View of monastic dwellings in caves (troglodyte dwelling) at Goreme Open Air Museum, Goreme, Cappadocia, Turkey, Europe

Monastic troglodyte (cave) dwellings carved in the rocks, Zelve, Cappadocia, Turkey, Europe

Novice monks line up in front of monastic building at the new Karma Theckhling Monastery, built in traditional Sikkim style, Ravangla (Rabongla), Sikkim, India, Asia

Church of St-Honorat, Alyscamps, UNESCO, Arles, Bouches du Rhone, Camargue, Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur, France

Inch Abbey, a large, ruined monastic site, Downpatrick, County Down, Ulster, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom, Europe

Stained glass depicting St. Francois of Sales founding the Visitation Monastic Order, Saint Severin church, Paris, France, Europe

Cathedral of the Holy Savior, UNESCO, Oviedo, Asturias, Spain

Rice trough inside remains of monastic refectory, Northern Ruins, Anuradhapura, UNESCO World Heritage Site, North Central Province, Sri Lanka, Asia

Buddha figures inside Dambulla cave Buddhist temple complex, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Sri Lanka, Asia

Frontage of Convent of San Bernardino of Sienna, Valladolid, Yucatan, Mexico, North America

The Monastery, Alcobaca, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Portugal, Europe

Western Monastery, Tsuen Wan, New Territories, Hong Kong, China, Asia

The Monastery, Alcobaca, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Portugal, Europe

The Franciscan Monastery, Dubrovnik, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Dubrovnik-Neretva county, Croatia, Europe

Western Monastery, Tsuen Wan, New Territories, Hong Kong, China, Asia

Christian ruins from 10th to 12th centuries, round tower of monastic gatehouse, Glendalough, Wicklow Mountains, County Wicklow, Leinster, Republic of Ireland (Eire), Europe

Monastic gateway, round tower dating from 10th to 12th centuries, Glendalough, Wicklow Mountains, County Wicklow, Leinster, Eire (Republic of Ireland), Europe

Aerial drone panoramic view of the Alcobaca Monastery (Alcobasa Monastery), UNESCO World Heritage Site, a Catholic monastic complex, Alcobaca, central Portugal, Eurpe

Monastery of Alcobaca, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Alcobaca, Oeste, Portugal, Europe

Votive Church, (Votivkirche), Interior view, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Vienna, Austria, Europe

Bas-relief of life of Buddha, Borobudur, 9th-century Mahayana Buddhist temple, UNESCO, Java, Indonesia

Cloister of Saint Andrew Gothic Church, Vercelli, Piedmont, Italy

Meteora, ancient holy Monastery of Rousanos Saint Barbara and Holy Trinity, UNESCO, Kalabaka, Greece

Meteora, ancient holy Monastery of Varlaam, UNESCO, Kalabaka, Greece

Buddhist monk performing daily duties in Chiangmai, Thailand

Buddhist monk performing daily duties in Chiangmai, Thailand

Buddhist monks at Wat Rong Khun, the famous White Temple, Chiang Rai, Thailand

Santes Creus Cistercian Abbey, Aiguamurcia, Catalonia, Spain

Thien Truc Buddhist pagoda, Life of the Buddha (Siddhartha Gautama), preaching first sermon to monks in Deer Park in Varanasi, Bac Lieu, Vietnam

Ancient statue of Buddha on hillside of Feilaifeng (Flying Peak), Lingyin Temple, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China

Meteora, ancient holy Monastery of Varlaam, UNESCO, Kalabaka, Greece

One of Eighteen Arhats of Mahayana Buddhism await return of Buddha as Maitreya, Long Quang Pagoda, An Giang Province, Mekong Delta, Vietnam

Abandoned monastic cave houses, Meteora, Thessaly, Greece, Europe

Ribat, monastic fortress viewed from the roof, Medina, Sousse, Tunisia, North Africa, Africa

Ancient monastic settlement in Skellig Michael, UNESCO World Heritage Site, County Kerry, Munster, Republic of Ireland (Eire), Europe

Bullocks and cart in dramatic evening light on a dusty road at Shwenanyindaw Monastic, Bagan (Pagan), Myanmar (Burma), Asia

Ancient monastic settlement of Skellig Michael, County Kerry, Munster, Republic of Ireland, Europe

Monks at Lelung Monastic Institute studying Tibetan, Namchi, South Sikkim, India, Asia

Monastic timetable, Abondance, Haute Savoie, France, Europe

Mass in Saint Gervais Catholic church run by a monastic community, Paris, France, Europe

Mass in Saint Gervais Catholic church run by a monastic community, Paris, France, Europe

Sang sang rimpoche uses the dorje, a sacred ritual object to make the first decisive cut into the sand mandala on the last day of the mani rimdu festival. chiwang monastery, solu khumbu, nepal. solu khumbu, nepal

