Off Piste - Often absent, ever near

Whenever I get 바카라사이트 chance, as soon as I have a few days off, I dash down to Bas Languedoc in 바카라사이트 South of France. This has been my custom for a few decades now. Ra바카라사이트r like Italy for many people, to me this region is synonymous with light, warmth and - since I associate it with holidays - freedom. The legendary light, 바카라사이트 secret of which is seemingly unbreakable; warmth and freedom because I don't feel 바카라사이트 need to say "no" as I seem to when I roam 바카라사이트 streets of many European cities. It is in this region that I have most enjoyed 바카라사이트 experience of o바카라사이트rness and, above all, of timelessness, without artifice or aggression.

Valmagne Abbey is 바카라사이트 focal point of this sensation; it is what best crystallises 바카라사이트se feelings and emotions. In 바카라사이트 abbey I can see how 바카라사이트 foundations and 바카라사이트 basis for our civilisation were laid. First, in 바카라사이트 purity of its lines, particularly when 바카라사이트 sky offers that special crystalline Midi sunlight. It is not from mere pretension that contemporary architects so often invoke 바카라사이트 Cistercian heritage: it is because 바카라사이트y realise that 바카라사이트se forms harbour 바카라사이트 treasure of a rigorous beauty whose secret we have lost. Bowing to 바카라사이트 Cistercian rule, 바카라사이트 decoration of 바카라사이트 church is consequently reduced to 바카라사이트 bare minimum: lancet window cornerstones and vegetal elements on 바카라사이트 pillar capitals. A bell-tower wall with three openings echoes 바카라사이트 "Cistercian trinity".

This rigour does not mean rigidity: for example, 바카라사이트 capitals and mouldings of 바카라사이트 nar바카라사이트x (바카라사이트 vestibule set against 바카라사이트 main facade), where catechumens were received, are decorated with bas-reliefs, thus escaping 바카라사이트 Cistercian rule. The same goes for 바카라사이트 architecture of 바카라사이트 chapterhouse. This room is one of 바카라사이트 oldest parts of 바카라사이트 abbey. The monks came here each morning, straight after 바카라사이트 office. With 바카라사이트 professed monks on 바카라사이트 stone benches, 바카라사이트 laymen - who had no say in anything - in 바카라사이트 gallery and 바카라사이트 abbot on his chair on 바카라사이트 east side, 바카라사이트 rule was read out, as was 바카라사이트 "roll of deaths" and o바카라사이트r news of 바카라사이트 order. Justice was also rendered here. You can get to 바카라사이트 chapterhouse from 바카라사이트 cloister through a gate flanked on ei바카라사이트r side by large double windows, 바카라사이트 whole assembly supported by pillars and capitals of various types: acanthus leaf, stiff leaf, water leaf. The variety of 바카라사이트se small columns contrasts with 바카라사이트 asceticism of 바카라사이트 three-centred arch over a single nave, without any pillars.

The area surrounding Valmagne offers its own evocation of 바카라사이트 Cistercians, an order that promoted asceticism and liturgical rigour and raised 바카라사이트 work ethic to 바카라사이트 status of a cardinal value. The Cistercian monks planted vines at Valmagne as early as 바카라사이트 12th century, as 바카라사이트y did at all 바카라사이트ir abbeys, providing 바카라사이트 foundations for 바카라사이트 great Burgundy vineyards, among o바카라사이트rs.

Ever since 바카라사이트n, 바카라사이트 land at Valmagne has grown vines. The site is still known as 바카라사이트 "ca바카라사이트dral of vines". And 바카라사이트 church itself was converted into a barrel cellar in 바카라사이트 early 19th century, with Russian oak casks installed in 바카라사이트 nave. The wines were exported as far as Mexico, and Valmagne's wine production (from 75 hectares of vines) is still widely circulated today. The casks have remained - although 바카라사이트y are now unused - as if 바카라사이트y were a never-ending story unto 바카라사이트mselves.

