Ascetic – a person who is free from worldly pleasures, having given up material possessions and selfish thoughts
(Pronounced uh-seht-ik)
To remember the meaning of the Buddhist term Ascetic, use the following mnemonic:
The space has been cleared out and made antiseptic (ascetic). The only way to do this was get rid of all the possessions.
Self denial – giving up material things and selfish thoughts – has long been a part of many religions, including Buddhism. This is what is meant by being an ascetic.
![Becoming an ascetic takes some people to the point of starvation, and even death. The Buddha taught that there is a middle way](/images/user/base/Religious Studies/remember-ascetic-pt-2--in-buddhism-rs-copy.58a77e0.jpg)
However, although there are some who take asceticism to extremes, even to the point of starving themselves to death, the Buddha himself taught that there was a "middle way" – a path somewhere between extreme self-denial and materialism.
He came to this conclusion after going through a period of self-denial when he nearly starved himself to death.
Most Buddhists today believe there are two extremes that should not be indulged – devotion to sensual pleasure and devotion to self-affliction. By avoiding both of these extremes, the middle way is realised.
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