What is asceticism in simple words?

Updated July 22, 2022 294 Author: Dmitry Petrov
Hello, dear readers of the KtoNaNovenkogo.ru blog.

We all understand that any religion, philosophy (how is that?) or a special way of life is a system of certain doctrines, laws, rules and regulations.

Some of them explain, resolve or recommend something, while others categorically refute or prohibit. If we turn to different spheres of social life, then in many there is such a concept as asceticism.

Today I propose to understand the meaning of this term and reveal not only its religious and philosophical meaning, but also the nuances of its use in a secular environment.

History of asceticism

For example, the pathos of the Christian Reformation is a call for discipline of the mind, will and affections. Is this call alien to science? The English chemist Boyle saw the religious application of science in attracting the mind of the researcher to the fight against sensual passions. For thousands of years, people have gravitated towards the unknown, looking in it for answers to questions that concern them - who we are, where we came from and where we are going, what lies beyond the unknown, is there something after death, and if so, what will be the reward in this life?

What is asceticism?

Asceticism is a system of principles of behavior based on the renunciation of goods and pleasures for the purpose of moral improvement and religious elevation. In one form or another, asceticism is present in almost all religions of the world, and various beliefs claim that with its help you can comprehend the truth or discover new abilities in yourself.

The terms “asceticism” and “asceticism” are derived from the Greek word ἄσκησις (askesis), which is translated as “exercise”, but in a narrower sense can be translated as “training of the mind and will.”

Despite the wide variety of ascetic practices, almost all of them come down to discipline and limiting oneself in pleasures and satisfying basic needs. This usually involves voluntary renunciation of such benefits as:

the opportunity to fully satisfy hunger;
consumption of any types of alcohol;
sex and other carnal pleasures;
financial wealth;
comfortable living conditions;
using tools to make life easier;
various entertainments and celebrations.

A person who has chosen an ascetic lifestyle is called an ascetic. Essentially, he must give up everything he desires. And his only desire should remain spiritual improvement. Some ascetic practices also involve torturing one's body in various ways.

The opposite of asceticism is hedonism - a doctrine that considers pleasure the most important value and meaning of life.

Etymology and

Asceticism is found in both non-theistic and theistic traditions of Indian religions. The origins of this practice are ancient and are a legacy of major Indian religions such as Buddhism, Hinduism and Jainism. Prokhor differed from his peers in his desire for solitude, reading scriptures and attending religious services. Gradually, through prayer, the unknown spiritual world opened up to him in all its beauty. Some explain, allow or recommend something, while others categorically deny or prohibit it. If we turn to various spheres of public life, we will find in many such a concept as asceticism. Ascetic Jewish sects existed in ancient and medieval times. era, primarily the Ezegei and Ebionites. According to Allan Nadler, the two most prominent examples of medieval Jewish asceticism were Havot ha-Levavot and Chasidei Ashkenaz. Pious restraint was part of the dualism and mysticism in these ascetic groups. This voluntary separation from the world was called Perishut, and Jewish society widely accepted this tradition in the late Middle Ages. Extreme forms of asceticism caused opposition or controversy within the Hasidic movement.

Where to start practicing self-discipline?

In psychoanalysis, asceticism is a personal defense mechanism, which manifests itself in the denial and suppression of instincts, and the renunciation of pleasures. The phenomenon is associated with the characteristics of adolescence, when sexual experiences are “extinguished” by self-restraint.

But in adulthood, we get so accustomed to pleasures that we lose the skills of self-discipline. And then we complain about a dozen extra kilos or a “hole” in the budget due to a spontaneous shopping trip. You can make hundreds of promises to yourself to “live in a new way,” but without conscious effort they will lead nowhere.

Self-discipline, like any skill, is a matter of education and practice. So the first thing you can do for yourself right now is to start following the advice of motivational trainers and coaches.

Tip 1. Remember that self-discipline does not make life boring.

It is not restrictions that lead to boredom and dissatisfaction, but extremes. A complete renunciation of pleasure does not lead to happiness in the same way as the every second satisfaction of all desires. The ability to delay gratification for later gain is a trait of a psychologically adult person. So every time you choose a difficult decision instead of an easy one, you strengthen your self-discipline.

Choose one thing that you have the self-discipline to do and do it every day for a month. This way you will decide to gradually plunge into discomfort and begin to enjoy the discomfort.

Take a psychological age test

Tip 2: Establish good financial habits.

Changing your financial behavior, like bad habits, is difficult. If you can’t master financial literacy on your own, you can find a financial mentor. This could be the site of a financier, accountant, or other financial expert. This could be the help of a friend who skillfully balances his income with his expenses.

To get started, install a financial accounting application on your smartphone. In the first two to three months, you can see detailed spending statistics and find out exactly where the money is going.

Tip 3: Practice self-control.

Self-control is like athletics - the more time you spend in training, the more you can do. In order not to go astray, you need to set a goal for yourself and move towards it every day, gradually complicating the tasks. At the same time, you will have to carefully monitor your impulses, which do not help you achieve success. Track but don't follow them.

The best way to self-control is to set a timer for 10-20-30 minutes, during which you will practice (write an article, record a video, blog, meditate).

Tip 4. Approve and accept yourself.

Without a real assessment of your current state, it is impossible to begin to practice self-discipline. At best, you will simply mark time; at worst, you will lose any remaining motivation. For example, if you want to lose weight, you need to start with simple weighing. If you are planning to learn English, take the test and find out what level you are at now.

When you accept yourself, you don't expect instant results. Then, for safe weight loss, for example, set for yourself a realistic period of 6-8 months instead of two weeks.

Tip 5. Don't neglect rest.

Self-control is like a muscle - if you use it constantly, your willpower reserves will quickly become depleted. But if you put an internal taboo on pleasure, rest becomes a duty. The result is even greater fatigue and complete burnout. Psychologists emphasize: rest is a self-sufficient value, a personal resource that needs to be used to your advantage.

Accept the attitude: “to work well, you need to rest well.” Try to rest before you get tired, plan to relax on weekends and on vacation. Decisively change your plans if you have a chance to have a better time than planned.

conclusions:

Asceticism is the teaching of practicing abstinence, self-control and self-discipline.
Asceticism was originally a sports term, later transferred into philosophy, religion and general usage.
To practice secular asceticism you do not need to go to extremes. It’s enough to put your finances in order and improve your self-discipline skills.

Take the test: introvert or extrovert?

Dictionary of the Ozhegov language

Asceticism as a way of life has been taken up by the modern generation of youth. People who have taken the path of abstinence doubt the advisability of asceticism. Reasonable asceticism brings a person tangible benefits that correspond to the meaning for which asceticism is performed. Practical consequences of asceticism: The deserts of the Middle East were once inhabited by thousands of men and women. Christian ascetics, hermits and heremites, including Saint Anthony the Great (aka Saint Anthony the Desert), Saint Mary of Egypt and Saint Simeon the Stylite, known together as the Fathers and Mothers of the Desert. In 963 AD, a union of monasteries called Lavra was created on Mount Athos in the Orthodox tradition. In subsequent centuries it became the most important Orthodox ascetic group. Nowadays, important centers are Mount Athos and Meteora.

