Free essays, research papers, term papers, and other writings on literature, science, history, politics, and more A summary of Part X (Section4) in Yann Martel's Life of Pi. Learn exactly what happened in this chapter, scene, or section of Life of Pi and what it means. Perfect for acing essays, tests, and quizzes, as well as for writing lesson plans blogger.com is the one place where you find help for all types of assignments. We write high quality term papers, sample essays, research papers, dissertations, thesis papers, assignments, book reviews, speeches, book reports, custom web content and business papers
Asceticism - Wikipedia
Asceticism has been historically observed in many religious traditions, including BuddhismJainismHinduismIslamChristianityJudaism and Pythagoreanism and contemporary practices continue amongst some religious followers. The practitioners of this philosophy abandon sensual pleasures and lead an abstinent lifestyle, in the pursuit of redemption[7] salvation or spirituality. This may take the form of ritualsthe renunciation of pleasure, or self-mortification.
However, ascetics maintain that self-imposed constraints bring them greater freedom in various areas of their lives, such as increased clarity of thought and the ability to resist potentially destructive temptations. Asceticism is seen in the ancient theologies as a journey towards spiritual transformationwhere the simple is sufficient, the bliss is within, the frugal is plenty.
The adjective "ascetic" derives from the ancient Greek term askēsiswhich means "training" or "exercise". Dom Cuthbert Butler classified asceticism into natural and unnatural forms: [13].
Self-discipline and abstinence in some form and degree life of pi religion essay parts of religious practice within many religious and spiritual traditions. Ascetic lifestyle is associated particularly with monksnunsfakirs in Abrahamic religions, life of pi religion essay, and bhikkhusmunissannyasisVairagis, Goswamis, yogis in Indian religions.
Christian authors of Late Antiquity such as OrigenSt. Jerome[16] Ignatius of Antioch[17] John Chrysostom and Augustine of Hippointerpreted meanings of the Biblical texts within a highly asceticized religious environment, life of pi religion essay.
Scriptural examples of asceticism could be found in the lives of John the BaptistJesus Christ himself, the twelve apostles and the Apostle Paul. The Dead Sea Scrolls revealed ascetic practices of the ancient Jewish sect of Essenes who took vows of abstinence to prepare for a holy war.
An emphasis on an ascetic religious life was evident in both early Christian writings see Philokalia and practices see Hesychasm. Other Christian practitioners of asceticism include individuals such as St. Paul the HermitSt. Simeon StylitesSt, life of pi religion essay. David of Waleslife of pi religion essay, St. John of Damascus and St. Francis of Assisi. According to Richard Finnmuch of early Christian asceticism has been traced to Judaism, but not to traditions within Greek asceticism.
Morality is not seen in the ancient theology as a balancing act between right and wrong, but a form of spiritual transformation, where the simple is sufficient, the bliss is within, the frugal is plenty. The deserts of the Middle East were at one time inhabited by thousands of male and female Christian ascetics, hermits and anchorites[19] including St. Anthony the Great aka St.
Anthony of the DesertSt. Mary of Egyptand St. Simeon Stylitescollectively known as the Desert Fathers and Desert Mothers. In AD, an association of monasteries called Lavra was formed on Mount Athosin Eastern Orthodox tradition. Sexual abstinence such as those of the Encratites sect of Christians was only one aspect of ascetic renunciation, and both natural and unnatural asceticism have been part of Christian asceticism.
The natural ascetic practices have included simple livingbegging, [22] fasting and ethical practices such as humilitycompassionmeditationpatience and prayer.
The Gnostikos is the second volume of a trilogy containing the Praktikosintended for young monks to achieve apatheiai. The third life of pi religion essay, Kephalaia Gnostikawas meant for meditation by advanced monks. Those writings made him one of the life of pi religion essay recognized ascetic teachers and scriptural interpreters of his time, [29] which include Clement of Alexandria and Origen. The ascetic literature of early Christianity was influenced by pre-Christian Greek philosophical traditionsespecially Plato and Aristotlelooking for the perfect spiritual way of life.
The Arabic word for asceticism is zuhd Zuhd in Islam. Scholars in the life of pi religion essay of Islamic studies have argued that asceticism zuhd served as a precursor to the later doctrinal formations of Sufis that began to emerge in the 10th century through the works of individuals such as al-Junaydal-Qushayrīal-Sarrāj, al-Hujwīrīand others.
