Austerity is the path to knowledge of truth

The person who dedicated his life to spiritual perfection is called an ascetic. The word "ascetic" in Greek means "exercising in something". Originally meant the preparation of athletes for competitions, then believed that asceticism was the pursuit of a virtuous life, the struggle with bad habits and vices.

The essence of asceticism

The ascetic is different from the person who lives a spiritual life, but is married and does not seek to escape from the worldly goods, by the fact that he renounces any kind of property and does not enter into a marriage relationship. In a word, a hermit. Austerity is an extremely strict, restrained way of life, in which a person engages exclusively in spiritual exercises that are inaccessible to the understanding of worldly people.

The main purpose of an ascetic is to achieve one's own moral perfection or the good of others. The ascetic is prepared to endure spiritual trials for this, to suffer physical suffering and to endure material deprivation.

Asceticism in Philosophy

Austerity is inherent in the Stoic philosophy. It was preached by the Apostle Paul. Asceticism is a moral principle that affirms the superiority of the spirit over the flesh and requires the restriction of sensual pleasures. This direction of philosophy was characteristic of several schools, which proclaimed freedom of the spirit from desires. A wide spread of asceticism was received in various religious movements. Christian asceticism had as its goal the suppression and mortification of man's sensual desires. It was not only sexual abstinence, but also renunciation of pleasures delivered by auditory and taste sensations, contemplation, and so on.

Categories of persons who need asceticism

Austerity is a special state of mind in which one seeks to know God. Such people find it difficult to live in the ordinary world, they are from birth intended for the life of the ascetic. Asceticism is also needed for those who seek to know the truth, but the predominance of sensual desires and the lack of faith prevent them from achieving the desired. For such people, asceticism is an opportunity to know the truth.

They can not be happy in the world, in ordinary life conditions, their restless, restless spirit needs asceticism. For example, if they are married, they themselves suffer in family life, and their wives are made unhappy.

The philosophy of asceticism is the protest of the higher self of man against the predominance of sensual desires over him. To subordinate your body (mental and physical) to the will, you need a whole series of special exercises that are contrary to the desires of the flesh.

Hence, asceticism is a means to subordinate its flesh to the higher self of man in the interests of spiritual development. And if a person could reach such a state and gain control over his passions, he can live in normal living conditions, without fearing that desires will defeat his spirit. Many holy ascetics did just this - they lived among people as preachers of the truth.

The path of asceticism is the path of reasoning about one's exploits. And this path is necessary for a person to realize and balance his capabilities, so that these feats are feasible and do not lead to the opposite results.