Asceticism is a way of life in which a person undergoes any restrictions of his own free will. This is usually accompanied by the renunciation of human pleasures in the material world. Ascetics refuse food, sleep, sexual joy, alcohol and much more. Their faith, which they adhere to, says that the whole world is an illusion, and enjoying it, a person forgets the essence of his existence, increasingly moving away from the divine. In order to achieve spiritual enlightenment and become closer to God, one must throw off all unnecessary oneself, get rid of material attachments. And only then will a person comprehend the Truth.
The cult of asceticism in the religions of the world
Religions around the world practice asceticism in their faith. Not even religion, but its followers. Indeed, as the “true believers” say, detachment from the pleasures of life is the greatest happiness that God can give them. And so their whole life goes. In self-discipline, suffering and self-flagellation.
An ascetic lifestyle is present in the lives of both ordinary believers and "official" followers of the faith. For example, in Islam, ascetics are called Zuhd Zuhd or Zahid, that is, those who have completely limited themselves in human pleasures and dedicated their lives to God.
In Christianity, asceticism is a special technique for achieving the spiritual through exercises of self-discipline and limitations. Ascetic Christians spend their lives in prayers and fasts, observing the vows of obedience and piety.
A vow is a kind of expression of the will of an ascetic who announces a commitment to overcome difficulties, gain divine recognition, or for other purposes. It can be superimposed for a certain time or for a lifetime.
But for the most part, the vow, unfortunately, is a means of flaunting your ascetic person, so that as many people as possible learn that a person is silent, quit eating, sleeping or something else has stopped, or, conversely, has begun to make any ritual actions every day and every day for the sake of a great goal or because of the injustice that took place in the world, for God's sake. Most of them, not counting the hermit monks, simply want to draw attention to themselves or to some actual problem with their actions.
In such a form of faith as Buddhism, an ascetic lifestyle is generally the norm, and all sorts of restrictions are only welcome, but not exposed. Buddhist monks, like Buddha, renounce many of the joys of human life, because they can rejoice in simple things and see the beautiful in everything. Therefore, they do not need any material goods of the human world.
The followers of Hinduism compare their life with suffering, which is completely surrendered to the will of the Gods. This type of faith is based on the truth of the rebirth of the soul, reincarnation. Hindus say that no matter how problematic and complex life God gives, the next will be better. However, their suffering is not limited to forced. Adherents of different sects and branches from the main religious teachings achieve incredible pains and bodily exhaustions in their austerities.
Through suffering for the freedom of the soul, or How to approach God, standing still
Some ascetics experience inhuman torment to achieve enlightenment. The most debilitating practice of self-torture in the world is to constantly be in a standing position. Having made this vow, people no longer have the opportunity to sit down or lie down. And through this position, they reach the divine essence.
Such people are called standing monks. In India, this sect began its inception and found a greater response.
Standing monks
There are few followers of such an ascetic lifestyle - there are about a hundred of them. After all, not everyone will be able to overcome the pain in order to know the spiritual component of the world. And not everyone will want it. There are more standing monks in India than elsewhere on the planet. This is affected by the prevailing mentality of the majority of the Indian population, which is used to all kinds of restrictions.
The “achievements” of the false monks, torturing themselves on the streets of Indian cities for money, as well as the spiritual practices of Tibetan gurus, providing for a hermit lifestyle, are nothing compared to the tormenting experiences of standing monks. India is the most suitable place for those people who have decided to renounce their lives and embark on the spiritual path of enlightenment by joining the ascetics of any faith.
"Practice" of standing monks
The monks, who decided to take the vow of constant standing, are forced to stay in the pose of vrikasana, in the pose of a tree, becoming part of it. They eat, drink, and manage their necessities of life only by standing. They even sleep on their feet, tying themselves so that it is impossible to fall.
In the future, due to constant tension, the legs swell, an elephant disease begins to develop. After the reverse process begins. The legs lose weight so much that all the veins on them are visible, and the bones are clearly visible behind the thinnest layer of skin. Chronic pain arises from persistent tension, and a person experiences constant torment. In order not to feel this, the monks are pumped from foot to foot, becoming like an ever-swinging pendulum. From this the pain does not abate, but their swaying image instills truly strange feelings.
In India, standing monks are allowed to relieve some tension by bending one leg to the pelvis and tying it in that position. Also, some of them are building a makeshift hanging palm rest for themselves to lean on it and thereby shift the center of gravity from upside down. And the more sophisticated monks hold a raised hand, also for enlightenment.
Painful enlightenment
People of different circles, classes and ages join the sect of standing monks of India. The younger generation, having read religious books and inspired by examples of ascetics of the previous generation, go to monks to achieve enlightenment. For older people, this is like preparing for death, cleansing their karma and soul.
You can become a standing monk with any type of faith. Experiencing constant excruciating pain, they perceive everything else as not important. Ascetics begin to feel divine pleasure in this. Their eyes become clear, the soul becomes bright and clean. They gain spiritual peace.
Temple
The world's only temple of standing monks is located in India, on the outskirts of the city of Mumbai. Few people know about his whereabouts and few can stand such a sight. Standing monks of India of different ages and nationalities find peace in this place. There they eat, sleep and constantly smoke hashish in order to somehow drown out this debilitating pain. The temple is their home for the rest of their lives.
Four years after the beginning of his austerities, the standing monks acquire the status of Hareshvari and can return to their lives. But so far no monk has denied his path.