Fire ritual at chiwang monastery during the mani rimdu festival. these monks circumambulate the pyre after its ignition. one holds a long book wrapped in a felicitous scarf. the purifying fire takes the offering and raises them towards the sky in smoke. the circumambulatory ritual also recalls the way disciples showed respect for the buddhas body. solu khumbu, nepal

Monk beating traditional drum called gong, int he courtyard of chiwang monastery during mani rimdu festival. chiwang monastery, solu khumbu, nepal

The Round Tower, 27m tall, used as belfry to call monks to prayer and to summon travellers at Devenish, a monastic settlement with a history from the 6th to the 16th century, Devenish Island, Lough (lake) Erne, Enniskillen, County Fermanagh, Ulster, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom, Europe

The Round Tower, 27m tall, used as belfry to call monks to prayer and to summon travellers at Devenish, a monastic settlement with a history from the 6th to the 16th century, Devenish Island, Lough (lake) Erne, Enniskillen, County Fermanagh, Ulster, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom, Europe

A solitary mask dancer appears wearing a frightening mask and silk brocade. they circle the courtyard with sprightly leaps. called protectors of faith, or dharmapdla, the origins of figures like these can be traced back to the pre-aryan peoples of india. originally known as yaksas (literally, a wondrous thing), they were tree spirits, who were accepted by the buddhists as defenders of the faith. in nepal and tibet, as in india, local deities were converted into protectors. a devotee of an alien sect devised a means to humiliate the buddha and his disciples. the buddha discovered it and succeeded in converting him to his teaching. due to lack of wisdom, the buddha remarked, some could not realize the goodness of his disciples and he compared the ignorant to the blind and the wise to those who have eyes.nobody is condemned in buddhism, for greatness is latent even in the seemingly lowliest just as lotuses spring from muddy ponds. -the dhammapada. solu khumbu, nepal

St. Mary's priory, Devenish, a monastic settlement with a history from the 6th to the 16th century, Devenish Island, Lough (lake) Erne, Enniskillen, County Fermanagh, Ulster, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom, Europe

Zanskar, karsha with mountains chortens. Awareness of impermanence change is a primary element in turning mind toward liberation. Because things impermanent, faults be transcended perfections achieved

The Round Tower, 27m tall, used as belfry to call monks to prayer and to summon travellers at Devenish, a monastic settlement with a history from the 6th to the 16th century, Devenish Island, Lough (lake) Erne, Enniskillen, County Fermanagh, Ulster, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom, Europe

St. Mary's priory, Devenish, a monastic settlement with a history from the 6th to the 16th century, Devenish Island, Lough (lake) Erne, Enniskillen, County Fermanagh, Ulster, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom, Europe

Devenish, a monastic settlement with a history from the 6th to the 16th century, Devenish Island, Lough (lake) Erne, Enniskillen, County Fermanagh, Ulster, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom, Europe

Detail of tombstone engraving, Glendalough Monastic Site, County Wicklow, Leinster, Republic of Ireland, Europe

The Round Tower, 27m tall, used as belfry to call monks to prayer and to summon travellers at Devenish, a monastic settlement with a history from the 6th to the 16th century, Devenish Island, Lough (lake) Erne, Enniskillen, County Fermanagh, Ulster, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom, Europe

St. Mary's priory, Devenish, a monastic settlement with a history from the 6th to the 16th century, Devenish Island, Lough (lake) Erne, Enniskillen, County Fermanagh, Ulster, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom, Europe

Devenish, a monastic settlement with a history from the 6th to the 16th century, Devenish Island, Lough (lake) Erne, Enniskillen, County Fermanagh, Ulster, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom, Europe

Binham Priory in Norfolk, England, United Kingdom, Europe

Monk in prayer hall at Wat Mai Buddhist Monastery, Luang Prabang, Laos

class, Buddhist College at Ganlu Temple, Jiuhuashan, Mount Jiuhua, mountain of nine flowers, Jiuhua Shan, Anhui province, China, Asia

Monastic library, Tepla, Czech Republic

class, Buddhist College at Ganlu Temple, Jiuhuashan, Mount Jiuhua, mountain of nine flowers, Jiuhua Shan, Anhui province, China, Asia

Woeltingerode, monastic distillery, Schnapps, Lower Saxony, northern Germany

Monastic library, Tepla, Czech Republic

Dionysiu Monastery, Greek Orthodox monastery on Mount Athos (autonomous monastic state), Chalkidiki Peninsula, Greece

Ceiling frescoes in the largest monastic library (1766) in the world at Admont Abbey, Benedictine monastery in Liexen, Styria, Austria, Europe

Ceiling frescoes in the largest monastic library (1766) in the world at Admont Abbey, Benedictine monastery in Liexen, Styria, Austria, Europe

Library of the Strahov Monastery, Prague, Bohemia, Czech Republic, Eastern Europe

Wutai Shan monastic site, Mount Wutai, Unesco World Heritage Site, Shanxi, China, Asia

Monastery yard of the collegiate church pc. Pelargius monastery Denkendorf Baden Wuerttemberg Germany