Some facts about asceticism

Introduction

Modern civilization is facing a systemic crisis in all areas of culture: in the economic, political and spiritual spheres, in the material and energy means of human existence and society, in ecology. The world, on the one hand, is rushing towards a new world global order, and, on the other hand, the atomization of individuals is everywhere observed, the problem of the “grain of sand” man, the “cog man” arises. In spiritual culture, a crisis of morality is clearly visible; a person ceases to be an individual and completely loses the idea of his high purpose.

All crisis phenomena of modern civilization are closely connected with the anthropological factor, with the inner world of man, with his ideas about himself, about his purpose. The internal crisis of a person is translated into all forms of modern culture.

The decisive factor in overcoming crisis phenomena in the sphere of human existence at all times among many peoples were ascetic practices aimed at harmonizing both the inner world of man and the main cultural spheres.

The ancestor of one of the most ancient ascetic practices is Buddhism. A wide variety of research literature has developed around Buddhism.

Almost all ancient philosophers dealt with the problem of asceticism, starting with the Orphic tradition and Pythagoras and ending with the ascetic tradition of Plotinus. The ideas of asceticism were further developed in the Eastern Christian tradition.

The purpose of this work is to study the concept of asceticism, its origin, types, orientation, consideration of its place in history and the modern world, its practical application. The main task is to consider the connection between asceticism and the service sector, as well as the influence of an ascetic lifestyle on the use of goods and services.

1. Theoretical part. Asceticism: concept, history, types (secular and religious)

1.1 The concept of asceticism. Manifestation of asceticism in everyday life

Asceticism (from the Greek asketes - practicing something; hermit, monk) - limitation and suppression of sensory drives, desires (“mortification of the flesh”) as a means of achieving religious or ethical goals, neglect of the sensory, present world, its belittlement or even denial for the sake of the spiritual, future world. In simple forms, asceticism involves restricting or suppressing sensual desires, voluntarily enduring pain, suffering, etc.; in more radical cases, it requires the renunciation of property, family, etc. to ensure the priority of the spiritual over the material, the desired perfect world over the real world. In addition, asceticism is also a norm of morality (readiness for self-restraint, ability to make sacrifices) in the name of certain social goals. The origins of asceticism are found already in primitive society (where asceticism was determined by the harsh conditions of existence). Asceticism achieved significant development in Eastern religions (Brahmanism, Jainism, Hinduism, Buddhism, ancient Jewish therapeutic sects, Essenes), in the religious and philosophical movements of Ancient Greece (Orphics, Pythagoreans). The motivation for asceticism in various religious and philosophical teachings is different. Thus, the asceticism of the Cynics was determined by their idea of freedom from needs and social connections; in dualistic religious teachings that consider the body and materiality as the “prison of the soul,” asceticism acts as a way to overcome the flesh, liberation from it (especially in Manichaeism). In essence, in an antagonistic society, religious asceticism has a class meaning. The elevation of asceticism to the principle of virtue by the church takes the masses away from the struggle to improve their financial situation and diminishes in their eyes the importance of the property possessed by the ruling classes in an exploitative society.

The most common forms of asceticism: hermitage, fasting, celibacy, various self-tortures. In the era of initial accumulation of capital, bourgeois religions rejected asceticism (primarily as “detachment from the world”), in Protestantism (Lutheranism, Calvinism, Puritanism) the so-called. worldly asceticism, “... the whole secret of which lies in bourgeois frugality” (F. Engels, in the book: K. Marx and F. Engels, Works, 2nd ed., vol. 7, p. 378). Completely different in social meaning was plebeian and proletarian asceticism, which “... we find in all medieval uprisings that had a religious overtones, and in modern times at the initial stage of every proletarian movement” - this asceticism was a protest against the exploitative system. The preaching of asceticism by the ideologists of the early revolutionary peasant movements was associated with the demand for property equality, with the struggle against the luxury of the ruling classes. With the development of productive forces and the growth of revolutionary spirit, the proletariat is gradually freed from religious-ascetic ideology; Plebeian-proletarian asceticism, insofar as it remains religious, degenerates into petty-bourgeois ideology and is supported mainly in sectarianism. The preaching of asceticism, which is carried out by sectarian elements in the revolutionary movement of some countries, characterized by a particularly low standard of living of the population, is contrary to communist morality. Paying tribute to revolutionary dedication, perseverance and heroism in the struggle for social progress, for communism, Marxist-Leninist ethics rejects attempts to belittle the value of earthly life, to ignore the task of achieving full satisfaction of the spiritual and material needs of the individual on the basis of socialism and communism. Asceticism is deeply alien to communist ideology, which aims at the comprehensive and harmonious development of man.

So, we conclude that asceticism is:

· moderation in everything, whether it concerns eating, making a wardrobe or distributing the family budget.

· the ability to make do with little (primarily in everyday life), without feeling disadvantaged.

· sincere willingness to share with those in need what a person has.

· receiving joy not from the process of acquisitiveness, but from the process of self-improvement.

· ability to control one’s own emotions.

· a way of life in which the external is sacrificed to the internal.

In everyday life, asceticism manifests itself in the following:

· Life A person who prefers good books or traveling to buying expensive furniture shows himself to be an ascetic.

· Relationships with people. A person who enjoys even little things is much easier to build relationships with people - people are drawn to optimists.

· Religion. In Christianity, asceticism is revered as one of the main human virtues.

· Optimism. An ascetic person is happy with little, satisfied with life, and therefore calm and optimistic. Not every optimist is an ascetic, but every ascetic is certainly an optimist.

1.2 Religious asceticism: concept and main forms

Most researchers recognize that all religions, to one degree or another, use the practice of asceticism as a means of purification (ritual or spiritual and moral). At the same time, some believe that asceticism already existed among primitive peoples as an element of initiations and rites of lustration, others - that asceticism can only be called conscious and voluntary renunciation (and in this form it is found only in developed religions), others - that true asceticism is possible only in the light of Christian ideals. In the history of mankind and civilization, the practice of asceticism has allowed man to develop his spiritual powers and rise above instinctive impulses. The emergence of asceticism is associated with a person’s attempts to achieve some ultimate goals. With the expansion of the range of values, the concept of asceticism was attached to new ideals - intellectual, spiritual, moral. The idea of achieving wisdom through the development and training of intellectual abilities appeared. In the field of ethics, the application of the concept of asceticism led to the emergence of the ideal of the sage, freely choosing or rejecting sensual pleasures.

The question of which era in the history of mankind should begin the story about asceticism, as already mentioned, seems to be one of the most controversial. In primitive and ancient religions there are such forms as solitude, physical deprivation, which was associated with initiation rituals, marriage, wars, and witchcraft. The customs accompanying these rituals may, over time, begin to be perceived as ascetic. But in the strict sense, as a discipline with a spiritual goal, this is not asceticism. These customs may be associated with training and preparation for life's difficulties. Asceticism derives its origin from customs that are not themselves ascetic in any sense. For primitive man, abstaining from food is not a means of self-discipline, but a means of preventing the interference of evil forces. The tribe, in order to ward off the wrath of the gods, offered its member, animal or other value for sacrifice. Gradually, the renunciation of what was necessary, and then the regulation of bodily impulses, began to be considered a way of appeasing the gods, and later also a factor of spiritual exaltation. Various authors cite many active factors as the reasons for the emergence and development of religious asceticism: fear of hostile spirits; the idea of the need for ritual purity to interact with the supernatural; desire to attract the attention of divine beings; a sense of guilt and sinfulness that requires atonement; the idea that ascetic practices lead to the emergence of supernatural abilities in the practitioner.

