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'''Novice''' ([[Church Slavonic|Slavonic]]: послушник, ''poslushnik''; Greek: δόκιμος, ''dokimos''), lit. "one under obedience"— Those wishing to join a monastery begin their lives as novices. After coming to the monastery and living as a guest for not less than three days, the abbot or abbess may bless the candidate to become a novice. There is no formal ceremony for the clothing of a novice, he or she simply receives permission to wear the clothing of a novice. In the Eastern monastic tradition, novices may or may not dress in the black inner cassock (Greek: ''Anterion'', ''Eisorasson''; Slavonic: ''Podriasnik'') and wear the soft monastic hat (Greek: ''[[SkoufosSkouphos]]'', Slavonic: ''Skufia''), depending on the tradition of the local community, and in accordance to the abbot’s directives. The inner-cassock and the skoufos are the first part of the Orthodox monastic habit. In some communities, the novice also wears the leather belt. He is also given a [[prayer rope]] and instructed in the use of the [[Jesus Prayer]].

After the ceremony, the newly-tonsured Stavrophore will remain in [[vigil]] in the church for five days, refraining from all work, except spiritual reading. The abbot increases the Stavrophore monk’s [[prayer rule]], allows a more strict personal ascetic practice, and gives the monk more responsibility.

'''Great Schema''' (Greek: Μεγάλο Σχήμα - ''Megaloschemos'', Slavonic: Схима, ''Schima'') — Monks In the Russian tradition, monks whose abbot feels they have reached a high level of spiritual excellence reach the final stage, called the Great Schema. The tonsure of a ''Schemamonk'' or ''Schemanun'' follows the same format as the Stavrophore, and he makes the same vows and is tonsured in the same manner. But in addition to all the garments worn by the Stavrophore, he is given the ''analavos'' (Slavonic: ''analav'') which is the article of monastic vesture emblematic of the Great Schema. For this reason, the analavos itself is sometimes itself called the "Great Schema". It drapes over the shoulders and hangs down in front and in back, with the front portion somewhat longer, and is embroidered with the instruments of the Passion and the [[Trisagion]]. The Greek form does not have a hood, the Slavic form has a hood and lappets on the shoulders, so that the garment forms a large cross covering the monk's shoulders, chest, and back. Another piece added is the ''Polystavrion'' or "Many Crosses", which consists of a cord with a number of small crosses plaited into it. The polystavrion forms a yoke around the monk and serves to hold the analavos in place and reminds the monastic that he is bound to Christ and that his arms are no longer fit for worldly activities, but that he must labor only for the [[Kingdom of Heaven]]. Among the Greeks, the mantle is added at this stage. The paramandyas of the Megaloschemos is larger than that of the Stavrophore, and if he wears the klobuk, it is of a distinctive thimble shape, called a koukoulion'', the veil of which is usually embroidered with crosses.

In some monastic traditions the Great Schema is only given to monks and nuns on their death bed, while in others they may be elevated after as little as 25 years of service. In the Greek tradition, the Great Schema is not looked upon as a major elevation but rather as having come to the full practice of monasticism, and so a monastery may be filled with monastics of the Great Schema.