Wutai Shan monastic site, Mount Wutai, Unesco World Heritage Site, Shanxi, China, Asia

Interior, stalls, choir of the monastic church, Maulbronn Monastery, Cistercian Abbey, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Kraichgau, Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany, Europe

Benedictine monastery on the island of St. Maria in Veliko Jezero, Great Lake, National Park Mljet, Mljet Island, Dubrovnik-Neretva, Dalmatia, Croatia, Europe

Wutai Shan monastic site, Mount Wutai, Unesco World Heritage Site, Shanxi, China, Asia

Aerial view, Arsanas Chromnitsas, Mount Athos, Orthodox monastic republic with autonomous status under Greek sovereignty, Athos Peninsula, Halkidiki, Central Macedonia, Greece, Europe

Ornate pillar in the Wutai Shan monastic site, Mount Wutai, Unesco World Heritage Site, Shanxi, China, Asia

Rheinau - towers from the monastic church - Kanton Zurich, Switzerland, Europe.

Monastic church of the barmherzigen Bruder in Graz

Wutai Shan monastic site, Mount Wutai, Unesco World Heritage Site, Shanxi, China, Asia

Wutai Shan monastic site, Mount Wutai, Unesco World Heritage Site, Shanxi, China, Asia

Aerial view, sunrise, view of Mount Athos, Orthodox monastic republic with autonomous status under Greek sovereignty, taken from Kriaritsi, Sithonia, Chalkidiki, Central Macedonia, Greece, Europe

Aerial view, dawn, view of Mount Athos, Orthodox monastic republic with autonomous status under Greek sovereignty, taken from Kriaritsi, Sithonia, Chalkidiki, Central Macedonia, Greece, Europe

Wutai Shan monastic site, Mount Wutai, Unesco World Heritage Site, Shanxi, China, Asia

Bebenhausener Pfleghof former monastic building, Tuebingen, Swabian Alb, Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany, Europe

Buddha statues in the Wutai Shan monastic site, Mount Wutai, Unesco World Heritage Site, Shanxi, China, Asia

Schloss Ettersburg Castle with the monastic church near Weimar, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Classical Weimar, Thuringia, Germany, Europe

The origin of the Pomposa Abbey dates back to the 6th-7th centuries as a Benedictine settlement on the Insula Pomposia, a wooded island surrounded by two branches of the river and protected by the sea. After the year 1000 it became a thriving monastic center. Ravenna, Emilia Romagna, Italy

Ancient frescoes inside the church of Madonna delle virtù, This monastic complex is one of the most important monuments in Matera and is composed of dozens of caves spread over two floors, Matera, Basilicata, Italy, Europe

The origin of the Pomposa Abbey dates back to the 6th-7th centuries as a Benedictine settlement on the Insula Pomposia, a wooded island surrounded by two branches of the river and protected by the sea. After the year 1000 it became a thriving monastic center. Ravenna, Emilia Romagna, Italy

Ancient frescoes inside the church of Madonna delle virtù, This monastic complex is one of the most important monuments in Matera and is composed of dozens of caves spread over two floors, Matera, Basilicata, Italy, Europe

Ancient frescoes inside the church of Madonna delle virtù, This monastic complex is one of the most important monuments in Matera and is composed of dozens of caves spread over two floors, Matera, Basilicata, Italy, Europe

The origin of the Pomposa Abbey dates back to the 6th-7th centuries as a Benedictine settlement on the Insula Pomposia, a wooded island surrounded by two branches of the river and protected by the sea. After the year 1000 it became a thriving monastic center. Ravenna, Emilia Romagna, Italy

Interrior of the church of San Nicola del Greci, This monastic complex is one of the most important monuments in Matera and is composed of dozens of caves spread over two floors, Matera, Basilicata, Italy, Europe

Ancient frescoes inside the church of Madonna delle virtù, This monastic complex is one of the most important monuments in Matera and is composed of dozens of caves spread over two floors, Matera, Basilicata, Italy, Europe

Interrior of the church of San Nicola del Greci, This monastic complex is one of the most important monuments in Matera and is composed of dozens of caves spread over two floors, Matera, Basilicata, Italy, Europe

Interrior of the church of San Nicola del Greci, This monastic complex is one of the most important monuments in Matera and is composed of dozens of caves spread over two floors, Matera, Basilicata, Italy, Europe

Sang Sang Rimpoche initiates Mani Rimdu festival at Chiwang Monastery.Solu Khumbu, Nepal.

India, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh. A portrait of a novice monk of The Drukpa Kagyud Primary School. The school is part of Hemis Buddhist Monastery located 45 kilometers from Leh in Ladakh, Northern India.

India, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh. A group of novice monks pose for a portrait at The Drukpa Kagyud Primary School. The school is part of Hemis Buddhist Monastery located 45 kilometers from Leh in Ladakh, Northern India.

North High Cross, Castledermot, County Kildare, Ireland

Sheela Na Gig, White Island, Lough Erne, County Fermanagh, Ireland