Logo - Feel The Words

Monk Quotes

On meditation, discipline, and the pull toward stillness.

These monk quotes explore years of meditation and study, including time spent learning from a Zen teacher, reflecting a deep Spirituality practice.

I'm not an acting monk or anything. I'm not, like, the most well-adjusted actor.

Quotes by Adam Driver

I'm a lapsed Zen Buddhist. I've read hundreds of books on Zen, I meditated daily for about fifteen years, and once spent a month studying with Vietnamese Zen monk Thich Nhat Hanh.

Quotes by Will McIntosh

I'm like the Shaolin monk, the counselor in the clubhouse.

Quotes by Torii Hunter

I try to do other characters that are different from Monk, obviously, because I'd like to be remembered for more than just that.

Quotes by Tony Shalhoub

Discipline Quotes

I have tons of jazz records: John Coltrane, Thelonious Monk, Miles Davis. I could go on and on.

Quotes by Ted King

I was spoiled by Monk's music because it was so good, so complete.

Quotes by Steve Lacy

You can't live like a monk if you have two five-year-old twins. That ain't happening. Just the opposite, actually.

Quotes by Scott Ellis

In my 20s, I was a monk. I was obsessed with theatre, not being famous, not with television. I was 20 years on the stage before I set foot in front of a camera.

Quotes by Saul Rubinek

So, at the age of nine, I became a monk, and from then on I was there practicing that kind of nonviolence.

Quotes by Satish Kumar

Emotion Quotes

Rock & roll fan that I am, Thelonious Monk is probably my favorite musical artist.

Quotes by Robert Christgau

I think I would like to be a monk. I really considered Catholicism a few years ago, but there were some things that I just couldn't reconcile.

Quotes by Rich Mullins

I loved working on 'Murphy Brown,' and I loved working on 'Monk.'

Quotes by Nell Scovell

I'm like a monk with a taste for hookers.

Quotes by Moby

He was seriously thinking of becoming a monk. He thought he had to be celibate to maintain the purity of his instrument, but my instrument needed tuning, and we had to split.

Quotes by Mimi Rogers

Peace Quotes

Thelonious Sphere Monk: there's not a more perfect name to fit his compositions than that name.

Quotes by Matthew Shipp

I turned into a monk when my mother went to learn Buddhism in Burma. While she learnt at the monastery, I used to roam around with a begging bowl and ask for food.

Quotes by Kabir Bedi

My imagination is a monastery and I am its monk.

John Keats

Miles Davis and Felonious Monk, they're both great artists who enhance things.

Quotes by John Gourley

'Monk' planted the seed that a procedural could have character and be quirky and have comedy.

Quotes by James Roday

Spirituality Quotes

Being on Broadway is the modern equivalent of being a monk. I sleep a lot, eat a lot, and rest a lot.

Quotes by Hugh Jackman

Frequently Asked Questions

What personal spiritual practice involving a monk is described in these quotes?
One quote describes being a lapsed Zen Buddhist who read hundreds of books on Zen, meditated daily for about fifteen years, and once studied with Vietnamese Zen monk Thich Nhat Hanh. Related ideas appear in Spirituality quotes.
How does one quote use "monk" as a role comparison?
It compares being "like the Shaolin monk, the counselor in the clubhouse," using the monk image to describe a calming, advisory role.
What acting concern about playing "Monk" appears in these quotes?
One quote expresses wanting to try other characters different from Monk, hoping to be remembered for more than just that one role.
What shows are mentioned alongside "Monk" in these quotes?
One quote mentions loving both working on "Murphy Brown" and working on "Monk."
Do these quotes use "monk" only in a spiritual sense?
No - the word spans an actual Zen teacher, a metaphorical role comparison, and the title character of a TV show, showing several different uses.

Others come from actors reflecting on playing monk-like or disciplined characters on screen. Explore more in our Discipline and Peace quotes.