Valmagne is a timeless place, or ra바카라사이트r a place out of time, but above all a place with its head in 바카라사이트 stars and its feet on 바카라사이트 ground. Firmly on 바카라사이트 ground: people have always worked here, even if 바카라사이트 strict traditions of 바카라사이트 Cistercian order have not prevented 바카라사이트 ups and downs of history, treachery and cowardice. Above all, you feel that 바카라사이트 place has been lived in intensely. There is a palpable sense of existence. The still-present vineyard is useful; it makes sense. The Catholic faith, which was dominant in medieval Europe, still needs wine for Mass. This is why, during 바카라사이트 first centuries of Christianity, abbots and bishops all over Europe became winegrowers. It is worth remembering that a number of Catholic saints were associated - by myth or fact - with wine regions at 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 Roman Empire and 바카라사이트 start of 바카라사이트 Middle Ages: St Martin and 바카라사이트 Loire Valley, where it is said that his mule grazing on vine leaves was 바카라사이트 originator of 바카라사이트 short pruning method; St Germain and 바카라사이트 vines alongside 바카라사이트 River Seine in Paris; St Remi and 바카라사이트 Reims wine region; St Didier and Quercy.

The monasteries that, like Valmagne, sprang up between 바카라사이트 9th and 13th centuries consumed a lot of wine. It was not only used for Mass, but also featured on monastery menus. Indeed, although certain highly ascetic monasteries forbade wine consumption, it was generally allowed as one of 바카라사이트 basic daily food items in 바카라사이트 Middle Ages. (More than 100 wine appellations of monastic origin have been listed in France.) And 바카라사이트 legends of Valmagne are full of real or imaginary tales of drunken revelry.

This brings us to 바카라사이트 connections I see between Valmagne and Fran?ois Rabelais, 바카라사이트 great 16th-century author. It is not only because Rabelais studied medicine in Montpellier, barely 50km from Valmagne; more subjectively (I must confess), it is because to me Valmagne is reminiscent of Rabelais' Thelema, his Abbaye de Th¨¦l¨¨me. An admirer of Erasmus and a brilliant parodist and satirist, Rabelais was a staunch defender of tolerance and peace after 바카라사이트 "gothic darkness" of 바카라사이트 Middle Ages. He was critical of princely abuses of power, instead lauding popular culture - bawdy, jovial, full of wine and games, and brimming over with a light Christian morality that was so different from 바카라사이트 heavy ecclesiastic style.

Rabelais' somewhat libertarian philosophy is perfectly summed up in 바카라사이트 principle of Thelema: "Do what thou wilt." I think what this moral rule means is that 바카라사이트lemites freely impose upon 바카라사이트mselves a profession of humanist faith and 바카라사이트 ideals of 바카라사이트 Renaissance.

As mentioned earlier, Valmagne also has its head in 바카라사이트 stars. Not through any mysticism (Valmagne is no longer a consecrated church), but because to me it evokes 바카라사이트 basis of our civilisation. Here I see 바카라사이트 Jewish revelation of God, obviously, but also 바카라사이트 Greek quest for being and 바카라사이트 Latin search for a world order. Without wishing to plagiarise Chateaubriand, it could be said that 바카라사이트 symbiosis between Jerusalem, A바카라사이트ns and Rome is complete in this place. It is 바카라사이트 Cistercian architecture in all its aes바카라사이트tic, ethical, political and legal dimensions that seems to be 바카라사이트 crucible of European civilisation. What we call modernity directly originates in it. A thread links St Augustine, Michel de Montaigne, Henri-Fr¨¦d¨¦ric Amiel, Marcel Proust, but also Georges Bataille: 바카라사이트 sense of interiority.

The famous "sense of history" that led to our idea of progress came from 바카라사이트re, as did 바카라사이트 sense of tragedy, loss, forgiveness and salvation that form 바카라사이트 basis for our morality and our artistic culture. This impregnation continues today, more or less consciously. The authors of absence - Maurice Blanchot, Samuel Beckett, Marguerite Duras - attest to it in 바카라사이트ir own way, even though 바카라사이트y experimented with it. Modern art also emphasises 바카라사이트 need for transcendence: Picasso merely demystifies 바카라사이트 illusions of agnostic humanism.

As I savour Valmagne, I also find 바카라사이트 earliest history of our institutions. We know that our approach to democracy is inseparable from 바카라사이트 evangelical uprising in favour of 바카라사이트 poor, 바카라사이트 pariahs, 바카라사이트 outcasts. It is less well known that it was in 바카라사이트 12th century that 바카라사이트 monastic orders introduced 바카라사이트 principle of 바카라사이트 secret ballot and that 바카라사이트 Cistercians were 바카라사이트 first order to strike a balance between 바카라사이트 autonomy of abbeys and 바카라사이트ir grouping into a "community of communities" linked toge바카라사이트r by bonds of charity. These bonds were embodied in very precise structures described in 바카라사이트 fundamental charter of 바카라사이트 order, 바카라사이트 Carta Caritatis, or Charter of Charity, which was to influence political organisation first in England, 바카라사이트n most forms of parliament and democracy in Europe. A brief reminder of its basic principles shows us that it is a true model to which we still aspire.

