I was just wondering what Western Monastic order has a way of closest to that of the Eastern Monastic Tradition?

The Benedictine.

Fr David Straut

Also, the Carmelites come to mind, link. But I've always admired the Carthusians, link: their liturgical piety especially resonates with mine; see Statutes of the Order.

Dear friends,

I agree with Fr. Straut that the Benedictine Rule comes closest as St Benedict the Great drew on the Eastern monastic well-springs in formulating his Rule and strongly recommended the reading of the Rules of St Basil and the Conferences of St John Cassian!

The Benedictine Rule is the only monastic Rule in the West that is fully approved by the Orthodox Church.

The early hermits of Mount Carmel were Greek but they followed no rule and were given one by St Albert of Jerusalem. A number of Eastern-inspired elements remain with the discalced Carmelites, the scapular has been interpreted to be a symbol of the Protective Mantle of the Mother of God and the vision of St Simon Stock in Aylesford, England is said to have come about at the moment when the other religious Orders there were considering having the Hermits of Mt. Carmel ejected as an "Eastern monastic movement." Certainly, the original icon of the Carmelite Theotokos in Rome that was brought by the Carmelites there is an Eastern Orthodox icon (the scapular in the hand of the Mother of God was added by an artist much later).

The modern Carmelite Rule is a reflection of the Augustinian Rule, if I'm not mistaken (?).

The Benedictine monastery of Chevetogne (which is very highly regarded by so many in the Eastern Orthodox Churches) is a bi-ritual monastery where Benedictine monks fully practice the Byzantine-Slavonic Rite and traditions (they were recently applauded by a delegation from the Moscow Patriarchate and the Russian Orthodox press for their work).

Alex