Curtis Cook [1310441]

Asceticism/Renunciation Reflection Paper

October 8, 2015
ARTSSCI 3L03 (Joe Larose)
During our course we have discussed the deep divide between an ascetic and an
engaged lifestyle, as well as the historical ways that the South Asian culture has dealt with this
dichotomy. As part of the course requirement, we were encouraged to explore an alternative to
this binary, by incorporating an ascetic practice into our daily, engaged lives as students. For a
week, I drank only water, as opposed to other liquids like coffee or juice. I also practiced a 20minute traka meditation every day. In this practice, the meditator stares at a candle until
their eyes begin to water, then closes their eyes and focuses on the afterimage of the candle
flame until it fades. In the first part of this paper, I will discuss my own experience while going
through these ascetic practices, and in the second part, I will attempt to answer the question of
whether or not ascetic practices are compatible with an engaged lifestyle as a university
student, and whether these practices can bring any benefits while still remaining engaged.
The first thing I should say is that I did not find my ascetic practice particularly difficult.
Although other historical figures went through awe-inspiringly difficult acts of renunciation,
such as Simeon Stylites (who lived on top of a pillar for 37 years), my acts were easily
incorporated into my daily life. In a way, though, I believe that this satisfied the requirement of
good enkrateia (self-control) as best as I could. Ware argues that enkrateia is best when it
reduces material life to the utmost simplicity, restricting our physical needs to a minimum.
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(Ware 2002, 9) This drive towards simplicity played a large role in my choice of ascetic act. If I
chose something extravagant or unduly difficult, such as standing on one leg for a week, while
simultaneously trying to live my life as an engaged student, I felt that I would be doing the
opposite of reducing my life to the utmost simplicity. So I was glad that my practices were
relatively easily integrated into my life.
Others reacted to my behaviour in a mostly positive way. However, I think this may have
been for reasons other than a general admiration for ascetic acts. My choice to only drink water
ties in well with the modern stigma against soft drinks and alcohol, as well as the positively
regarded practices of detoxing/cleansing, and so appears to be part of a healthy lifestyle. In
other words, I think others were congratulating me not simply because I was doing an ascetic
act. If I had been doing something that went more against societal norms, such as sleeping in a
closet or only wearing shorts and a t-shirt during cold fall weather, the response from others
would have been more along the lines of why would you ever want to do that. I think this
reflects a more individualistic attitude than in ancient times, when ascetics were recognized as
important spiritual guides for the community, and in those times the response probably would
have been much more supportive.
In Wares essay, he brings up a point about the wider effects of personal asceticism that
resonated with me. The ascetic can bring benefits back to the community by undertaking a
withdrawal (anachrsis) followed by a return to bring spiritual guidance and teachings. An
example is Saint Benedict, who hid himself in a cave near Rome for years. Ware says his
solitary quest for personal salvation did in fact exercise in the long term a profoundly creative
effect on European culture. Ware goes further and says that ascetics are doing the best thing
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they can possibly do for the culture they are withdrawing from, because they are praying for it.
As a non-religious person, I find this hard to swallow, but I think it is an interesting point that
the most effective and maybe the only way to effect lasting change in the world is by
withdrawing from it. Sharing something on Facebook that you think supports a cause can only
go so far. When you try to enact change while still remaining engaged with the world, you are
simply one among many. But fundamentally altering ones life and withdrawing from
everything can serve as a legitimate source of inspiration. Many of the most influential actors in
recent history, including Nelson Mandela, Mahatma Gandhi, and Bobby Sands have gone
through renunciatory acts at least partially for their own sake and had impacts on their
respective social orders that are impossible to understate. Maybe it takes a fundamental
withdrawing from the world, whether followed by a return or not, to create fundamental
change.
After my week of experimenting with ascetic practices, I can say that I believe some
ascetic practices are compatible with life as a university student, although the underlying
principle behind asceticism is not. It would take a very understanding university administrator
to accept that you cannot write a test or complete an assignment because you are committed
to sitting on a pillar for the next week. Thus, the ancient idea that ascetic practices produce an
inwardly free or beautiful person (Ware 2002, 1) seems to have gone by the wayside in the
modern day in the university setting. Ascetic practices are only valued insofar as they
contribute to the development of the person as a whole, not for their own sake or as gateways
to a higher truth or spiritual understanding. That said, ascetic acts have their place today. Selfcontrol is one of the most important attributes a person can have, with higher measured
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personality levels of self-control correlating strongly with overall life satisfaction in scientific
studies. I found that disciplining myself to begin each day by meditating for 20 minutes,
focusing on my own breathing and a candle flame, was a much better way to start the day than
instantly checking email and Facebook. So ascetic acts can serve as a way to train yourself in
self-discipline, even if they are only for their own sake. I personally could definitely use some
training in this area. I believe that I will continue to incorporate some asceticism into my life,
having completed this week-long experiment.
Word Count: 1024

Bibliography
Ware, Kallistos. 2002. The Way of the Ascetics: Negative or Affirmative? In Asceticism,
edited by Vincent L. Wimbush and Richard Valantasis, 3-15. Oxford: Oxford University Press.