Sufism grew as a mystical, somewhat hidden tradition in the mainstream Sunni and Shia Islam, state Eric Hanson and Karen Armstronglikely in reaction to "the growing worldliness of Umayyad and Abassid societies". Sufism was adopted and then grew particularly in the frontier areas of Islamic stateswhere the asceticism of its fakirs or dervishes appealed to a population used to the monastic traditions of Buddhism, Hinduism or Christianity. Ritual ascetic practices, such as self-flagellation Tatbirhave been practiced by Shia Muslims annually at the Mourning of Muharram.
Asceticism has not been a dominant theme within Judaism, but minor to significant ascetic traditions have been a part of Jewish spirituality. The Hasidaean-Essene tradition of the second Temple period is described as one of the movements within historic Jewish asceticism between 2nd century BCE and 1st century CE. Ascetic Jewish sects existed in ancient and medieval era times, [56] most notably the Essenes and Ebionites.
According to Allan Nadler, two most significant examples of medieval Jewish asceticism have been Havoth ha-Levavoth and Hasidei Ashkenaz. This voluntary separation from the world was called Perishuthand the Jewish society widely accepted this tradition in late medieval era.
The Jewish faithful of this Hasidic tradition practiced the punishment of body, self-torture by starvation, sitting in the open in freezing snow, or in the sun with fleas in summer, all with the goal of purifying the soul and turning one's attention away from the body unto the life of pi religion essay. Another significant school of Jewish asceticism appeared in the 16th-century led from Safed.
A studied example of this group was Hayyim ben Joseph Vitaland their rules of ascetic lifestyle Hanhagoth are documented. According to Shoghi Effendi, in Baháʼí Faiththe maintenance of a high standard of moral conduct is not to be associated or confused with any form of asceticism, or of excessive and bigoted puritanism. Asceticism is found in both non-theistic and theistic traditions within Indian religions, life of pi religion essay.
The origins of the practice are ancient and a heritage shared by major Indian religions such as Buddhism, Hinduism and Jainism. These probably developed from a syncretism of Vedic and Sramanic influences. Asceticism in Indian religions includes a spectrum of diverse practices, ranging from the mild self-discipline, self-imposed poverty and simple living typical of Buddhism and Hinduismlife of pi religion essay, [64] [65] to more severe austerities and self-mortification practices of monks in Jainism and now extinct Ajivikas in the pursuit of salvation.
In Indian traditions such as Buddhism and Hinduism, self-mortification is typically criticized. The historical Siddhartha Gautama adopted an extreme ascetic life in search of enlightenment. According to Hajime Nakamura and other scholars, some early Buddhist life of pi religion essay suggest that asceticism was a part of Buddhist practice in its early days. Textual evidence suggests that ascetic practices were a part of the Buddhist tradition in Sri Lanka by the 3rd century BCE, and this tradition continued through the medieval era in parallel to sangha style monastic tradition, life of pi religion essay.
In the Theravada tradition of Thailandmedieval texts report of ascetic monks who wander and dwell in the forest or crematory alone, do austere practices, and these came to be known as Thudong. In the Mahayana tradition, asceticism with esoteric and mystical meanings became an accepted practice, such as in the Tendai and Shingon schools of Japanese Buddhism, life of pi religion essay. In Chinese Buddhism, self-mummification ascetic practices were less common but recorded in the Ch'an Zen Buddhism tradition there.
The Chinese Buddhist asceticism practices, states James Benn, were not an adaptation or import of Indian ascetic practices, life of pi religion essay, but an invention of Chinese Buddhists, based on their unique interpretations of Saddharmapuṇḍarīka or Lotus Sūtra.
Renunciation from the worldly life, and a pursuit of spiritual life either as a part of monastic community or as a loner, has been a historic tradition of Hinduism since ancient times. The renunciation tradition is called Sannyasaand this is not the same as asceticism — which typically connotes severe self-denial and self-mortification. Sannyasa often involved a simple life, one with minimal or no material possessions, study, meditation and ethical living.
Asceticism-like practices are hinted in the Vedasbut these hymns have been variously interpreted as referring to early Yogis and loner renouncers. One such mention is in the Kesin hymn of the Rigvedawhere Keśins "long-haired" ascetics and Munis "silent ones" are described, life of pi religion essay.
The Keśin does not live a normal life of convention. His hair and beard grow longer, he spends long periods of time in absorption, musing and meditating and therefore he is called "sage" muni, life of pi religion essay. They wear clothes made of yellow rags fluttering in the wind, or perhaps more likely, they go naked, clad only in the yellow dust of the Indian soil.
