Caput XXXIV. De quadam specie vanitatis in cellulae oratoriique ornamentis.
The Vanity of Ornament in the Cell
Aelred warns the recluse that decorating the cell with paintings, carvings, and images is a subtle form of vanity that contradicts the simplicity of her vowed life.
There is also a kind of vanity in pursuing some artificial beauty—taking pleasure even inside your cell in decorating the walls with various paintings and carvings, and adorning your prayer room with a variety of hangings and images. Guard against all such things, for they run counter to your way of life.
Read the original Latin
Est etiam quaedam species vanitatis in affectata aliqua pulchritudine, etiam intra cellulam delectari; parietes variis picturis et celaturis ornare; oratorium pannorum et imaginum varietate decorare. Haec omnia quasi professioni tuae contraria cave.
De institutione inclusarum (A Rule of Life for a Recluse) companion
A rule only lives if you keep it daily
Chosen Portion gives your new rule its anchor: one free devotional portion every day.
Aelred built his sister's day around fixed times of prayer and meditation; Chosen Portion supplies the fixed daily portion that makes a modern rule of life keepable.
- Anchor your rule with a fixed 10-minute daily portion
- Practice Aelred's threefold meditation with guided daily prompts
- Review and adjust your one-page rule after 30 days of tracked practice