thanks for this. Protestant here who studies the Great Ascetics i.e John Cassian and others..

It's always in solitude that enlightenment comes... Muhammad received the Quran in a cave, Jesus conquered the devil in the desert, Buddha under the Bodhi Tree.

Too much food is the first enemy of asceticism.

What is the relationship between Asceticism and Monasticism?

He had me on "whhy does"

Oh, I don't know,I think ascetism is very interesting. Ascetic practices are a big part of Orthodox Christianity to draw us closer to God.

Why do they have to bring the 4th century BC into this? Why can't they say. "it makes me more passionate in my commitments". Or something like that. Instead it's like, I study this because....monks were celebate and.....um....lots of people did it. It was totally common.

Here's an impediment - I couldn't hear this video.

Nietzsche, an ascetic, discussed the ascetic ideal in his "genealogy of morals".

Why is a Roman Catholic promoting Decision Theology?

You don't have to give up your pleasures to be loved by God, he still loves you

what if you have to work for a living , unlike some.- God said to the Rich , RICH , "for God has given us all things richly to enjoy, enjoyyy, enjoy!!- beware what you believe people.- this verse in the new testament was directed to the wealthy.

We need to remember as Christians that we can deny ourselves food, comfort, or any other things. But we have to stay in a place of prayer and openness to what the Holy Ghost has to say or we're no different than Hindu or Buddhist monks who starve and live lives of extreme poverty and deprevation

The only impediments are self imposed .

ascetism is not physical state, soul that seeking for god, and the mind is watchfullnes of the bad thoughts, and spirit receptive to spirit of god, this whole practise whill bring you to the final state, theosis, (union whit god in spirit) the purpose of our live ,this can be done in city or in desert, wherever you live

Withdrawal from the physical accentuates the spiritual, not a physical withdrawal but loss of its importance. Physical is radically addictive, distractive, the flesh resists the spiritual

Self denial does not bring us closer to God! If we have to struggle with self denial, we have not been transformed or reborn as scripture says. Once we are born again, we lose our desire to indulge in sin. We need no law to forbid us from indulging in destructive behaviors. Our new nature becomes altruistic, rather than the worldly nature of seeking to satisfy the flesh and the ego.

"Asceticism is not necessary. A soul grows by the exercise of human virtues and the observance of human morals and by divine favour. The extreme asceticism of the saints was superstition. The monasticism of the Christian church was mistaken. St. Paul was responsible for much of this because in one of his epistles he praises those who do not marry..." ~ Baha'i Thought

There is no such thing as “studying asceticism”

thanks for this. Protestant here who studies the Great Ascetics i.e John Cassian and others..