But their personalities are not bound to earth, for they follow the path of the mysterious wind when the gods enter them. He is someone lost in thoughts: he is miles away. The Vedic and Upanishadic texts of Hinduism, life of pi religion essay, states Mariasusai Dhavamony, do not discuss self-inflicted pain, but do discuss self-restraint and self-control. This is evidenced by the oldest Sannyasa Upanishads, because all of them have a strong Advaita Vedanta outlook. For example.
Abstention from injuring living beings, truthfulness, abstention from appropriating the property of others, abstention from life of pi religion essay, liberality kindness, gentleness are the major vows. There are five minor vows: abstention from life of pi religion essay, obedience towards the guru, avoidance of rashness, cleanliness, and purity in eating.
He should beg for food without annoying others, any food he gets he must compassionately share a portion with other living beings, sprinkling the remainder with water he should eat it as if it were a medicine.
Similarly, the Nirvana Upanishad asserts that the Hindu ascetic should hold, according to Patrick Olivellethat "the sky is his belief, his knowledge is of the absolute, union is his initiation, compassion alone is his pastime, bliss is his garland, the cave of solitude is his fellowship", and so on, as he proceeds in his effort to gain self-knowledge or soul-knowledge and its identity with the Hindu metaphysical concept of Brahman.
The 11th century text, Yatidharmasamuccaya is a Vaishnavism text that summarizes ascetic practices in Vaishnavism tradition of Hinduism. Asceticism in one of its most intense forms can be found in one of the oldest religions, Jainism. Ascetic life may include nakedness symbolizing non-possession of even clothes, fasting, body mortification, penance and other austerities, in order to burn away past karma and stop producing new karma, both of which are believed in Jainism to be essential for reaching siddha and moksha liberation from rebirths, salvation.
Most of the austerities and ascetic practices can be traced back to Vardhaman Mahavirathe twenty-fourth "fordmaker" or Tirthankara who practiced 12 years of asceticism before reaching enlightenment. Jain texts such as Tattvartha Sutra and Uttaradhyayana Sutra discuss ascetic austerities to great lengths and formulations. Six outer and six inner practices are most common, and oft repeated in later Jain texts.
The Jain text of Kalpasutra describes Mahavira's asceticism in detail, whose life is a source of guidance on most of the ascetic practices in Jainism: [].
The Venerable Ascetic Mahavira for a year and a month wore clothes; after that time he walked about naked, and accepted the alms in the hollow of his hand. For more than twelve years the Venerable Ascetic Mahivira neglected his body and abandoned the care of it; he with equanimity bore, underwent, and suffered all pleasant or unpleasant occurrences arising from divine powers, men, or animals.
Both Mahavira and his ancient Jaina followers are described in Jainism texts as practicing body mortification and being life of pi religion essay by animals as well as people, but never retaliating and never initiating harm or injury ahimsa to any other being. In Jain monastic practice, the monks and nuns take ascetic vows, after renouncing all relations and possessions. The vows include a complete commitment to nonviolence Ahimsa.
They travel from city to city, often crossing forests and deserts, and always barefoot. Jain ascetics do not stay in a single place for more than two months to prevent attachment to any place. They do not touch or share a life of pi religion essay platform with a person of the life of pi religion essay sex, life of pi religion essay. Jain ascetics follow a strict vegetarian diet without root vegetables.
Pushpendra K. Jain explains:. Clearly enough, to procure such vegetables and fruits, one must pull out the plant from the root, life of pi religion essay, thus destroying the entire plant, and with it all the other micro organisms around the root. Fresh fruits and vegetables should be plucked only when ripe and ready to fall off, or ideally after they have fallen off the plant. In case they are plucked from the plants, only as much as required should be procured and consumed without waste.
The monks of Shvetambara sub-tradition within Jainism do not cook food, but solicit alms from householders.
Life of Pi: External and Internal Conflicts to Survival
, time: 16:22Life of Pi Part One: Chapters 21–36 Summary & Analysis | SparkNotes
A summary of Part X (Section4) in Yann Martel's Life of Pi. Learn exactly what happened in this chapter, scene, or section of Life of Pi and what it means. Perfect for acing essays, tests, and quizzes, as well as for writing lesson plans Achiever Papers: A custom essay writing service that sells original assignment help services to students. We provide essay writing services, other custom assignment help services, and research materials for references purposes only. Students should ensure that they reference the materials obtained from our website appropriately blogger.com is the one place where you find help for all types of assignments. We write high quality term papers, sample essays, research papers, dissertations, thesis papers, assignments, book reviews, speeches, book reports, custom web content and business papers
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