In world religions, such as Buddhism and Christianity, other factors also played a role in the emergence and development of asceticism, including the awareness of the transience of earthly existence, as well as the belief that simplifying life is associated with maintaining spirituality. In Christianity, the idea of “participation” in the suffering of Christ also played a role. A frequent motive for asceticism is the refusal to enjoy privileges in conditions of social inequality. Asceticism is often based on a dualistic worldview, according to which there is an insurmountable gap between spirit and matter, the latter usually being seen as evil and the source of evil. we can distinguish the main types and forms of asceticism. Although in history we will never meet pure types, and many elements of different types are mixed in reality, nevertheless, it is possible to distinguish ritual, disciplinary and mystical types of asceticism.

At the stage of ritual asceticism, the main ascetic forms are formed (fasting, etc.), which will then be reproduced in more developed religions (and will be filled with new content). Disciplinary asceticism is clearly described by listing the various techniques and practices included in it. “Hyperasceticism” of this type in its extreme expression exceeds simply training and leads to a complete denial of physicality. The goal of mystical asceticism is the experience of union with the deity in the act of mystical experience. By withdrawing from the world, denying his selfhood and will, the ascetic comes to this unity. Also, a separate type of asceticism is sometimes distinguished as a type of Christian asceticism that appeared in the Middle Ages, coming from the desire to imitate the sufferings of Christ.

The main forms of religious asceticism: hermitage, celibacy, voluntary poverty, fasting or abstinence from certain types of food. This also includes various types of self-torture (eunuchs, flagellants), maintaining silence, restriction of movement, psychological (deliberate experience of unpleasant mental states) asceticism.

All these forms in one or another combination are found in the ascetic traditions of world religions - Buddhism, Christianity, Islam.

1.3 Secular and religious asceticism - a fundamental difference

There have always been ascetics, in all centuries, starting from antiquity, they showed people by their example how to live, controlling passions and unbridled lusts, improving the body and mind for a productive and long life. Pythagoras, Diogenes, Hippocrates, and I. Kant were ascetics. In Russia, a remarkable example of secular asceticism was given in the 20th century by academicians N. Amosov and D. Likhachev.

Not only philosophers and scientists were secular ascetics. Classic staunch ascetics were the Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius, the brilliant commander Alexander Suvorov, and the billionaire Henry Ford. Secular asceticism as a form of social behavior is returning. The culture of secular asceticism offers a person a way of thinking and living that ensures health and longevity, eliminates envy and stupid networks of prestige, acquires a slender, active body, a joyful optimistic tone, confidence in one’s strengths and capabilities.

But the question immediately arises, what is the difference between secular asceticism and religious, in particular Christian. The word “asceticism”, “ascetic” is somewhat frightening and alarming, since over the decades of persecution of religions and religiosity in the USSR, poverty, wretchedness, and cruel asceticism began to be associated with these words, leading a person to extreme exhaustion of the “skin and bones” type. And there was some truth in such associations, since the ascetic monks really looked like gloomy skeletons in black robes.

Religious asceticism is characterized by an extremely nihilistic attitude towards the mortal body - the source and motivator of sinfulness. Abstinence from gluttony in religious asceticism reached such meager nutrition in the version of monastic asceticism that only physical existence was maintained and all forces were transferred to the spiritual search for grace and salvation in Christ among Christians or absolute renunciation from worldly vanities in Buddhism. The body seemed to get in the way and was taken care of solely on the principle of being alive. Ascetic monks were beggars and often begged for alms. Many lived only on bread and water.

Needless to say, such asceticism scared away the people, who at all times loved to eat well and appetizingly, to gourmet. And to be in the body - corpulence, a certain degree of obesity, which imparted sedateness and solidity, was in fashion among many nations and peoples. Slender and thin women in Ukraine were considered unhappy and were pitied. This psychology still reigns in villages today.

However, for thousands of years there has been a culture of moderation and abstinence of a different kind than religious asceticism. Adherents of such a culture were many ancient philosophers and sages: Confucius, Socrates, Diogenes and the entire school of Cynics, Seneca and the Stoics, but also rulers, politicians and generals: Emperor Marcus Aurelius, Richard the Lionheart, Alexander Suvorov. All of them were creative, hardworking people, lived long lives and had excellent health. By the way, the great Hippocrates taught abstinence and moderation, and considered moderate and balanced nutrition in modern terminology the best of medicines. Socrates disliked skilled cooks so much that he called them murderers, poisoning people with food that whets the appetite and the deadly excess of its consumption. Diabetes mellitus was not known then, but the mortality of excessive obesity was fully understood.

But the asceticism of the greats concerned not only moderation in nutrition. Moderation was elevated by them to the main principle of life in everything. Excessiveness was banished from their way of life as the main danger to soul and body.

Researchers, as well as adherents of an ascetic lifestyle, highlight the following advantages:

· Asceticism gives independence - from the craving for luxury.

· Asceticism ensures readiness to sacrifice one’s own interests for the sake of a common goal.

· Asceticism gives liberation - from strong emotions and passions.

· Asceticism gives impetus to personal growth.

· Asceticism, as a renunciation of excessive luxury and attachment to carnal pleasures, gives respect - from others.

2. Practical part. Practice of asceticism

2.1 Asceticism in monasticism. History of monasticism

Martyrdom was the first form of holiness honored in the Church. When the time of the martyrs of blood ended, the time came for the martyrs of asceticism - the monks. Christian monasticism (from the Greek - “lonely”) originated in the 3rd century. in Egypt. Christians, who sought to more fully realize the principles of the Gospel, renounced worldly goods. They went to desert places, where they devoted themselves to prayer, ascetic deeds aimed at subordinating the flesh to the spirit, and the spirit to Christ. Monasticism became a reaction to the “secularization” of the Church, compromises with the world, which became more frequent as its ranks expanded and ties with society became more complex.

Monastic withdrawal from the world, in contrast to sectarianism, was not a manifestation of hostility towards it, but of Christ’s love - in the mountains and deserts the monks prayed for the salvation of humanity. In the era of martyrdom, the departure from the world was the very entry into the Christian Church, which excluded the entertainment and values of the pagans - holidays and games in honor of the gods, theaters and circuses. After the cessation of persecution, it was monasticism that for many centuries became for the Church a form of renunciation of everything that could lead a person away from Christ. It was also an expression of freedom from the omnipotence of the empire, a reminder that there are higher goals and values than worldly power.

At first, the monks settled alone, then the most prominent ascetics began to have students - novices. The description of the exploits of the monks is one of the main themes of Christian literature of that time. Their example gave the laity strength to fight sin and evil within themselves; monasticism brought into the world the experience of spiritual ascent. Already in the 4th century. There were two main types of structure of monastic life - the Lavra and the monastery. Laurels (Greek - “wide”, “crowded”) were once called the streets in Alexandria on which churches stood. Then this name was assigned to those places where numerous monastic monasteries were established. In the laurels, the monks each secluded themselves in their own hut or cave, and gathered together only on Sundays and holidays for worship. Their spiritual guidance was carried out by the elder - Abba. The model of the Lavra was the monastic community that gathered around St. by 305. Anthony the Great, (about 250-356) in Egypt, on the banks of the Nile. The Monk Anthony, whose biography has survived to this day, commanded his disciples to fully serve God, renounce sinful aspirations for wealth or fame, constant prayer, solitary meditation on God, and engage in physical labor in order to at least feed themselves meagerly.

