Chapter 70: The offence of striking another

Every occasion for presumptuous behaviour in a monastery must be avoided, so we insist that no one in the community may excommunicate or strike another unless given the power to do so by the superior. (From Ch. 70 of Saint Benedict's Rule, trans. by Patrick Barry, OSB, 1997.)

When I "presume" to act, I'm driven by my ego, instead of the true authority an unself-conscious love. Meditation helps me to be more aware of my "presumptions".