Monks Question: How rigid are monastic vows of silence? Answer: In our clamorous world the peace and quiet of the monastery can be appealing. Some even accept paying guests who just want to get away from it all for a few days. But how do the monks who live there permanently bring it off when silence is not just a sometime thing? Amazingly they do keep the silence, a rule that generally brings only minor punishment when broken because it is almost always faithfully observed. It's not absolute silence. They can reply to superiors when addressed by them and can speak to guests. They also sing hymns and pray out loud. But they can't converse with each other. When it's necessary to communicate, they use sign language.