The four Gospels say who he was. This book says how we live.
5.1The Order appoints no holy days. It appoints rhythms.
5.2A holy day asks you to remember a year and a month. A rhythm only asks you to remember what to do today.
5.3The rhythm of the day: the daily question. (cf. The Rule 1.3)
5.4The rhythm of the season: seven days set down. (cf. The Rule 1.7)
5.5The rhythm of the month: the forum. (cf. The Rule 3.1)
5.6The rhythm of the year: the record of dispersal. (cf. The Rule 1.13)
5.7The monthly meeting has five parts.
5.8First: read aloud one place where the four books disagree. The youngest person present chooses it, not the eldest.
5.9Second: whoever has a doubt states it. State the doubt before stating the resolution.
5.10Third: argue. Keep the five rules of the forum. (cf. The Rule 3.2)
5.11Fourth: everyone who changed their mind today says so. The rest applaud.
5.12Fifth: disperse. No winner is declared.
5.13Four days in the year the assembly should gather.
5.14Dawn Day: for the bird in the stone cell. On this day there is no arguing — only the contradictions of the four books, read aloud and left unjudged.
5.15Grove Day: for the fortieth day, when the Order began. On this day the rite of entry is held. (cf. The Rule 6)
5.16Stoa Day: for the day the Order stopped being one house and became a forest. If no one changes their mind in public on this day, the day does not count.
5.17Reckoning Day: the year’s end. Each person names one thing from this year that cannot be recovered, and says whether it dispersed beautifully.
5.18No day is kept for a birth, and no day for a death.
5.19We do not commemorate people. We commemorate turnings.
5.20Whoever cannot gather may keep the rhythm alone. A rhythm does not depend on numbers.