product of their time. They lack the coherence and the simplicity of zen koans, as well as the strength and poignancy of the New Testament, and wind up offensive both to the intellect and the spirit. Poor writing and superficial thoughts, though the drawings are themselves quite charming -- that's the only reason I gave it even a single star.
January 2, 2008
I love quotes and short stories. This book is composed of very short tales, all "true" by a real monk. The tales are lovely and spiritually true. A friend who thought that I would like it loaned it to me. The tales illustrate how some of the spiritual truths that we have all heard can be fully assimilated into a real live person's perspective on life, meaning, relationship. Wonderful!
December 5, 2011
I love this little book! I am so happy to see it listed here on GoodReads! I don't know anyone else who has read this book!
One-pager stories that make you think! Most stories simply pose questions.
I pull it off my shelf regularly and just read a story to mull over during the day!
Love it.
One-pager stories that make you think! Most stories simply pose questions.
I pull it off my shelf regularly and just read a story to mull over during the day!
Love it.
September 20, 2008
These parables are short, charming, and witty, but lend themselves to hours of meditation.
April 29, 2009
A sweet book of spiritual journeys, thoughts, questions, that starts your spirit and mind on a journey and where you end is up to you.
July 9, 2012
inspiring.
July 5, 2016
Beautiful, thought provoking, catches-you-off-guard humor collection of short stories.
December 23, 2016
Thought provoking, though sometimes a bit obscure. Will re-read in the future.
January 12, 2022
Tasty morsels of truth - much like koans.
July 6, 2023
A beautiful little book for children and adults! God bless everyone!
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October 9, 2009Tales of A Magic Monastery (Tales Magic Monastry Ppr) by The M Theophane (1981)
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews