A brief survey of Buddhist ascetic practices

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to isolate the salient features of Buddhist ascetic practices which are regarded by orthodoxy as a essential mode of existence modeled on the life-style of Gotama Buddha. The behaviour of those who subscribe to the regimen is supposed to be "... throughly purified, the course well fulfilled, body and speech well guarded, the conduct of the mind throughly purified, energy well exerted, fear allayed, false view of self gone to destruction... there is abhorrence of evil, delight in aloofness and constant diligence. This survey brings out - rather unintentionally - some of the similarities that exist in other universal ascetic systems - similarities that need to be investigated objectively for the purpose of establishing the authenticity or otherwise of certain ascetic practices believed to be organic to any given religion.