1. The Ascetic Life of a Monk or Nun

World Scripture

The blue-necked peacock which flies through the air never approaches the speed of the swan. Similarly, the householder can never resemble the monk who is endowed with the qualities of the sage, who meditates, aloof, in the jungle.
Sutta Nipata 221 (Buddhism)

Go on the begging tour, stay in a forest, eat but a little, speak only measured words, put up with misery, conquer sleep, practice friendship with all and non-attachment in an excellent manner.
Vattakera, Mulacara 981 (Jainism)

“Revile not, harm not, live by rule restrained; Of food take little; sleep and sit alone; Keep thy mind bent upon the higher thought.” Such is the message of awakened ones.
Udana 43 (Buddhism)

Let him always wander alone, without any companion, in order to attain [final liberation], fully understanding that the solitary man, who neither forsakes nor is forsaken, gains his end.
He shall neither possess a fire, nor a dwelling; he may go to a village for his food, indifferent to everything, firm in purpose, meditating and concentrating his mind on God.
A potsherd [for an alms-bowl], the roots of trees [for a dwelling], coarse worn-out garments, life in solitude, and indifference towards everything are the marks of one who has attained liberation.
Let him not desire to die, let him not desire to live; let him wait for [his appointed] time, as a servant for the payment of his wages.
Let him put down his foot purified by his sight [i.e., watching not to step on any creature], let him drink water purified by straining with a cloth [so as not to swallow any creature], let him utter speech purified by truth, let him keep his heart pure.
Let him patiently bear hard words, let him not insult anybody, and let him not become anybody’s enemy for the sake of his body.
Against an angry man let him not in return show anger, let him bless when he is cursed, and let him not other speech, devoid of truth, scattered at the seven gates.
Delighted in what refers to the Soul, sitting [in yoga postures], independent, entirely abstaining from sensual enjoyments, with himself for his only companion, he shall live in this world, desiring the bliss [of liberation]…
Let him go to beg once a day, let him not be eager to obtain a large quantity of alms; for an ascetic who eagerly seeks alms attaches himself also to sensual enjoyments…
By eating little, and by standing and sitting in solitude, let him restrain his sense, if they are attracted to sensual objects.
By the restraint of his senses, by the destruction of love and hatred, and by the abstention from injuring the creatures, he becomes fit for immortality.
Laws of Manu 6.37-60 (Hinduism)

The first degree of humility is obedience without delay. This becomes those who, on account of the holy subjection which they have promised, or of the fear of hell, or the glory of life everlasting, hold nothing dearer than Christ. As soon as anything has been commanded by the Superior they permit no delay in the execution, as if the matter had been commanded by God Himself…
Let permission to speak be seldom given… If anything must be asked of the Superior, let it be asked with all humility and respectful submission. But coarse jests, and idle words or speech provoking laughter, we condemn everywhere to eternal exclusion; and for such speech we do not permit the disciple to open his lips…
The vice of personal ownership must by all means be cut out in the monastery by the very root, so that no one may presume to give or receive anything without the command of the Abbot; nor to have anything whatever as his own, neither a book, nor a writing tablet, nor a pen, nor anything else whatsoever, since monks are allowed to have neither their bodies nor their wills in their own power. Everything that is necessary, however, they must look for from the Father of the monastery; and let it not be allowed for anyone to have anything which the Abbot did not give or permit him to have. Let all things be common to all.
Rule of Saint Benedict (Christianity)

Teachings of Sun Myung Moon

What are we trying to restrain? We are trying to deaden the body. That is why religions teach us to fast, do prayer vigils all night without sleep, be celibate and live as a hermit. In the Catholic Church the highest vocation is to be a priest or a nun; they do not marry for their entire life. In Buddhism also, most monks are celibate.
Compare these disciplines with the lifestyle of American youth. It is quite the opposite of that of religious people who make it their chief aim to conquer the body. As a result, they are living a hellish existence, constantly besieged by the temptations of the satanic world. The youth of America should realize this; they should understand that the way they are living is contrary to God’s Will. Instead of pursuing the body’s pleasure, we should torment our body. Why? Because [due to the Fall] our body has become Satan’s dance floor.
(215:236, February 20, 1991)

Christians in the Middle Ages practiced asceticism and placed great hardship on their bodies. However, in modern times many churches became disparaging of the ascetic life; they have lost sight of the fact that the body dominates the conscience unless one takes active measures to stop it. Not knowing this principle, they turned away from a central aspect of the Christian tradition. Now that you know clearly that the enemy lives in your physical body, you must treat it as an enemy. You must continue on the ascetic path until the body is suppressed.
(254:222, February 13, 1994)

Two pluses repel each other. God is in the position of a plus, but Satan also tries to stand in this plus position, although [as a servant of God] he should be in the minus position—such is Satan. Why does the path of self-cultivation call us to asceticism? Its purpose is to strike Satan’s realm within each of us, that plus side that belongs to evil, in order to switch it over to the minus position.
(4:23, February 16, 1958)

The path of religion is one of denial. On that path we should deny the desire for food, sleep, sex, and all the things that we like. Give up your sexual desire! Go without food and sleep! Originally, a human being should eat, sleep, and enjoy things. However, as these desires of the body lead us to death, we must reject them.
Burst a nuclear bomb in your body! Break and completely subjugate your body! The body wants to be respected and live in comfort. It dislikes harsh conditions and likes what is easy, soft and plump. But we should despise all that the body likes. We should love what is difficult, hard and rough. The body likes a high position. It is happy to eat well, even by taking someone else’s money. It does not care about anyone but itself. We have to destroy such a nature. We have to bring the body down to be humble, to serve and to sacrifice.
(18:66, May 21, 1967)