Kinovia (“dormitory”) is the monastery itself, where the monks live together in one or more rooms. Life in the cinema is subject to strict rules - statutes; monks necessarily participate in joint work and worship. The founder of Cenobial monasticism was Pachomius the Great (died 347). He first organized such a monastery on one of the Nile islands. But the monastery could not accommodate everyone who wanted to join in the monastic feat, and Pachomius had to establish several more monasteries at some distance from each other. He also created the first monastic charter. Each of the monasteries had its own head - the abbot, or abbot, accountable to the monastery - Abba, who was responsible for the brethren of all the monasteries. In addition to joint services, prayers and conversations with the abbot about faith, the monks had to perform morning and evening prayers in their cells. The monasteries existed due to the own labor of the monks, who were engaged in agriculture, gardening, and various crafts. The monks were prescribed silence so that idle talk would not distract from thoughts of God, complete obedience to mentors and non-covetousness: they were not to have any personal property. When a person entered a monastery, even his clothes were given to the poor. The monks received everything that was considered necessary for life from the funds of the monastery. They ate once a day, and only plant foods and cheese.

For those entering the community, a one-year probationary period was established, which they passed under the supervision of experienced mentors. Even during the life of Pachomius, the number of monks of his cenovia reached 7 thousand, and 100 years after the death of the elder - 50 thousand people. From Egypt, Hilarion, a disciple of Anthony the Great, brought monasticism to Palestine, from where it came to the Middle Eastern regions of the empire. Basil the Great (c. 330-379), bishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia, spread monasticism in the center of Asia Minor, and the rules he gave to his monasteries became generally accepted throughout the east of the Roman Empire. In 484, a native of Cappadocia, Savva the Sanctified, founded a monastery in Palestine, and subsequently other monasteries. They used the first liturgical charter he compiled - the Typikon, called the Jerusalem Typikon. It formed the basis of the Typikon, which the Orthodox Church still uses today. The Charter determines the order and rules for performing divine services, observing fasts, etc. In the 5th century. A new type of monastery appeared - “monasteries of the never-sleeping”: in them the monks, replacing each other, conducted worship around the clock, without interruption. A wealthy resident of Constantinople, a certain Studius, learned about the existence of such a monastery and built a monastery, where he invited the community of “unsleeping ones.” This Constantinople monastery began to be called Studite. There a revised edition of the Typikon of Saint Sava the Sanctified came into use. In the XI-XII centuries. monasteries on Mount Athos (Aion Oros peninsula in the Aegean Sea) become known. Church tradition connects the beginning of Christianity on Athos with the arrival there in 44 of the Mother of God and the Apostle John the Theologian. Monks began to settle there in the 6th century. Presumably from the 11th century. Athos is called the Holy Mountain. By the 13th century. it was already completely covered with monasteries and became one of the most revered sacred places for the entire Orthodox world. Nowadays there are monasteries inhabited by monks from different countries. At first, monasticism was not part of the church hierarchy, but over time, monks - people who dedicated themselves to God and the Church, despising worldly goods - began to be involved in the priesthood and formed the core of the Byzantine priesthood.

In late Byzantium, almost only monks could be elevated to the rank of bishop, metropolitan or patriarch. The empire used the authority of monasticism for its own purposes: the emperors patronized famous monasteries, renowned spiritual mentors, and sought to enlist their support. And yet, to a large extent, it was thanks to monasticism that the Byzantine Church maintained internal spiritual freedom, inseparable from Christian holiness. This freedom presupposes the absence of dependence on everything that can force a person to sacrifice his conscience: from pain, hunger and thirst, life’s inconveniences, fear for oneself or loved ones, from fear of being unfairly judged by other people, etc. One of the means of gaining such freedom is asceticism, every possible limitation of personal needs. The monks indulged in ascetic deeds not because being clean and well-fed is bad, just as caring for others, marriage and having children, and a healthy life in comfortable homes are not bad in themselves. Monastic feat is the path to absolute spiritual freedom, the path to eliminating from one’s life everything that, not being bad in itself, could stand between God and man. Sometimes asceticism went to extremes: for example, the first monks believed that monasticism was incompatible with the priesthood, and refused to be ordained to the priesthood.

Beginning with the monastery of Pachomius the Great, monasteries had their own libraries and were centers of book learning and spiritual enlightenment; many of them remain so to this day. They played a special role in countries where the formation of a written culture was associated with the advent of Orthodoxy (in Rus', among the southern Slavs, etc.). Monastic rules influenced the life of the laity: for example, the calendar of religious holidays and fasts, recorded in the Typikon, gradually changed the way of life of the peoples who professed Orthodoxy. The authority of monasticism for many centuries supported the unity of the Church and respect for it in its most difficult years. Over the centuries of their existence, the monks developed a doctrine of how to live by faith. The types of sins and temptations were examined in detail, and methods of combating them were developed accordingly. One of the most famous works telling about the paths of salvation is “The Ladder (Ladder) of Spiritual Salvation” by John Climacus (VII century). The works of the most authoritative monastic mentors (Antony the Great, Macarius the Great, Theodore the Studite, Gregory Palamas, etc.) compiled a huge collection, known as the Philokalia.

2.2 Monasticism today

In the modern world, Orthodox monasteries are increasingly participating in public life. In addition to purely monastic duties - such as daily attendance at divine services, fulfillment of the cell prayer rule, strict adherence to the instructions of the monastic charter - each of the brethren bears some kind of obedience related to various areas of monastic service.

Rising at the monastery is usually very early - at 5.30 am. Half an hour later, in the church at the relics of the founder of the monastery, a fraternal prayer service begins, morning prayers are read and a statutory service is performed.

At the end of the service, the monks disperse for obedience. Everyone has their own. Someone hurries to the refectory to prepare lunch (this is the cellarer), someone starts a planning meeting with the workers (this is the housekeeper), someone goes to nearby settlements to bring what is necessary for the monastery (this is the supplier). The brethren who carry out obedience in the publishing department sit down at their computers, the employees of the educational department go to schools or conduct classes with children and parishioners in the monastery itself.

Modern monasteries are of exceptional historical and cultural interest, so the brotherly guides welcome guests - pilgrims and simply interested tourists. From the very morning, work begins in the photo and video archive: plans for upcoming filming are discussed, already filmed material is digitized and edited, and cooperation with professional film and television studios is maintained. Clergymen go to local orphanages, hospitals, shelters for the elderly, and prisons in order to spiritually support the despondent, comfort the sick, and give farewell to the dying. This is the social service of monasteries.

At 12 o'clock everyone must be present for lunch. As a rule, this is the first meal of the day. Then work continues on obediences. Someone works in the garden, someone in the barnyard, someone in the monastery garden, in the apiary, in the garage or carpentry workshop - most monasteries in Russia live on subsistence farming. The library, icon-painting workshop, sacristy - all these are also integral parts of the monastery economy. And of course, restoration work continues in almost all monasteries, with lay specialists helping the brethren.

The evening service begins at 5 p.m. By this time, all the inhabitants are trying to finish their work. At the end of the service there is dinner, after which everyone retires to their cell to perform an individual prayer rule and read the necessary spiritual literature. This is how an ordinary monastic day ends.

