Ascesis (Noun)
Meaning
Rigorous self-denial and active self-restraint.
Classification
Nouns denoting acts or actions.
Examples
- The monks practiced ascesis through fasting, prayer, and physical labor to purify their souls.
- Her ascesis involved waking up at 4am every day to meditate and study scripture before engaging in physical exercise.
- Ascesis was a key component of the philosopher's self-improvement plan, as he sought to rid himself of worldly desires.
- Through ascesis and contemplation, the mystic attempted to reconcile herself with the divine.
- His ascesis took the form of a solitary retreat to the desert, where he spent 40 days and nights in fasting and prayer.