On a cliff edge for a thousand years! Wading through this morning’s internet jumble of news, opinions, and ads, I came across this piece and thought it worth sharing:

The ancient monastery hanging from the side of a cliff

Sumela Monastery, Trabzon, Turkey

There are more of these cliffhangers: Ten Isolated, Gravity-Defying Monasteries You Can Visit Around the World

Also Panagia Hozoviotissa, on the island of Amorgos, Cyclades

How did these largely monastic cultures find the tools to defy gravity and survive for centuries in such perilous environments? Is the search for spiritual enlightenment the only explanation — or are there lessons here for balancing our own wellbeing, our climate, social and geopolitical unrest, AI, and the general sense of teetering on the cliff edge of our times?

A closer look at how these monks problem-solved, designed, and responded to the challenges they faced may well be a starting point…