The Order of Tonsure.

        The name of Monk (or Nun) is given to persons who have taken the vows of chastity, poverty, and absolute obedience to the will of their spiritual guides, with complete surrender of their own will. Monks live together in separate buildings, called Monasteries or Lavras.* There each monk has a place to himself, which is called a cell. They assemble all together only in the church, for services, in the refectory and at their common work. They are called to be in perfect subordination to the will of their chief, the Father Superior of the monastery, who has the title of Hegúmen (a Greek word which means “leader”; that is, an abbot) or of Archimandrite (another Greek word which means chief of a fold). At the present time all abbots and archimandrites have the dignity of priesthood but this was not always the case in ancient times. A monastery may also be headed by a bishop. Monks are divided into three grades: that of novices, monks of the lesser vows, and of the highest vows. Persons who desire to take on themselves monastic vows do not at once enter the ranks of monks — they are first subjected to tests, to prove the firmness of their intent. In other words they pass through the “ordeal of obedience,” sometimes lasting several years, during which they are on probation, and therefore are called probationers or lay brethren. Both these and the novices are under the special guidance of an older monk, of their own choice, who is called a stárets (a Russian word, meaning, “elder”). As one of the acts of a monk’s consecration consists in cutting or tonsuring his hair, the ceremony is also called tonsure. There is a special order of consecration for every grade of monastic life.

The Order of Investing With the Robe. — After the prefatory prayers and penitential troparia, the abbot recites a prayer wherein he asks the Lord to vouchsafe that the probationer who desires to enter monastic life may acquit himself worthily in the angelic state* and to admit him into the flock of His elect; then he tonsures the hair on the novice’s head in the form of a Cross,† “in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit,” in token that he, the novice, “casts from him all idle thoughts and acts and takes upon himself the yoke of the Lord.” After the tonsuring, the abbot invests him with the garb of his order, the robe (riássa) and the kamilavka or skull-cap, both black and of inexpensive material. The robe is a wide garment, unbelted, such as was worn in ancient times on days of sorrowing; the monk dons it in token of grief for his sins; while the kamilavka (the word means a cap protecting from the heat, or allaying heat) betokens the taming of the passions. By assuming the robe, the probationer enters the ranks of the “newly-consecrated” or novices, and receives the title of riássophor, i.e., “wearer of the robe,” but takes no vows.

The Order of the Lesser Schema. — The word Schema means “dignity, aspect”; the “Order of the Lesser Schema” is the name given to the consecration of a novice into the second grade of monastic life, that of monk proper. This rite generally takes place in church, before the Liturgy or after Matins. The novice who wishes to take the vows removes his garments on the porch, in token that he renounces all wrongdoing, and stands unbelted, unshod, and bareheaded. Then the brethren (i.e., the community of the monastery) come forth from the church to fetch him, with lighted candles, chanting a troparion which celebrates the return of the prodigal son to his father’s house, and conduct him into the church. The novice performs three prostrations on the way, stops opposite the Royal Gates, before a lectern on which are laid a Cross and Gospel, and here, to the question of the abbot, who asks him “Why hast thou come hither, Brother, falling down before the Holy Altar, and before this holy assembly?” he replies, “I am desirous of the life of asceticism, Reverend Father (or holy Master).” Then the abbot questions him further: Whether he aspires to the angelic state? Whether he gives himself to God of his own free will? Whether he intends to abide in the monastery and lead a life of mortification unto his last breath? Whether he intends to keep himself in the observance of virginity, chastity and piety? Whether he will remain obedient to the superior and to the brethren unto death? Whether he will endure willingly the restraint and hardships of monastic life. When he has answered to all these questions “Yea, reverend Father, with the help of God,” the abbot explains to him wherein monastic life consists. He pledges himself to keep his vows. Then the abbot prays that “the Lord may receive him, shield him by the operation of the Holy Spirit and deliver him from all carnal lusts,” and, laying his hand on the Gospel adds: “Here Christ is present invisibly. Behold! no one compels thee to come to Him.” Then, the better to test his willingness to take the vows, he hands him the shears thrice, with the words: “Take these shears and give them to me.” The novice every time receives the shears and returns them to the abbot, kissing his hand. After the third time the abbot says to him: “From the hand of Christ thou didst receive them. Behold to Whom thou joinest thyself, Whom thou embracest, and whom thou renouncest.” Then the abbot tonsures the novice’s head in the form of a Cross saying: “Our brother (or our sister) cuts the hair of his (or her) head in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit,” and in doing so changes his (or her) name for another, in token of complete renunciation of the world* and perfect self-consecration to God.

