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'''Asceticism''' involves self-control, self-denial, self-discipline; also in [[religion]] methods and practices of asceticism may include extremes of severe self-denial, as forms of [[penance]] or as [[devotion]], for the purpose of overcoming slavery to bodily passions, or adopted as an expression of contempt for or rejection of the primacy or reality of bodily material existence, emphasizing the ''ephemeral'', transitory, impermanent nature of temporary (''temporal'' "time-conditioned", ''contingent'') physical life and existence, sometimes to express the belief that matter is an illusion; sometimes practiced as a form of inducing a [[Mysticism|mystical]] state.

'''Asceticism''' involves self-control, self-denial, self-discipline; also in [[religion]] methods and practices of asceticism may include extremes of severe self-denial, as forms of [[penance]] or as [[devotion]], for the purpose of overcoming slavery to bodily passions, or adopted as an expression of contempt for or rejection of the primacy or reality of bodily material existence, emphasizing the ''ephemeral'', transitory, impermanent nature of temporary (''temporal'' "time-conditioned", ''contingent'') physical life and existence, sometimes to express the belief that matter is an illusion; sometimes practiced as a form of inducing a [[Mysticism|mystical]] state.

The Greek [[philosophy]] of [[Stoicism]] is an '''ascetical''' approach to life, intended to free the individual from the slavery of [[addiction]] to [[licentiousness|licentious]] sensuality; opposed by the philosophy of [[Hedonism]] championed by [[Epicurus]] in his doctrine of [[Epicureanism]].

The Greek [[philosophy]] of [[Stoicism]] proposed by Zeno of Citium is an '''ascetical''' approach to life, intended to free the individual from the slavery of [[addiction]] to [[licentiousness|licentious]] sensuality; opposed by the philosophy of [[Hedonism]] championed by [[Epicurus]] in his doctrine of [[Epicureanism]].

Both [[Buddhism]] in the [[Noble Eightfold Path]] and the Letters of [[Saint Paul]] in the [[Christianity|Christian]] [[New Testament]] (e.g. Colossians 2:8-23) warn against extremes of ascetical practice which may in reality be rooted in [[Motivation|motives]] of [[Pride]] and [[Elitism]], in the mistaken belief that such measures express genuine [[spiritual]]ity in contrast to the majority of [[sin]]ful and [[Fall of man|fallen]] [[Homo sapiens|humanity]].

Both [[Buddhism]] in the [[Noble Eightfold Path]] and the Letters of [[Saint Paul]] in the [[Christianity|Christian]] [[New Testament]] (e.g. Colossians 2:8-23) warn against extremes of ascetical practice which may in reality be rooted in [[Motivation|motives]] of [[Pride]] and [[Elitism]], in the mistaken belief that such measures express genuine [[spiritual]]ity in contrast to the majority of [[sin]]ful and [[Fall of man|fallen]] [[Homo sapiens|humanity]].