Types of ascetic life? How to live like a monk?

[trickybilly]

Hello everyone, nice to be here.

I want to learn as much as I can about various types of asceticism and it's details. I am open for extreme forms too. I know of:

1) Celibacy
2) Fasting - it is a pretty wide term. I would like to do something like the monks did, but it is hard to find exact instructions. I know that Francis Assissi and Buddha have practiced asceticism (even though the latter has renounced it) but I cannot find information how.
3) Beating yourself up - probably not an option for me, since I do not see any benefit from it. Help?
4) Staying awake - should I pray until morning. How do monks do it? Extremes are welcome too.

P.S. Besides these I know that inner asceticism is "praying" or "meditating"

 

[Whiterain]

Well you're going to need to take your computer and throw it in the garbage... jk

Before you begin your venture into celibacy know it will become extremely painful after a short few months. You must milk your glands, like every other creature on Earth or you will get sick.

Fasting is a practice in discipline, don't count on doing it if you have a rigorous work life. You will need nutrients to power your body, willpower won't last more than a few months.

Fasting is an excellent way to detoxify the body, but make sure you drink at least 2 quarts of water a day, a gallon, 8 glasses.

Flagellation is not necessary.

Meditation is more beneficial than indentured prayer. Clear your mind, feel your pulse, the energy your body has generated and find your soul.

It's more personal than becoming closer to God. Man finding God is hard, God finding you is hard. No need to whip yourself or beg.

 

[buddhist]

Buddhist monks in the early suttas undertake the ~227 precepts of the Patimokkha, which includes eating one meal a day (between dawn and noon).

We do not take extremes with our body in the Buddhist ascetic tradition - we neither engage in destructive activities which systematically destroys the body, nor do we engage in unskillful activities which inordinately overly esteems or pleasures the body. Instead, the body is kept fairly comfortable and adequately fed and rested, with enough exercise to keep it in reasonably good shape, as we would carefully maintain a useful tool (the body, in this case, is a raft which we travel upon/within to nibbana). There is no reason to beat it up, starve it, or force it to stay awake - IMO in the early Buddhist eyes, that would be destroying our raft.

The real, hard work is done within the consciousness and the mind - not the body.

 

[Vinayaka]

Hello everyone, nice to be here.

I want to learn as much as I can about various types of asceticism and it's details. I am open for extreme forms too. I know of:

1) Celibacy
2) Fasting - it is a pretty wide term. I would like to do something like the monks did, but it is hard to find exact instructions. I know that Francis Assissi and Buddha have practiced asceticism (even though the latter has renounced it) but I cannot find information how.
3) Beating yourself up - probably not an option for me, since I do not see any benefit from it. Help?
4) Staying awake - should I pray until morning. How do monks do it? Extremes are welcome too.

P.S. Besides these I know that inner asceticism is "praying" or "meditating"

Why? What are your reasons for exploring monastic life?

 

[Perditus]

 

[VioletVortex]

The main thing that matters in the long run is abstaining from sexual activity.

 

[Whiterain]

Alright adult talk. Abstinence is a choice not a requirement of spirituality. We have glands, God given glands, that must of milked. And milk them indeed. IT is imperative for your health, it is not an evil thing, it is a satanic evolutionary thing called the prostate. It controls a whole heap of hormones and testosterone and DNA architecture. That's your fax machine or 2nd brain... 2nd brain and you fax your copy to your SO, and hopefully the best of you's is brood or the punk UPS man kicked your gift and there's damage, and you got a rotten baby. As far as "Sex" goes erotica is a pleasure behind closed doors, you don't have to be a flaming skank. Pornography may be a necessity over the marble dry-wall and commode, just saying, wiggle the towel, read the shampoo, that doesn't always do it.


Anyway. I didn't last long in the abstinence, desire, fast... I hit enlightenment through psychotic break that had been in the works an eon or so, I knew it was coming.

We have society, you're in or out, function or not as a cog. Take what you need and leave for yourself or work together. Colonies aren't for everyone, religion makes it much worse over bigotry.

Desire. I want a 2013 Mustang, not 2015, they changed it again... Consumers always buying and selling the hottest model Mustang, Ford's a capitalizing cursewords. There was nothing wrong with the 1969 model, everyone could afford one for 3k in the 1967.

Monopoly runs America, nothing is provided for our citizens, they must earn. Our welfare programs are sadist, our people are sadist. At least we demolished slavery and the caste system, when I'm disrespected as such on a regular basis everywhere.

Barbarian lies. You want to kill. I can kill if need be and the cause is right, we have law and rules of engagement.

What do I need? Just water and somewhere to sleep... That may become extremely hard to find. You can survive on water for months alone at low intensity, give chase and you're likely to ball up dead.

