Chapter 71: Mutual obedience in the monastery

Any monk or nun who is corrected for anything by abbot or abbess or one of the seniors and perceives that the senior is upset by feelings of anger, even though they may be well in control, then that junior should at once prostrate on the ground in contrition and not move until the senior gives a blessing which will heal the upset. (From para. 2 of Ch. 71 of Saint Benedict's Rule, trans. by Patrick Barry OSB, 1997.)

I need to be careful not to read this passage as instructions to be controlled by another person's anger at me. Instead, I need to read it in the spirit of detachment that mutual obedience calls for. This means that I mustn't let my ego rise up and react in a cycle of conflict. Benedict reminds me to practice a true humility grounded in the experience of inner peace.