2.3 Asceticism in the service sector

When considering the psychological characteristics of a consumer’s personality, they use the method of dividing personalities into a number of opposing psychotypes-dichotomies, for example, in the following options: “Innovators-conservatives”; “Confident - Unsure”; “Aesthetes are pragmatists”; “Spenders (hedonists) are ascetics”; etc. and so on. There can be many options, but in this work we are interested in a specific one - “spenders - ascetics”.

In this text, spenders should be understood as people who strive to surround themselves with comfortable wealth that brings them satisfaction with a pleasurable effect, through abundant spending “left and right” of money and other means.

Spenders, hedonists, epicureans - these are the names of people who want to extract maximum pleasure and exquisite pleasures from every day and even every event of the day and just actions. Pleasures for soul and body. In a market economy, the list of pleasures and satisfactions can be quite extensive for all occasions, taking into account human capabilities.

The service sector has long learned to navigate the needs of the category of people in question, and provide goods and services focused both on the functional features of the product and on the emotional needs of consumers.

Here ascetics should be understood as people whose basic life principle is reasonable sufficiency. And it is not easy to reject their principle with brand and emotional meanings of the product. For ascetics, consumer choice, like the Earth around the Sun, revolves around the necessary support for their livelihoods. Spending beyond this limit is declared unreasonable and unnecessary. This also applies to dubious pleasures that contradict the life principles of ascetics. Limitless benefits distract from the main thing in life and spoil a person physically and morally. To prevent this from happening, you need to limit yourself in benefits, ascetics believe. Eliminate excesses, both in product and service consumption. Food, as ascetics believe, should be simple, clothing and surrounding objects should be modest. These are the demands of ascetics. Being an ascetic is more economically profitable than being a reckless or even moderate hedonist.

Spending consumers see products as something that can give them pleasure. Functional features are a secondary matter for them. They are inspired by a product that gives an emotional impulse and can be remembered for something. Every little detail of everyday life should please the soul, that’s what spendthrifts think.

At the same time, returning to ascetics, one should distinguish between forced and conscious asceticism. It may very well be that an insufficient level of income “drove” into asceticism a person who sleeps and sees himself in luxury and abundance, but is forced to live modestly and even ascetically.

The tendency to spend money often increases with increasing income, but this is not an invariable rule. There are also examples of the fact that after specific privatization processes in Russia, some subjects of market relations experienced excessive squandering associated with the emergence of unplanned income. But over time, having overestimated their spiritual and material values, spenders moderate their ardor or skillfully disguise it.

Ushakov's Dictionary

In the Theravada tradition of Thailand, medieval texts report ascetic monks who wander and live alone in the forest or crematorium, performing ascetic practices, and they came to be called thudong. Buddhist ascetic monks were and are found in Myanmar and, as in Thailand, are known for adhering to their own version of Buddhism, resisting the hierarchical institutionalized structure of the Sangha monasteries in Buddhism. Hedonism (from Greek ἡδονή (hēdonē), pleasure; enjoyment, passion , lust) is a philosophical doctrine according to which the main goal of life is to obtain pleasure, pleasure, and satisfaction of one’s desires. Asceticism is not the lot of monks and hermits; this is a way of life, and not only of monks and hermits. Asceticism is a necessary Christian response to the calling that God has for every person. “...Be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.” (Matthew 5:48). This applies to all Christians. Ascetic terminology, like theological terminology, did not arise immediately. It grew out of the experience of an ascetic life, using many ancient terms, including military and athletic. The word “asceticism” itself comes from the Greek verb “askeo”, “to exercise”, which in classical Greek meant, among other things, exercise of the body. But in church scripture it came to mean, first of all, “to exercise (train) the soul,” “to practice (or achieve) virtue” and “to exalt oneself.”

Famous representatives of asceticism

Famous ascetics have chosen for themselves the path of purification and knowledge of the Universe. They, refusing the benefits of civilization, become enlightened, cultivate certain qualities in themselves, and eliminate shortcomings.

That is, ascetics improve themselves. An ascetic life allowed them to acquire knowledge, led them to wisdom, and revealed the secrets of the Universe. History contains information about such individuals. Not all of them were followers of religious or philosophical teachings. A striking example is the legendary commander A. Suvorov. He lived simply, was not proud of his wealth, and did not disdain soldier’s food.

Suvorov famously said: “Keep your head cold, your feet warm, and your stomach hungry.” This statement has long become a saying and proof of the commander’s asceticism.

Mother Teresa also became famous as an ascetic. She stood up for mercy, helped the sick and suffering, led a modest lifestyle and did not seek to surround herself with luxury.

Many wealthy and successful people prefer to lead an ascetic lifestyle. They are not proud of their talents and wealth. An example is Mark Zuckerberg, the “parent” of the social network Facebook. He and his wife adhere to ascetic views on life.

Jose Cordano, the head of Uruguay, transferred his savings to the benefit of those in need. He led a modest lifestyle.

Keanu Reeves, a famous actor, recipient of millions in fees, prefers to travel by public transport and refuses excesses. He donates most of his earnings to cancer patients.

Let us note that almost all ascetics live to an advanced age. They lead not only a modest but also a healthy lifestyle, do not get nervous over trifles, do not abuse alcohol, and walk. And this promotes longevity.

Principles of asceticism

When, at the age of 39, Monk Seraphim was ordained hieromnic, he left the monastery and began to live in a wooden cell five kilometers from the monastery, in a dense forest on the banks of the Sarovka River. Here he underwent the most severe trials - he carried heavy loads, fasted extremely strictly, and ate forest grass - glycines. On the fifth day after his birth, a ceremony was held in which he was named Siddhartha, “the successful man.” Eight invited Brahant sages confirmed with their predictions that his future was ambiguous. The last and youngest of them, the clairvoyant Asita, having found 32 signs of a great man on the child’s body, said that this child would either be a powerful king or the greatest saint.

Famous ascetics

History is rich in the names of outstanding people who chose the path of asceticism both in the world and in religion. Let's name some of the most famous of them. These are Pythagoras, initiated into the depths of the ancient mysteries, and a prominent representative of the Cynic school, Diogenes, who lived in a clay barrel, the healer Hippocrates and the philosopher Kant, the military genius Alexander Suvorov and the billionaire Henry Ford, academicians Nikolai Amosov and Dmitry Likhachev.

The number of all those who strive for this feat in world religions and spiritual movements will be countless. Let us limit ourselves to examples of some well-known ones, most often heard in Christianity and Buddhism.

In Christianity

The ascetics of Christianity, through constant prayer and a series of severe tests and self-restraints, climbed the steps of knowledge of God, at the first of which they were freed from perceiving the world through the senses in order to achieve deep humility and dispassion. On the second, they already had the opportunity to contemplate the spiritual world in all its unearthly beauty and even enter into it. The highest level implied an elevation above everything conditional and limited by material frameworks, comprehending the essence of divine creations, reaching the depths of awareness of existence.

On this difficult path of spiritual ascent, for their own purposes, they used the limitation or suppression of sensual desires, voluntary enduring of physical pain, loneliness was their indispensable companion. The main feats of monks, hermits, and hermits were fasting and vigil, deprivation of shelter and nakedness, bows and chains.

Let us give examples from the description of the lives of the holy fathers. One of them is evidence of the feat of Blessed Jonah, who, being a monastery gardener in one of the monasteries of Pachomius the Great, lived to the age of eighty-five years and never slept a wink. After performing his daily duties in the garden, he went to his cell and kept vigil, praying and weaving ropes until dawn.

