A person who has dedicated his life to spiritual perfection is called an ascetic. The word "ascetic" in Greek means "practicing in something." Initially, the preparation of athletes for competitions was meant, then it was believed that asceticism is the desire for a virtuous life, the struggle against bad habits and vices.
The essence of asceticism
An ascetic differs from a person who lives a spiritual life, but at the same time is married and does not seek to escape from worldly goods, in that he renounces any kind of property and does not enter into marital relations. In a word, a hermit. Asceticism is an exceptionally strict, abstemious 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 his own moral perfection or the good of other people. The ascetic is ready to endure spiritual trials, experience physical suffering and endure material hardships for this.
Asceticism inphilosophy
Asceticism is inherent in the philosophy of the Stoics. The apostle Paul preached it. Asceticism is a moral principle that affirms the superiority of the spirit over the flesh and requires the limitation of sensual pleasures. This direction of philosophy was characteristic of several schools that proclaimed the freedom of the spirit from desires. Asceticism became widespread in various religious movements. Christian asceticism had as its goal the pacification and mortification of man's sensual desires. This meant not only sexual abstinence, but also the renunciation of the pleasures delivered by hearing and taste sensations, contemplation, and so on.
Categories of persons who need asceticism
Asceticism is a special state of mind in which a person strives to know God. It is difficult for such people to live in the ordinary world; they are destined from birth for the life of an ascetic. Asceticism is also necessary for that category of people who strive to know the truth, but the predominance of sensual desires and the lack of faith prevent them from achieving what they want. For such people, asceticism is an opportunity to know the truth.
They cannot 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 make their wives unhappy.
The philosophy of asceticism is a protest of the higher "I" of a person against the predominance of sensual desires over him. To subdue your body (mental and physical)will, a whole series of special exercises are needed that are contrary to the desires of the flesh.
So, asceticism is a means for subordinating one's flesh to the higher "I" of a person in the interests of spiritual development. And if a person was able to reach such a state and gained power over his passions, then he can live in ordinary life conditions without fear that desires will conquer his spirit. Many holy ascetics did just that - 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 measure his abilities, so that these feats are feasible and do not lead to the opposite results.