        The recipient of the Schema is now invested with the garb of his order. He dons a chiton, usually called tunic or cassock, as an emblem of poverty; in ancient times this tunic was made of horsehair; then he puts on an article called paramand, which means “something besides, or added to the mantle.” This name is given to a square of cloth, on which is represented the Cross of Christ with the spear, the reed, and the inscription: “I wear upon my body the wounds of my Lord.” By means of strings sewed to the corners, this square is fastened around the shoulders and waist of the monk. It is intended to remind him that he has taken on himself the yoke of Christ and must control his passions and desires. At the same time a Cross is hung on his neck, in token that he is to follow Christ. Over these the monk puts on the robe, which is now called “the robe of rejoicing,” and girds himself with the belt, in token of spiritual regeneration and mortification of the body. Over the robe the monk is invested with the pallium or mantle, a wide garment, very long and without sleeves. It is called “the garment of incorruption and purity,” and the absence of sleeves is to remind the monk that he is debarred from worldly pursuits. The mantle is given him in token of the “exalted angelic state” which he assumes, i.e., as a pledge that he will not stop on this second grade, but will seek the third, highest. The head-gear given to him is the kamilávka with the klóbuk or veil, which is to remind him that he must veil his face from temptation, and guard his eyes and ears against all vanity. Therefore the klóbuk is called the “helmet of salvation.” The feet of the monk are shod with sandals (shoes), in token that he should abide in peace and calm, and be slow in pursuing his own wishes or doing his own will. Lastly, he is given a prayer rope or “chôtki” (“counter”), i.e., a cord with many knots, to count prayers and prostrations by. This counter is the monk’s spiritual sword which helps him to conquer absentmindedness while at prayers, by which he drives evil counsel from his soul. Sometimes the prayer rope consists of small metallic plates strung on a string or rope, at equal intervals; it is then called by a name which means “small ladder” (lyestófka) because it looks like one.

        After the vesting, the Great Ectenia is recited, with the addition of special petitions on behalf of the new brother, and the prokimenon is sung: “As many as have been baptized into Christ, have put on Christ”; then readings — from the Apostle, how that every man must wage war against the foes of Salvation, and invest himself to that end with the full panoply of God — and from the Gospel, how that the love of God must be greater than the love of parents, and how he that does not follow in the footsteps of the Lord is unworthy of Him. Then the new brother is presented with a candle and a Cross, and reminded of the words of Christ, that whoever would follow Him must take up his Cross, and glorify his Heavenly Father by his good deeds. Lastly the abbot and all the brethren give him the kiss of welcome.

The Order of the Great Schema, or Highest Angelic State. — Those monks who take upon themselves the Great Schema, are called in Russia Schémniks. They take severer vows of complete renunciation of the world. The consecration for this highest grade differs from that of the lesser grade in the following points: 1) The vestments prepared for the candidate are taken into the Sanctuary the evening before and laid upon the altar, to signify that he receives them from the Lord Himself; 2) his name is again changed at his consecration; 3) in the place of the paramand, he puts on the analavon, which answers to the paramand, but is ornamented with many Crosses and worn on the shoulders, to signify the bearing of his Cross in following Christ; 4) instead of the flat-topped klóbuk, he puts on a pointed cap called a cowl (cucullus), with veil covering the head and shoulders and decorated with five Crosses: on the brow, the breast, the shoulders and the back. It is called “the cowl of guilelessness” and “the helmet of hope in salvation.”

Consecration of an Abbot or Archimandrite. When a monk is consecrated for abbot (Father Superior), he is given a pastoral staff emblematic of his duty as ruler of the community. If he is consecrated for the dignity of an archimandrite, he is invested with a mantle which has four squares of red or green cloth called tables of the law sewed on in front, at the neck and at the bottom. They signify that the archimandrite is the monk’s instructor and guide in living in accordance with the commandments of God. Bishops, who at the present time are taken from among the archimandrites, wear mantles, not black, but of some light color with stripes of another color which begin at the neck and run all around the mantle down to the skirt. These stripes are called “rivers” and signify that from the bishop’s lips flow rivers of instruction in the Word of God.