Asceticism, Monasticism and Celibacy
Aspirants who wish to completely sever themselves from worldly life may adopt the secluded and sometimes solitary life of a monk or nun. In Buddhism and Jainism, and in Roman Catholic and Orthodox Christianity, the highest religious vocations require celibacy—monks, nuns and priests. Asceticism also abounds in Hinduism, where in addition to life-long ascetics, there is the tradition that brahmins would spend the last years of their lives as solitary ascetics devoting themselves to the goal of liberation. Christian monasticism took institutional form in order to provide a supportive setting for those who wished to take vows of poverty and chastity, who valued the love of Christ which surpasses the love of women.
There is no monasticism in Islam. Nevertheless, Muslims practice asceticism on a wide scale with the month-long fast of Ramadan. Fasting and all-night prayer vigils attack the body’s desire for food and sleep. They are examples of ascetic practices within everyone’s reach, unlike traditional monasticism which is practiced only by a spiritual elite. In Thailand and Sri Lanka, Buddhist young men usually devote six months to monastic training before embarking on family life.
In line with his teaching on subduing the desires of the body, Father Moon praises monasticism for its devotion to attaining mind-body unity. Nevertheless, a tension exists between the path of the celibate priest and the family ideal that God purposed at the creation. Hence, at the end of this section are passages critical of the monastic life; such are found in nearly every tradition where it is practiced: asceticism can lead to an overly severe personality devoid of compassion; monasticism is incompatible with the generative and productive life of the world which is ordained by God.
Father Moon’s teaching points to the deeper problem that led God to institute the path of celibacy and asceticism in the first place: the corruption of marriage at the Human Fall. In the final passages, he describes the dawning of a new age in which marriage is restored to its original estate and there is no more need for the discipline of celibacy.
While celibacy was a true and noble path in past ages, the time has come for religion to exalt marriage above the celibate life. Indicative of this sea-change is the decline of monasticism and celibacy that is being felt all over the religious world.