The Lost Art of Asceticism and Spiritual Madness
It is no question whether in our modern time man has become more spiritual or scientific. Man has become the most enlightened that he has ever been. He has cast off the yoke of superstition and accepted his newfound transcendence. But are we really better off?
If we are so exalted and superior to those that came before us, why do we give in to every impulse of our beastly passions? Why would it seem that never was there a time where humanity was less disciplined and slothful? It would be easy to blame men such as Darwin and even the Beatles for the revolution of our days. It’s far deeper than that, unfortunately. It seems that man has lost his appreciation for the divine, for the excellent, for the supreme. There are those who pursue greatness it is true, but many of us are content to live in our comfortable mediocrity.
My proposal is not that the world immediately turn to the divine and all that entails. To ask this of men would be madness. I hope at least that in the future we will appreciate the heritage that was left for us. To one day have a society where men work on their laptops as easily as they meditate on lofty ideals will be the day where we stop acting like we’re good and start living our lives well. To appreciate the joy of self-denial and discipline and the lessons we can learn from the spiritual masters of the past will be a step towards progress.
I think it is better for us to be mad and good than enlightened and bad. If we can at least appreciate religion and learn from it than it will have served one of its main purposes. We have been taught to seek material comfort and sensual pleasure. I propose that we flee these things like the Stoics and the Christians did. To become a martyr of modern madness, for a seemingly worthless endeavor.