What do I want? Purpose, such is the nature of spirituality for me, evolution... More than anything, with this breakthrough my career objectives were dewrenched. No epics here and at 30 my life is sort of a dismal nightmare. You think it would be an honor to cook for tomorrows Scholars but generation after generation just gets worse and worst and even more insulting.

What do I want.. Not to bounce out of the system and start travelling.

I want about 80k a year to provide for family and name brand clothes, I guess.

Edit
Oh roody poo, roody poo... I was talking about masturbation and porno. I forgot to tell you guys to visualize. Shame on me. The powers of the mind may become weak after indulging in hardcore smut over the years. It will reprieve your "dignity" a bit more of the profane mind, an old teaching, a bit stoic.

 

[VioletVortex]

Alright adult talk. Abstinence is a choice not a requirement of spirituality. We have glands, God given glands, that must of milked. And milk them indeed. IT is imperative for your health, it is not an evil thing, it is a satanic evolutionary thing called the prostate. It controls a whole heap of hormones and testosterone and DNA architecture. That's your fax machine or 2nd brain... 2nd brain and you fax your copy to your SO, and hopefully the best of you's is brood or the punk UPS man kicked your gift and there's damage, and you got a rotten baby. As far as "Sex" goes erotica is a pleasure behind closed doors, you don't have to be a flaming skank. Pornography may be a necessity over the marble dry-wall and commode, just saying, wiggle the towel, read the shampoo, that doesn't always do it.


Anyway. I didn't last long in the abstinence, desire, fast... I hit enlightenment through psychotic break that had been in the works an eon or so, I knew it was coming.

We have society, you're in or out, function or not as a cog. Take what you need and leave for yourself or work together. Colonies aren't for everyone, religion makes it much worse over bigotry.

Desire. I want a 2013 Mustang, not 2015, they changed it again... Consumers always buying and selling the hottest model Mustang, Ford's a capitalizing cursewords. There was nothing wrong with the 1969 model, everyone could afford one for 3k in the 1967.

Monopoly runs America, nothing is provided for our citizens, they must earn. Our welfare programs are sadist, our people are sadist. At least we demolished slavery and the caste system, when I'm disrespected as such on a regular basis everywhere.

Barbarian lies. You want to kill. I can kill if need be and the cause is right, we have law and rules of engagement.

What do I need? Just water and somewhere to sleep... That may become extremely hard to find. You can survive on water for months alone at low intensity, give chase and you're likely to ball up dead.

What do I want? Purpose, such is the nature of spirituality for me, evolution... More than anything, with this breakthrough my career objectives were dewrenched. No epics here and at 30 my life is sort of a dismal nightmare. You think it would be an honor to cook for tomorrows Scholars but generation after generation just gets worse and worst and even more insulting.

What do I want.. Not to bounce out of the system and start travelling.

I want about 80k a year to provide for family and name brand clothes, I guess.

Edit
Oh roody poo, roody poo... I was talking about masturbation and porno. I forgot to tell you guys to visualize. Shame on me. The powers of the mind may become weak after indulging in hardcore smut over the years. It will reprieve your "dignity" a bit more of the profane mind, an old teaching, a bit stoic.

Most monks would probably be better off abstaining from sexual activity.

 

[Perditus]

@Whiterain,

You should consider writing as a profession. You have a great style.

 

[Thief]

Hello everyone, nice to be here.

I want to learn as much as I can about various types of asceticism and it's details. I am open for extreme forms too. I know of:

1) Celibacy
2) Fasting - it is a pretty wide term. I would like to do something like the monks did, but it is hard to find exact instructions. I know that Francis Assissi and Buddha have practiced asceticism (even though the latter has renounced it) but I cannot find information how.
3) Beating yourself up - probably not an option for me, since I do not see any benefit from it. Help?
4) Staying awake - should I pray until morning. How do monks do it? Extremes are welcome too.

P.S. Besides these I know that inner asceticism is "praying" or "meditating"

monogamy is sufficient
eat only what you need....(wishing I could stick to this one)
practice martial art
and if you really consider God.....you won't sleep well anyway
I don't

 

[Whiterain]

So I pull myself off the commode and turn around to take a look at what I am... Alarmed at the additions a familiar voice goes... "That how you goin to live life, scared of your own peanuts?" "Take a dump and move on... Don't investigate them to thoroughly.."

I am indebted to them and it is something I can not repay, like one of those things were you just got f-cked, like by the Devil. But they say I owe them nothing, Loki in particular... He said he hasn't used that name in like 10,000 years...

Despite their "reputation" for inconceivable cruelty, they're hysterical and on tap with our mortal suffering....

Good luck to you...

By the way... People don't need a whole lot of incentive to murder someone these days... I don't have much applicable by their hubris for humanity... Just a bunch of macro and micro pollution is destroying the planet, not only macro industrial waste but micro waste by us peons taking our chronic bowel movements and the whole plastic beach, automobiles, greenhouse gas... I vote for an massive influx of nitrous in the atmosphere, that would lighten us up...