The Monk Ephraim the Syrian, a religious hermit who spent his life in strict abstinence, slept on bare ground, and the Syrian ascetic Savin ate moldy flour, barely moistened with water.

A week-long fast was something ordinary for ascetics, and some, in imitation of Christ, did not eat or drink for up to forty days.

Venerable Seraphim

But as a more striking example of serving God and people, let us briefly describe the life of the legendary Russian ascetic, wonderworker, St. Seraphim of Sarov.

He was born on July 20, 1754 in the family of the pious merchant Isidor Moshnin and his wife Agafya. At baptism he was named Prokhor. Three years later, the father who was building a church in Kursk died, and Agafya, while raising her son herself, loaded the unfinished work of her husband and raising her son onto her shoulders.

When Prokhor was seven years old, he carelessly fell from a bell tower, but turned out to be unharmed. For loved ones, this was a sign that the child was under the protection of the Lord.

Once, during a serious illness, the Mother of God appeared to the boy in a miraculous radiance, consoled him and said that he would soon be healthy.

Prokhor differed from his peers in his tendency to retire to read scriptures and attend church services. Gradually, through prayer, the unknown spiritual world began to open up to him in all its glory.

At the age of 17, he went to Kyiv to visit the Lavra to the relics of Saints Anthony and Theodosius. The elder, reclusive monk Dosifei blessed him to go to the Sarov monastery, where Prokhor, after passing the most difficult monastic trials, retired into the wilderness of the monastery forest, where he performed his solitary feat of prayer. Having gone through severe trials of hardship and illness, having established himself in the strength of his faith and love for God, the Lord granted St. Seraphim the power, thanks to which he was able to heal the sick and foresee the future.

With his feat of prayer, he cleansed his soul from all filth, got rid of lack of faith and pride, and when he turned 32 years old, he was tonsured a monk, giving him a new spiritual name, Seraphim, which means “fiery.”

Once on Maundy Thursday during the Liturgy, Christ appeared to him, accompanied by an angelic army. The monk's face changed, and after that his exploits became even more severe. Now he kept vigil all night in prayer for the whole world.

When at the age of 39 the Monk Seraphim was ordained a hieromonk, he left the monastery and began to live in a wooden cell five miles from the monastery in a dense forest on the banks of Sarovka. Here he subjected himself to the most difficult tests of carrying heavy loads, incredibly strict fasts, and eating forest grass - sap.

One day, robbers attacked him, wanting to rob him, thinking that for his help to people he had accumulated a lot of wealth. The ascetic did not resist violence when he was mutilated, his head was broken and he was severely beaten, as a result of which many ribs were broken. They thought he wouldn't survive. In a dream, the Mother of God again appeared to him with the apostles Peter and John, and the next morning the saint’s strength returned; that day he began to get up, but his back remained bent for the rest of his life.

The robbers were caught, but at the urgent request of the victim they were released. They were overtaken by the highest punishment, destroying their property with fire, after which they came to the elder, repenting of what they had done and asking for forgiveness.

Trials followed one after another, his holiness was tested by dark forces in order to frighten and lead the righteous astray. After this, the elder began his hardest feat - standing on stones, which lasted 1000 days and nights. From morning until dawn, Seraphim stood on a stone in his cell, and from dark until dawn - on a block in a deep forest. In cold and heat, under pouring rain and burning snow, he said a prayer, raising his hands to heaven.

The news of the great ascetic spread throughout Rus'. Thousands of people from all over the Russian land sought to at least see the miracle worker or touch him. Thanks to his great feat, the spirit of the elder reached unprecedented heights and acquired an extraordinary degree of freedom. The elder became perspicacious; he could see not only the thoughts of people coming to him, but also their entire inner nature. The future of Russia, its difficult lot and difficult trials for the Russian people were revealed to him. The Mother of God appeared to the saint twelve times, the last time she appeared before him shortly before her death.

St. Seraphim left this world on January 2, 1833, but for another 70 years people came to his grave, being healed of ailments of body and soul.

In Buddhism

When a person wants to change himself by resorting to some practice, but has not deeply realized the essence of the method, following other people's instructions, he does not know the possibilities of his nature. If he is tough and categorical and, with the fanaticism inherent in this type of people, tries to achieve what he wants, then it is possible that in the end what he expected will have an absolutely opposite result. And in the case when you decide to test the limits of your capabilities by resorting to severe self-restraints, it would not be amiss to remember one very ancient story of an enlightened person very famous throughout the planet.

Buddhism has a slightly different view of the practice of strict abstinence, and the founder of this approach was the Buddha himself.

He was born in the state of Magatha in the Shakya clan from the Kshatriya caste. This country was located on the territory of modern Nepal. His life took place in a period that is not precisely established, but approximately from 563 to 483, since the tradition of ancient Indian scriptures was more tied not to chronology, but to philosophical speculations. His father was Raja Shuddhodana and his mother was Queen Mahamaya, who died a few days after giving birth.

On the fifth day after birth, a naming ceremony was held, where he received the name Siddhartha - “the one who achieves the goal.” Eight invited Brahmin sages confirmed with their predictions that his future was dual. The last, the youngest of them, the seer Asita, having found 32 signs of a great man on his body, said that the child would either be a mighty king or the greatest saint.

The prince grew up in luxury, learning all the necessary state wisdom, ahead of all his peers in development. At the age of 16, he was married to Princess Yashodhara, his cousin and the same age.

One day, having got out of the palace, he saw something that changed his entire subsequent life: an old mendicant, a very sick man, a corpse that stank and decomposed, and a wandering hermit. Taking them as symbolic signs, he realized how harsh life is. After all, no amount of wealth, power and authority can protect against torment, illness, withering and inevitable death.

While still Prince Gautama Siddhartha, as soon as he turned 29 years old, he left the royal palace in the clothes of a monk, neglecting luxury and power in the world in order to find enlightenment. Buddha mortified his flesh, choosing the path of asceticism. For six whole years he indulged in severe self-restraint and might have died of exhaustion if he had not realized that this method was not suitable for him to achieve an extremely high degree of consciousness. He realized that to achieve enlightenment it is useless to severely torture one's flesh. This led him to the practice of reflection and meditation.

Having pushed himself to the extreme, he had to admit to himself that his path was different, namely: in expanding the boundaries of his consciousness by deeply immersing himself in himself and finding inside the source of all meanings and the root cause of all things manifested in this world. He achieved enlightenment in a different way: after 49 days of meditation at the age of 35, showing the world another way to gain integrity, harmony, and also the realization that the source of the Absolute Truth is one, but there are many ways to achieve it.

In Buddhism, self-restraint for the body is not so important, since the main thing for an ascetic Buddhist is control over consciousness, first of all, over thoughts, because only this can ultimately lead to Nirvana.

Westminster Dictionary of Theological Terms

The basic prerequisite for reading is listening and listening. The practice of the Jesus Prayer is focused listening, not rote repetition. In some ways it resembles meditation, reading mantras and other spiritual exercises, but it has its own tasks and many features. When we talk about the types and forms of asceticism, as a rule, many divide it into spiritual and material asceticism. It goes without saying that by the word “spiritual” we mean the renunciation of various emotional pleasures and interaction with the world. Materiality, in turn, implies a rejection of certain material benefits of modern civilization. And yet, if you think about it, many aspects of these forms will work together, which is why asceticism can also be classified as follows:

How to characterize an ascetic person?

