Like The Art of Happiness, this spiritual guide is grounded in the monastic way of life and offers profound wisdom about leading a meaningful existence. The Monks of New Skete, bestselling authors of How to Be Your Dog's Best Friend and The Art of Raising a Puppy, show how their strong connections with dogs and the natural world stem from the principles of monastic life. The basis of that life is revealed in this intimate encounter with a contemporary American monastic community. The book invites the reader to emulate the life of a monk, particularly the uniquely vital and engaged version practiced at New Skete. The reader will come away with fresh insights into improving relationships with other people as well as new ways of connecting to the divine. Such spiritual practices as lectio divino, a daily form of meditation on the Bible, are easy for readers to incorporate into their own lives. Above all, the monks believe human beings were created to be happy, and that the elements of a monk's life - self-discipline, prayer, acts of love and forgiveness - are the pathways anyone can follow to achieve true happiness.