I'm a tree hugger, but I'm not some bleedin heart hippy... Progress is destructive, catastrophic... The industries could slam the brakes on all that over night and put peeps on waiting lists over decade long or more transition plans...

Whatever, I'm terrible at that type of stuff, I'm intellectually inept... Need me to cleave a man in two with a ******* sword, sure thing, give me 3 months indentured training and some NSAIDS, I'm f-cking majestic in battle. :0) idk what else to do, get a therapist that will get me far away from the where da pbr.

Edit:

Oh god I could go on for days come to think of it... The Celtic Gods were like "Learn Gaelic" I can not even pronounce these tongues. This is one of the most archaic and advanced languages on Earth.... I need a tutor... Learn Gaelic. 6 years later, I'm incapable of it.

It's just like, English, man, it's American English... E-Z-P-Z in over a dozen dialects, no need to be stubborn, we can even spit Ebonics and Spanglish.


Anyway, trying to think of some bad *** **** to say if I end up crucified or executed in some fashion, people are sadistically invasive, you know.

"You're idiots."

I've been crucified right side up, upside down, burned at the stake, beheaded by guillotine, killed in battle. Unsuccessful at accomplishing philosophical things in this world, committed numerous "atrocities." Some times killings got to be done, we have law now, which separates us from barbarism, something close to me heart.


Alas, I take more closure in I'm just mentally ill, it is my scape goat and a tight little check in the works someday... That and comp from the military, what an insulting experience that has been.... Not going into the nitty gritty on that tour. I got rocked several times though, no blood on my hands though... PTSD for sure... little kids running around... bombs off, burning hair, women, kids screaming... burning hair... burning... rubber.. flesh.



Good luck on Shangriala, m8. They told me to get the loot and bounce back to Goth, debts paid to fettered Glory. Tor wants me there.



o7

 

[arthra]

Hello everyone, nice to be here.

I want to learn as much as I can about various types of asceticism and it's details. I am open for extreme forms too. I know of:

1) Celibacy
2) Fasting - it is a pretty wide term. I would like to do something like the monks did, but it is hard to find exact instructions. I know that Francis Assissi and Buddha have practiced asceticism (even though the latter has renounced it) but I cannot find information how.
3) Beating yourself up - probably not an option for me, since I do not see any benefit from it. Help?
4) Staying awake - should I pray until morning. How do monks do it? Extremes are welcome too.

P.S. Besides these I know that inner asceticism is "praying" or "meditating"

Baha'is do not encourage asceticism or monastic practices but we have Fasting during the last month of the Baha'i calendar year.. this involves nineteen days of Fasting.. No solid food or liquids between sunrise and sunset. Those between fifteen years of age and seventy years old can Fast. If you are ill or have a job involving heavy labor or must travel long distances you can be exempt.

Baha'is believe sex should only be in the context of marriage.

We do have some early morning gatherings on Holy Days and chanting prayers is encouraged .. Some of the more beautiful prayers are chanted in Farsi and Arabic as well as other languages.

Certain prayers are recited daily and there are instructions for devotional postures such as prostrations for some prayers. Baha'is who can are encouraged to make pilgrimage to the Holy Land.

 

[trickybilly]

Sorry for the very late response life got in the way and internet problems. To clarify some misunderstandings:

1) I already am a complete celibate (being as "innocent" as a 5 year old). I am a totally normal straight 31 y.o. male btw. I need your advice to be even more ascetic than this. I do not need help in celibacy since I am already living it and it is easy for me - but I do need help in other forms of asceticism.
2) I want to learn especially the extreme techniques. For e.g. the usual "easy" fasting around Christian holidays may be beneficial. but I am more interested in a more intense fast: what the saints or monks (Christian, Hindu, Buddhist, etc.) did. It would be best to find their writings, their "how to guide" to do this. I do not want to experiment if I can just follow already established ascetic practices. Besides please do not worry about my health, I am a doctor, specializing in internal medicine so I will handle safety. Besides fasting I am interested in all other ascetic, especially extreme ascetic practices. In this I am asking your help if you have knowledge/experience with these.

P.S. I will not have internet from Monday to Friday afternoon, so please understand that I can only post today or
next weekend.

 

[buddhist]

I am more interested in a more intense fast: what the saints or monks (Christian, Hindu, Buddhist, etc.) did.

The only "intense" fasting I am aware of in early Buddhism is done once a week on the Uposatha days (full, new, and half moons).

It consists of a light meal in the morning on the Uposatha before solar noon, then abstinence from food from solar noon until dawn the next day, accompanied by the observance of the Eight Precepts (rather than the normal Five Precepts undertaken by laypeople on regular days).