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