Talking about who an ascetic is should take into account the lifestyle that a person chooses. An ascetic is a person who leads a modest, Spartan life. But he chose it consciously, and not due to circumstances. She suits him. Moreover, he does not feel deprived or unhappy. The ascetic achieves harmony with himself.

Ascetics are those people who have indestructible willpower and strong character. Try giving up coffee, for example, or cigarettes for a day to understand what this means. And an ascetic person refuses pleasures and habits deliberately, consciously.

Fact! An ascetic lifestyle may be chosen as a punishment. Thus, the person cleanses himself of any sin. After the vow is fulfilled, such a person returns to his usual existence. It was as if he had absolved himself of the blame for the offense he had committed.

Modern ascetics adhere to the following principles:

1. Moderate nutrition, avoidance of expensive, refined foods.

2. Preference for mental and cultural development. It is better to spend money and time on a good book, visiting the theater, or exhibitions. Entertainment in clubs, expensive furniture, household appliances, gadgets are not welcome.

3. Minimum clothing. Your wardrobe should contain only functional items designed for a particular season. You won’t find two down jackets in an ascetic’s closet. He has one jacket, which he wears for more than one season.

4. Respect for nature. Ascetics fight for the environment. They refuse to use plastic bottles, bags, etc.

5. Charity. People try to help the disadvantaged, the sick, and orphans.

The reasons for asceticism are very different. Someone decided to lead a similar lifestyle due to health problems, someone wants to ennoble the planet, someone explores their possibilities, devotes time to spiritual development.

Asceticism is preached by all religions of the world. A true believer should take care of his soul, not his body. There are many ascetics among Buddhists, Orthodox Christians, Catholics, and Muslims. Unfortunately, the highest ranks of clergy cannot always be classified in this category.

History of the term “asceticism”

The current situation of post-industrial humanity tells us that excessive consumerism will inevitably lead this civilization to complete collapse, depleting the incredible reserves of our planet in just a hundred years. This is a direct consequence of the predominance of the external over the internal, mind over reason, permissiveness over humility, and it is time to turn to the experience of ascetics, adapting it to modern conditions of life. Asceticism in the Christian tradition is a set of certain disciplines practiced to save the immortal soul of the believer and spiritual enlightenment. Biblical examples of asceticism can be found in the lives of John the Baptist and Jesus, who fasted for 40 days each. Jesus told the disciples to fast and sell their possessions. Paul was a bachelor, and the original Judeo-Christian community in Jerusalem had no tradition of personal property. Some early Christians believed that asceticism was the only true path to salvation. This teaching was rejected by the Orthodox Church as heretical, but the ascetic life was preserved through the institution of monasticism.

Secular asceticism

The worldview of many non-religious ascetics is based on both philosophical and ethical and personal ideas about life.

The fundamental concept of secular asceticism is the acquisition of inner harmony, peace and spiritual freedom.

By refusing certain benefits, a person can achieve not only greater clarity of thinking, but also develop the ability to withstand life’s troubles and potentially destructive temptations.

Many of those who chose an ascetic approach to life did so in order to protect themselves from the costs of modernity - vicious and dangerous temptations in the form of alcohol, psychedelics, fast food, the cult of sex and gambling.

Some, however, have other reasons for “ moderate asceticism ” - for example, professional athletes who, before competitions, specifically abstain from carnal pleasures and rich food in order to be better physically and mentally prepared for the tests.

Asceticism in psychology

In the Mahayana tradition, asceticism with esoteric and mystical meanings became a common practice, for example in the Tendai and Shingon schools of Japanese Buddhism. These Japanese practices included asceticism, asceticism, waterfall bathing, and purification rituals. Twelfth-century Japanese records contain stories of monks practicing strict asceticism, and nineteenth-century records indicate that Nichiren Buddhist monks woke up every day at midnight or two in the morning and performed ascetic rituals of purifying water under cold waterfalls. Other practices include the extremely ascetic practice of eating only pine needles, resins, seeds and ultimately mummification itself, or sokushinbutsu (miira) in Japan. You completed your morning ritual and boarded the trolleybus to go to work. You can't pray at work because you have to work there. So you say: “Lord, bless me and do not let me forget You. Be with me!" - and then you work not only for your boss or for yourself. You work before God, and this is your ascetic practice. He finished, thanked God and went home.

Religious asceticism.

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The main sources of the practice of religious asceticism in the 1st century were the texts of the New Testament, grouped around two basic themes: service to Christ and obedience to the Spirit. In the Gospel, following Christ is possible only by abandoning the usual way of life and self-denial, even to the point of martyrdom. However, this does not mean that a believer in the world is obliged to starve himself or give up marriage. Because complete self-denial from society is an extreme not required by the New Testament.

The word “asceticism” has a Russian analogue – “asceticism”, and hermits and Christian ascetic fathers led an ascetic lifestyle. Asceticism reached its wide development in life and literary works in the 4th-6th centuries. The image of John the Baptist was taken as a role model, and the most famous ascetic hermits were Onuphrius the Great, Seraphim of Sarov, Sergius of Radonezh.

Some cults and religious teachings today idealize all or certain aspects of asceticism. According to the teachings of the Buddha, only ascetics who have lost passions are worthy of the opportunity to achieve enlightenment and knowledge. The spiritual discipline of yoga is also aimed at overcoming ordinary consciousness. For the practice of voluntary self-denial, self-effort and self-discipline, the word “tapas” is used in yoga. Tapas is usually practiced by maintaining chastity and controlling the senses.

External links

According to Hajima Nakamura and other scholars, some early Buddhist texts indicate that asceticism was part of Buddhist practice in its early days. Moreover, in practice, records from around the beginning of our era until the 19th century CE indicate that asceticism was part of Buddhism in both the Theravada and Mahayana traditions. Since we live in a cultural space where our philosophy, psychology and worldview are closely intertwined with Orthodoxy, it is appropriate to conclude this article with a brief overview of the works of some modern priests and theologians of the not so distant past.

Works and projects on asceticism

Since we live in a cultural field where our philosophy, psychology, and worldview are closely intertwined with Orthodox Christianity, it would be useful at the end of the article to briefly familiarize ourselves with the works of some modern priests and theologians of the not-so-distant past.

Orthodox asceticism outlined for the laity by Pavel Gumerov

In his book “Orthodox asceticism, outlined for the laity,” Father Pavel Gumerov tries to help a modern Orthodox person emerge victorious in the struggle for spiritual purity against temptations, how a layman can fight passions in order to get rid of sinful habits. How can a modern person live and be saved? The author proposes a path oriented towards the teachings of the Holy Fathers, who, in turn, rely on the Holy Scriptures and their own modest priestly experience.

The book says that the main goal and meaning of Christian life is love for God, as well as for people. Well, what is considered liberation from passions is only a means of liberation, similar to fasting, prayer and worship. And while sinful passions and inclinations prevail in a person, it is simply impossible to keep the two most important Christian commandments: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart” and “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

The author in the book asks the question whether asceticism is necessary for today's layman, and through the chapters of the book he gives the answer to its necessity, and also indicates methods for saving the soul.

