asceticism

Asceticism was originally a moral theory formed by ancient people who were unable to change secular suffering and resorted to religion, and advocated suppressing physical desires to obtain moral perfection; In the process of modernization, through the development of religious teachings and moral philosophy, it has been transformed into a moral concept that adapts to modern social relations. The adjective "asceticism" comes from the ancient Greek term "askesis" (meaning "practice" and "training").

Therefore, the word "abstinence" was originally related to a form of training including strict discipline. Later, it developed into giving up the pursuit of higher wisdom, emotion or spirit. In ancient Greek society, many soldiers and athletes had to receive strict training like Askesius ... in order to obtain the most perfect health and elegant posture. Therefore, the life style, or life creed and principle of such people who participate in askesis training is primitive asceticism.

The ascetic thinks:

People's physiological desires are humble, selfish and harmful, and they are the source of evil. Therefore, we emphasize the control of this side of the physical desire and enjoyment, and even abandon all desires, so as to achieve the perfection of the personality on the other side of morality.

It gradually prevailed in the 6th century BC, and reached its peak in the 5th century AD when Augustine. Christianity in the Middle Ages in the West, Buddhism in the East, especially the moral preaching of China's feudal sociology pushed asceticism to the extreme, making asceticism a paradigm of life, which, together with ethics such as chastity, served as a moral standard for maintaining feudal personal attachment rule.

In the process of capitalist modernization, Calvin and others mainly developed into Protestant asceticism in order to meet the needs of the early development of capitalism. On the one hand, advocating abstinence for the landlord class is also used in daily life and professional work to show the piety of faith, thus opposing secularization and providing religious legitimacy for the development of capitalism. On the other hand, it publicizes the bourgeois image of religious saints and the ideological myth of "frugality" in accumulating capital for the proletariat.

Today, asceticism still exists as a supplement to capitalism and patriarchal ideology and a residual feudal concept, which is mainly manifested in Bai Fumei's aesthetic consumption of children and the concept that sluts are ashamed of sex.

The experience of asceticism lifestyle can be seen in both religious and secular systems. For example, the ancient Hebrews fasted and became saints. Early Greeks practiced strict regimen to prepare for the war, while Stoic philosophers opposed physical pleasure in order to achieve higher spiritual ideals. Christian monks live alone in the desert, avoiding worldly pleasures. As a result of the Reformation, the Puritans had to endure hardwood benches in the cold conference halls of New England.

Abstinence is usually associated with monks, yogis and priests, but in fact, any individual may choose to live an abstinent life. For example, Laozi, Sakyamuni, Mahathir Piro, San Antonio, San Francesco assisi, Mahatma Gandhi and David Augustine Baker can all be called abstainers.

Most of the above people have left their families and abandoned their property, preferring to live as beggars rather than live at home. But in the eyes of their followers, they showed great spiritual strength, or rather, it was an enlightenment to the world.