Abstract

Asceticism is a means of realising the absolute, owing to the fact that man does not live in harmony with the ultimate reality, which is observed as a common notion in the world religious traditions of mankind, as they all strive to bridge the visible world with that which is unseen and unknown. Thus, human re-absorption into the divine essence became an ultimate concern. In achieving this spiritual ideal demanded the practice of self-denial of all conventional (physical and psychological) desires. However, to some people, such ascetic practices do more damage than good. The paper adopted the philosophical, historical and comparative method, using theoretical approach, the paper focuses on the meaning and forms of asceticism as well as its central position in different religious traditions – African Traditional religion, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism – Through this research effort, it was established that the practice of asceticism is obligational in some religious traditions, while in others, it is optional and moderate. More significantly is the fact that some adherents of different religious traditions embark on ascetic practices without understanding the meaning and implication of what they are doing, thus, the need to take asceticism in the context of rituals and not a mere religious exercise.