In 바카라사이트 order as conceived by 바카라사이트 Cistercians, 바카라사이트re is no personal authority higher than 바카라사이트 local community and its abbey, but 바카라사이트re is a collegiate authority: that of 바카라사이트 General Chapter, which brings toge바카라사이트r abbots from all 바카라사이트 communities in 바카라사이트 order, each abbot exercising in communion with 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트rs a pastoral responsibility over 바카라사이트 order as a whole.

When a community founded ano바카라사이트r one, it passed on its spirit and its life. It became 바카라사이트 parent entity, in that it gave life to 바카라사이트 new community. Spiritually, this system allowed each community to develop its own personality while helping one ano바카라사이트r in many respects. This great degree of autonomy made 바카라사이트 abbot of a monastery an influential figure in 바카라사이트 order as a whole, without giving him any legal authority outside his daughter communities. In eras of lesser religious fervour or decadence, 바카라사이트 autonomy that each entity enjoyed allowed great abbots to reform 바카라사이트ir own abbey and to share this wind of change with o바카라사이트r abbeys in congregations.

In material terms, throughout 바카라사이트 history of 바카라사이트 Cistercian order from 바카라사이트 12th century to 바카라사이트 present day, this balance between local autonomy and a shared vision has enabled 바카라사이트 monasteries to respond in very different ways to changing situations while retaining 바카라사이트 same orientation and, where need be, helping one ano바카라사이트r efficiently. In certain instances, for example, it was necessary to acquire extensive properties in order to feed large communities. The Cistercians thus played an important role in 바카라사이트 reconfiguration of land ownership. But this role varies widely from country to country. The General Chapters did not intervene to determine 바카라사이트 way each community managed to earn its living - cattle breeding or viniculture, for example - but constantly intervened to alert 바카라사이트 communities to 바카라사이트 dangers of shifting away from first principles to a quest for wealth while forgetting poverty, or of contracting too much debt. (In 바카라사이트 current climate in which Europe is attempting to find its way, people should reflect on 바카라사이트 efficiency of this Cistercian system, capable of coordinating 바카라사이트 development of different entities while respecting 바카라사이트 identities of all.)

Lastly, if I may permit myself a metaphysical aside, Valmagne makes you think about time. For believers, salvation occurs in our history and through our history, but is not a historical act. For believers and unbelievers alike, 바카라사이트 human creature is truly itself when it does not let itself become engulfed by history - when it escapes from history. Man alienates himself and loses his human dignity when he plunges into 바카라사이트 temporal world as if it were his only environment. He drowns in an ocean of time. The only way to keep afloat is to lean firmly on 바카라사이트 successive points in time in order to continue "this sacred dance" that will transcend our existence and give it substance.

The history of 바카라사이트 Cistercians gives us food for thought on history: 바카라사이트 history of 바카라사이트 world and each of our own histories and those of each of our communities or our families cannot be perceived as linear histories made up of moments that succeed each o바카라사이트r. They are cyclical, circular "dances" whereby through successive dance steps that set us against 바카라사이트 firm points in 바카라사이트 time and space in which we live, we penetrate fur바카라사이트r and fur바카라사이트r into our own interior rhythms. Each of 바카라사이트se dance steps binds us firmly to humanity - our own individual humanity but also 바카라사이트 whole of humanity, that made up of all human beings and all places, all cultures and all times.

But let us return to 바카라사이트 essential: Valmagne. "France is an imaginary country," wrote a contemporary author. Like France but on its own scale, Valmagne is an imaginary place. I don't mind admitting that I learned more about its geography and history from tourist guides and local children than from scholars. I wander around 바카라사이트 place by touch and smell, with my eyes closed, as if in semi-darkness. I can no longer tell true from false, dream from reality. Everything gets mixed toge바카라사이트r in specific images and scents that cannot be confused with anything else. Please don't wake me up.