Timeline for Do Buddhist monks live an ascetic life style?
Current License: CC BY-SA 3.0
14 events
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| Feb 3, 2016 at 20:43 | vote | accept | syntonicC | ||
| Feb 3, 2016 at 20:35 | comment | added | user382 | @syntonicC I think so, yes; that buddhism encourages a simpler life in general. | |
| Feb 3, 2016 at 20:31 | comment | added | user382 | @syntonicC I added a link to ascetism article on wikipedia which summarizes other practices that the term "asceticism" encompasses, but are not necessarily promoted in buddhism. | |
| Feb 3, 2016 at 20:29 | history | edited | user382 | CC BY-SA 3.0 |
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| Feb 3, 2016 at 20:16 | comment | added | syntonicC | @ThiagoSilva Your last paragraph seems to imply that while it is hard to reduce the 8-fold path into a compressed statement about balance, Buddhism tends toward asceticism (as opposed to indulgence) as a way of life if the circumstances permit it. And you imply that the perceived "extreme" asceticism of monks only seems this way because of the focus on comparing it to such a strong extreme on the other end of the spectrum. Could we say, then, that Buddhism encourages a simpler life in general (which ends up being perceived as ascetic in the modern view) or is this oversimplifying? | |
| Feb 3, 2016 at 20:11 | comment | added | syntonicC | Why would asceticism have anything to do with body mortification in the first place? It seems to me that if anything this would be a kind of sensual indulgence in an extreme sense. On the topic of torture, one could argue that an ascetic lifestyle could be mental torture due to sensory deprivation. | |
| Feb 3, 2016 at 15:56 | comment | added | ChrisW♦ | I remember Andrei mentioned (e.g. in this answer) that some people undergo, as training, painful yet harmless exercises. | |
| Feb 3, 2016 at 15:53 | comment | added | user7586 | The word samaṇa is usually a synonym for normal but also real ascetic (one who walks the middle path between indulging and torture), and looking after it, one would see that it is ever present also in its word all over the canon. | |
| Feb 3, 2016 at 15:46 | comment | added | user7586 | Its a "modern" interpretation that there should be no evidence that the eightfold path is actually not a path of an ascetic live (a live without indulging on sensual pleasures). That does not mean the other extreme has to be followed, which is torture of body, so that it would at least die without having attained anything. Ascetic (withdraw) which should be not made is the the withdraw of conditions to keep the body in a certain health condition. Even certain hard mental ascetics are actually necessary, on this level certain tortures need to be undertaken if obstacles are seen. | |
| Feb 3, 2016 at 15:37 | comment | added | user382 | @SamanaJohann on ascetic life: the assumption comes from never seen or heard any quote of any explicit or implicit comndenation of ascetic life in the suttas. I did attempt to differentiate "ascetism" from the practices that inflict damage to one's body. My answer indeed needs some rewording, however. Also, I'm rewriting the eightfold path part in attempt to be more careful and clear. Thank you | |
| Feb 3, 2016 at 15:36 | history | edited | user382 | CC BY-SA 3.0 |
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| Feb 3, 2016 at 14:32 | comment | added | user7586 | "Ascetic life is not condemned on the suttas." Where does Mr Thiago Sila takes that assuming from? Not to speak about "The eightfold path is not a teaching on moderation." when thinking on right resolve, the leader of actions, and the many topic (of one of the wholsesome ones) about that: Modesty, starting with: ""'This Dhamma is for one who is modest, not for one who is self-aggrandizing.' Thus was it said. With reference to what was it said? ..." | |
| Feb 2, 2016 at 21:41 | history | edited | user382 | CC BY-SA 3.0 |
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| Feb 2, 2016 at 21:26 | history | answered | user382 | CC BY-SA 3.0 |