Brother John. August Turak

      

      A Monk, a Pilgrim, and the Purpose of Life

      BROTHER JOHN

      AUGUST TURAK

      with paintings at Mepkin Abbey by

      GLENN HARRINGTON

      Brother John

      © 2018 by August Turak

      All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by

      any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information

      storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

      Published by Clovercroft Publishing, Franklin, Tennessee

      Paintings and Book Design by Glenn Harrington

      Paintings © 2018 by Glenn Harrington

      Edited by Lee Titus Elliott

      Printed in Korea

      ISBN

      978-1-945507-94-6

      Dedications

      For Brother John and all my brothers of Mepkin Abbey

      A. T.

      For Mepkin Abbey, a profoundly beautiful place to be still

      and experience the magnificent handiwork of God.

      G. H.

      Preface

      I will never forget the day that he came striding into my gothic office in the Duke University Chapel.

      That day I encountered one of God’s most curious, surprising, and challenging creations—

      Augie Turak. Intense yet warm, disarmingly direct but unthreatening, both reflective and

      passionate. I’ve met many people over the years; very few are as unforgettable.

      In a few minutes, I heard how Augie, while earning a college degree, had recklessly read

      himself into the wisdom of Plato, Aristotle, Aquinas, Pascal, St. John of the Cross, Huang Po,

      and anybody else who might help him get to the bottom of life’s meaning and purpose.

      Later, even as a businessman and successful entrepreneur, Augie had never abandoned his

      quest for Plato’s life worth living. Now he told me he felt called to pass on what he had

      learned to college students so they wouldn’t “get college but miss wisdom.”

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      Soon, Augie organized the Self Knowledge Symposium (SKS) to help students “learn how to live a life of

      meaning and purpose.” From North Carolina State University, to Duke University, to the University of

      North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the SKS student groups spread like wildfire. One of the most memorable

      teaching experiences of my life was spending an evening with Augie’s SKS students at the University of

      North Carolina. My speaking invitation read: “Share what you have learned about life and God.” A few

      months later, three hundred students listened attentively, and then eagerly bombarded me with questions

      for the next three hours. At eleven o’clock I finally pled, “I’ve got to go home. I’m too old for this much

      intellectual intensity!”

      The SKS student groups were the organizational embodiment of Augie’s character: Socrates on steroids.

      Now we will meet Brother John: the Trappist monk who spiritually takes Augie by the hand during the

      most difficult time of his life; the friend and teacher who leads him on the journey to God and self that

      he could never have made on his own. It is Brother John who finally reveals the secret to the meaningful

      life that Augie had been searching for all his life.

      Augie loves to be born again, and then again, in his constant quest for fresh, life-changing truth. He was

      therefore a perfect student for the best of teachers. Now in the same spirit that sent him to my office over

      twenty years ago, Augie feels called to share this wisdom with you. From Brother John, Augie learned:

      “We must commit to facing our doubts, limitations, and self-contradictions head-on while holding on to

      this voice of eternity.” In the eternal silence of Mepkin Abby, Augie heard the still, small voice that leads

      us all toward eternal truth. I believe that God was in it.

      Kathleen Norris, in her memoir, The Cloister Walk, gave us one of the most appreciative and informative

      looks at the special gifts of monastic life. Now, with Brother John, August Turak does the same.

      This is a beautiful book beautifully illustrated by Glenn Harrington about a restless, ever-seeking mind

      under the influence of a beautiful man of God. Augie was dramatically changed by his encounter with

      Brother John, I’m sure that you will be, too.

      —Will Willimon

      Dr. Willimon, the former Dean of the Duke University Chapel, is a theologian and bishop in the United Methodist Church.

      He is currently Professor of the Practice of Christian Ministry at Duke Divinity School.

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      Introduction

      In 2004, a former student urged me to enter the John Templeton Foundation “Power of Purpose”

      Essay Contest. Answering the question, “What is the Purpose of Life?” in 3,500 words or less was

      daunting enough, but I quickly discovered that I was also a novice writer going up against thousands

      of professionals and previously published material. And just to keep it interesting, by the time I heard

      about the year-long contest, the deadline was a mere ten days away.

      I wasted several days writing furiously and getting nowhere. Then another former student came to

      my rescue: “Why don’t you just write up that story about Brother John and his magical umbrella

      that you love telling so much?” One week later, and only hours before the deadline, I hit “send” and

      submitted my essay. I was proud of Brother John. While I was quite certain I would not win the contest,

      I felt I had, almost accidentally, finally said something important about