The Monastic Rule cannot here be exposed at length. Its purpose is to safeguard the monk in his daily life, helping him, through obedience, to keep unceasing vigil upon his inward integrity so that the union of heart and spirit may become for him a reality and lead him, as far as this is possible upon earth, to union with God. It is primarily the rule of the order of Offices and also covers the obediences of intellectual and manual work: work, let us not forget, is itself a prayerful activity with the ascetic end in view of overcoming our rebel nature and to keep us from idleness which is so harmful to the spiritual life. Monks are the athletes of Gad, and as St. Paul says must run with patience the race that is set before them (Heb. 12:l); effort without discipline leads nowhere. It is only by patient, deliberate striving that the soul can hope to perfect itself and come closer to God.
The rule is, be it in the Eremitic or Cenobitic life, of paramount importance, its virtue lying in it being kept. It is naturally more complex in the Cenobitic life, for it has to deal with offices read in common and has to regulate a community life with all its aspects of the different characters and dissimilar backgrounds of the individuals gathered under the same roof. A monastery or convent is a community of monks or nuns living under a common rule governed by an Abbot or superior chosen from among professed monks. He rules like a loving father over his children, being assisted by a council of professed monks, to members of which he delegates certain powers and responsibilities. Apart from its life of prayer, which remains at all times the essential preoccupation of monks, a monastery may harbor as circumstances demand, the sick, the aged, the orphaned, and the homeless, or perform any work of Christian charity.
All monasteries have a guest house in which the traveler can stay for the first three nights free of charge, paying guests may also be taken.
Monks have to work for their livelihood and the upkeep of the monastery, working in fields and gardens, painting and carving icons, making church vestments, translating or writing books on the spiritual life, and printing them.
There is no enclosure, as in some Western orders, nevertheless monks and visitors mix only at certain times, in well-defined places. The Megaloschemos keep very much apart.
The rule governing all monasteries is basically founded upon the primitive rule of St. Basil the Great, itself a synthesis of the foregoing monastic life of the Desert Fathers. This rule has become an integral part of the spiritual tradition of the whole Orthodox Church; it was gradually adapted throughout the centuries, down to our day, by St. Sabbas, the Studites, the great Athonite tradition of the 14th century and Paissie Velitchikowsky at the end of the 18th century.

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