The thing I see though Kolo is while I do agree it is quite different in many ways, by deprivation and seclusion many of the Holy men of Buddhism, Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism came up with "Experiences" which they called connection with God (or Nirvana or whatever higher reality than themselves that they saw). Your monks may be in the same situation and the only way to determine that they are not is through careful comparison of their findings with Scripture.
"The thing I see though Kolo is while I do agree it is quite different in many ways, by deprivation and seclusion many of the Holy men of Buddhism, Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism came up with "Experiences" which they called connection with God (or Nirvana or whatever higher reality than themselves that they saw)."
The ascetical practices of monastics, Christian or otherwise, have been at base well established for thousands of years. Man is hardwired for those practices. We were created that way, Blogger. When you look at pre-Christian, non Jewish forms of ascetisism, what you see is evidence of the "sporoi", the seeds, of the True Faith which are and likely always have been in man as part of the image of God in which we were created. There is quite a catelogue of these sporoi and they have been recognized by The Church from the beginning. The Greeks, the Buddhists, the Hindus, the Egyptians all had notions, in some instances quite specific notions, of a "One" which transcends existence and which created everything including existence. Now we cannot say that these notions, while they might have influenced the spread of Christianity and even some of the praxis of both Christianity and Judaism, lead to theosis, nor, for that matter can we say they do not because the Spirit goes where He will. We can say, because we have 2000 years of experience with Christian monasticism, that Christian ascetical practices as observed and lived out in monasteries, does often result in great holiness. For 2000 years, B, The Church has compared the fruit of monastic lives against scripture and found it pleasing and in conformance with what one would expect, scripturally, to find.
Since the Reformation, for whatever reason, "Protestantism" has rejcted monasticism as a general proposition. But in terms of The Church, let alone in terms of human experience, that is really quite new and innovative. Are you aware of any Protestant efforts to compare monasticism and the spirtual fruits thereof with scripture? I don't mean the anti-monastic fulminations of politicians eager to seize monastic lands and assets but rather more precisely what you have said you would have to see.
I would think constant prayer and attention to God and giving up worldly possesions is quite scriptural. As for preserving and spreading the faith, I think Monastics have accomplished a great deal. The Desert Fathers and Mt. Athos come to mind but there are many more.
Shutting down the monasteries was a great loss for the Reformers. They lost a large part of the heart of their religion, IMHO. Making their Christianity more intellectual and rational, if you will, was a move in the wrong direction I believe.