Here it would be appropriate to recall the words of the venerable elder we mentioned above:

“My joy, it’s not time for us to lose heart! Christ is Risen!!! Acquire a peaceful spirit and thousands around you will be saved!”
Seraphim of Sarov

Asceticism according to the Orthodox Christian teachings of Sergei Zarin

The main fundamental work of theology of the twentieth century in relation to ascetic experience with the aim of generalizing and systematizing it, based on the doctrine of human salvation, is the theological master's thesis “Asceticism according to Orthodox Christian teaching” by Sergei Zarin (1875-1936) - Russian, Soviet theologian, professor St. Petersburg Theological Academy, ideologist of the church renovation movement.

His dissertation consisted of two books published in 1907, the first of which was devoted to a detailed, sometimes critical review of literary works, articles, and studies by theological authors of different times concerning this topic. Referring to the writings of more than 65 Church Fathers and the works of more than a hundred theologians and researchers, he made an attempt to analyze the huge layer that is ascetic teaching, systematize it and show its significance in the science of salvation. The second book was a theological and ethical study.

Much attention in the work of Sergei Mikhailovich was paid to the works of St. Theophan the Recluse, who created a theological-ascetic system that was organically tied to life, and not with abstract formal reasoning in justifying church dogmatism, and which preached that the main thing for a believer is the deep assimilation of the great feat of self-sacrifice for the salvation of mankind, accomplished by Jesus Christ.

In his work, the author defined the phenomenon of voluntary self-restraint under consideration as the conscious use of means for a Christian to acquire virtue to achieve moral purity and religious perfection, in which he uses hard work, the tension of his spiritual and physical efforts to combat obstacles. Here we meant asceticism with methods of its implementation in whole or separately, including bodily exploits and hardships, illuminated by prayerful grace.

Asceticism for the laity by Sergei Maslennikov

A lot of useful things for those who have decided to change something in their lives, embarking on the path of spiritual purification through restrictive voluntary practices, can be gleaned from lectures on the topic “Asceticism for the laity” by Sergei Maslennikov, who is the author of the series of conversations “On the Path to Salvation” and series of books about passions and Christian virtues.

Teacher of the School of Repentance, Laureate of the All-Russian Literary Prize, Sergei Mikhailovich Maslennikov gives recommendations on how to prepare for general confession. To do this, he recommends using a penitent’s diary to determine sins, in which sins corresponding to certain passions are divided into categories. A repentant person, correlating his sins with those described in detail by Maslennikov in his diary, noting them, subsequently carries out spiritual work to eradicate them. After a while, crossing out sin after sin, he observes how close he is to the main confession.

This method has its supporters and opponents, mainly from among the clergy, who believe that Maslennikov’s method distorts the Orthodox teaching on repentance and introduces gags into it. In any case, those who want to get closer to the truth, who turn with a pure heart in prayer to God, will sooner or later figure it out, separating the wheat from the chaff.

For it is said:

“Seek and you will find.”
Jesus Christ

Islam

And then let's conclude why this lifestyle is necessary for those living today. What are the reasons why modern people turn to such practices. The fact is that what has been valuable to a person for thousands of years is important for him now: health, family values, the desire to know oneself and God, the development of internal abilities, the desire to make the world a better place. Alexey Ivanovich SIDOROV, professor of the Moscow Academy of Sciences, doctor Church History, Candidate of Historical Sciences, Doctor of Theology. He was born in 1944. In 1975 he graduated from Moscow State University named after M.V. Lomonosov at the Faculty of History, specializing in the history of the ancient world. Since 1975, he worked as a research assistant at the Institute of History of the USSR Academy of Sciences (now the Institute of General History of the Russian Academy of Sciences). Since 1981 – Candidate of Historical Sciences. In 1987, he became a teacher at the Moscow Aviation Institute. In 1991, he graduated from the Moscow Theological Academy with a master's degree in theology for his dissertation “The Problem of Gnosticism and Syncretism in Late Antique Culture.” Since 1997 he has been a professor at the Academy of Archbishops and Chancellors in Leningrad. Since 1999 he has been a Doctor of Church History. He is the author of numerous scientific articles and monographs, including “Ancient Christian asceticism and the birth of monasticism.” All this is more likely to happen if he devotes his practice of self-restraint to unity with the spiritual principle within himself, which is part of the universal Power to which monks and hermits have dedicated their lives for thousands of years.

Female and male asceticism

For both men and women, reasonable, correct self-restraints are an important condition for further spiritual development. What they have in common is that they lead to the disclosure of internal potentials, improvement of not only physical and mental health, but also a change in the quality of life in general, including in material terms. The difference is that each of the sexes must perform the corresponding practices inherent in the masculine or feminine nature, respectively, since there is a difference not only in physiology, but also in the duties assigned to each.

Men's

Ascetic practices related to the body are important for a man, as they strengthen and strengthen masculine qualities of character.

These include:

fasting or restricting food intake;
early rises before dawn;
sleeping on a hard surface;
dousing or cold shower;
contentment with little;
complex endurance training;
performing heavy physical work;
walking barefoot.

Women's

A woman’s excessive passion for masculine practices can lead to the withering of her feminine qualities and the flourishing of masculine ones. This will lead to a hardening of the heart and lead away from its natural purpose. Its practices are self-restraint of the work of language and the activity of the mind. If they are carried out in goodness in relation to all aspects of the life of her family, not only the woman, but also all household members will find happiness.

Let's name the following:

cooking should only take place in a state of love;
she is always happy with what she has;
her thoughts never concern another man, and she thinks about her husband with love;
she always performs all household duties in a state of love;
attention and care for household members, feeding them and treating guests;
not only ask for help, but also help others;
do handicrafts, create amulets, charging them with your power of thought;
try to create positive relationships with other people and maintain it.

If each spouse periodically turns to these practices, then the initial result will be the key to a strong, harmonious family, its health and the competent upbringing of their children.

Asceticism. What is this in simple words?

This is a voluntary restriction, deprivation, vow, exercise for the sake of achieving a certain (specific) goal. The concept of asceticism is found not only in the Vedic scriptures, but in all sacred scriptures. Srimad Bhagavatam talks about it and calls it “the only source of all power.” The goals of vows and restrictions can be very different - helping yourself, helping others, fulfilling a specific desire.

How does asceticism bring the fulfillment of a dream closer?

“You have to pay for everything.” Is this expression familiar? And here’s another one: “If your wish is not fulfilled, it means that it has not yet been paid.” Through asceticism, we spiritually “pay” for the fulfillment of desires, make an advance, and show the strength of our intention! And we bring the dream closer.

That is why an important condition is that the more complex and valuable your dream, the more significant the asceticism
. It doesn't have to be easy for you! Don’t do it “for show,” because the Universe sees not only your deeds, but also your thoughts on this matter. The amount of effort you put in is the amount you will get out of it.

Sometimes it happens that you have endured asceticism responsibly, but your wish has not been fulfilled. This was the case with my second important dream of studying on expensive courses. I took a vow of speech for a year and promised the Universe to strictly monitor my words and not lie. Don't think it's easy! Asceticism

speech is considered one of the most difficult, since we tend to lie, use foul language, and gossip simply automatically. It's not easy to keep track of this! I managed because I made it a rule to be silent more and talk less in general.

My wish did not come true; I never got onto the course. But I appreciated the wisdom of the Universe - it turned my professional activity around so that the need for these courses simply disappeared. I came across Vedic astrology along the way and I realized that this was exactly my destiny. These are the games that asceticism played with me, and for good reason)

To summarize: asceticism for desire

brings its execution closer or shows that it is not necessary, it is no longer relevant and something else is needed. You will understand this clearly!