The Discipline of Spiritual Self-Improvement

I was recently reminded watching a video of how similarly the wise Oleg Maštruko once wrote. He’s a columnist for Bug magazine. He primarily discusses Facebook (though it isn't the only platform, is it?) as a modern phenomenon that paralyzes human willpower. The root cause is a phenomenological satisfaction of desires and needs through the imaginative projection of them onto others via social media, achieving nothing more than an ephemeral sense of gratification.
By "liking"—a term that drives a man toward a sort of mental knockout—one engages in the masturbation of unfulfilled plans and ideals that will never take root. Due to the intoxicating inertia provided by a recliner in synergistic interference with daydreaming, man alienates himself from reality and slowly slides into a dull conformism.
Every form of utilitarianism, including this latest iteration creeping in like a cancer by blurring empirical reality, trivializes human temporality and further obstructs our existential duty toward one another.

Casey Gomez said:I was recently reminded watching a video of how similarly the wise Oleg Maštruko once wrote. He’s a columnist for Bug magazine. He primarily discusses Facebook (though it isn't the only platform, is it?) as a modern phenomenon that paralyzes human willpower. The root cause is a phenomenological satisfaction of desires and needs through the imaginative projection of them onto others via social media, achieving nothing more than an ephemeral sense of gratification.
By "liking"—a term that drives a man toward a sort of mental knockout—one engages in the masturbation of unfulfilled plans and ideals that will never take root. Due to the intoxicating inertia provided by a recliner in synergistic interference with daydreaming, man alienates himself from reality and slowly slides into a dull conformism.
Every form of utilitarianism, including this latest iteration creeping in like a cancer by blurring empirical reality, trivializes human temporality and further obstructs our existential duty toward one another.

Facebook is a communication tool, just like a phone or a text message, allowing users to network. It's bad because it's free, which means it has functions dictated by the owner rather than the users. The owner's goal is to sell something. It's comparable to a shopping mall—the space for communication is formally public, but the goal is the covert advertising of everything possible, followed by sales. And the users themselves have the chance to advertise what they have—themselves. Zidić is their little billboard where they market their existence. It's well known that advertising induces passivity, especially if you're bombarded by thousands of messages from all sides; decision-making becomes harder when you lose the ability to select. The fact that there are so many people wanting to advertise themselves, far more than anyone has time to watch, leads to them being shut out from reaching others, even if they technically have access. It reduces everything to a so-called "placebo button." That's the button they put on traffic lights while waiting for red to turn green; you can press it, but it serves no function other than relieving the pedestrian's frustration while cars zoom past unimpeded. Regardless, it's positive in that those with something to market get free access, but negative for those who thought they had something to offer but actually don't, as they realize their worthlessness in a world of money and influence. This supposed "interpersonal," human interaction doesn't even exist in real life, so why would it exist on the internet? And it's easy for Maštruko to write when he doesn't have to sell his Bug—unless it's already gone under, likely heavily subsidized by publishers or funded by a bunch of nerd idiots buying it for computer games and servers, while Oleg gets his paycheck along the way.

And you, Sri Yag baba, haven't exactly been much of a salesman in your life, have you...?
This text of yours might fit in some obscure literary-philosophical rag, some Quorum, a literary Mesozoic social-realist monster from a jungle of gibberish with too many pages of cheap paper that tolerates anything, even works by sniveling political science or philosophy students with grotesque illustrations... Not Zarezu, though; they've chewed that up a hundred times already... Maybe give a speech at Subversive, and someone might notice you.

I get it, those ads will eventually give you a third eye. And a nasty one at that. 😲 But look, this isn't a thread about advertising, nor is it a PDF report on the subject. To avoid trolling any further...

Casey Gomez said:...serve to shift one's perception and state of consciousness, offering a brief reprieve from the crushing boredom of daily existence. Life's various setbacks, coupled with the sheer weight of monotony, tend to drown any sense of optimism or spiritual clarity in a bleak, gray void of mindless suffering.
Alright, maybe that was a bit dramatic.
Still, a person can find a certain satisfaction in the clarity of their own spirit—in that resigned refusal to chase the illusions of perceived reality—and take pride, if only internally, in their own resolve.
Therefore, the imperative lies in sobriety; let imagination go to hell. Or so they say, but one must actually put in the work to experience anything else, otherwise, what's even the point of me explaining this?
The solution is psychophysical training. It’s about finding self-satisfaction through a sense of superiority—not over other people, because that's a misguided path, but over life's hardships and its endless desires.

Asceticism can only truly help if it isn't an end in itself. For instance, when we strip away all the external stimuli—TV, Facebook, and everything else the modern world throws at us through those tiny little screens—we are suddenly left alone with ourselves. And that is where it gets difficult, because most of us don't even know who we are; without those distractions, we find ourselves reaching back for those same illusions like they're a drug we can't quit...
Removing those outside distractions is perfectly fine for spiritual growth, but if asceticism becomes the goal itself—if we think we're gaining something just by practicing it—then we aren't actually achieving anything. If we use it merely as a "crutch" to lean on, wouldn't it be better to actually focus on getting to know ourselves first? That seems more worthwhile.

It’s been proven that kids develop intelligence through play and engagement. Isolation just makes them slower. But too much indulgence is its own kind of trap; if you never say no, they grow up indecisive and entitled. Asceticism is really just discipline—reminding yourself that you can't have everything at once and focusing energy where it actually matters. Extreme asceticism is only for those completely lost to materialism. Take an addict, for instance; you have to put them in a rehab center and strip everything away to see any progress. Most people don't need such harsh therapy to let go of trivial or harmful distractions.

Then there’s the matter of faith acting as a projection of desire toward the future. Essentially, faith in what is to come. Whether you call the mediator God, the quantum field, or whatever else suits your worldview, it all boils down to being subservient to the will. I am the manifestation of that will; I act and create as such. I am constantly reinventing myself and influencing my surroundings. That is the essence of existence. When I become conscious of the very fabric of my being, I find true satisfaction in the process—the way we find joy in play when we are children, and in creation once we mature. It's found in labor and in simplicity. It is achieved through a gaze that remains unburdened by worry.

So, here we go again. How are we supposed to deal with this utter nonsense? How can I even perceive myself as being senseless? It’s only possible through self-awareness. And then what?

What exactly constitutes our existential duty toward one another?

Casey Gomez said:Then there’s the matter of faith acting as a projection of desire toward the future. Essentially, faith in what is to come. Whether you call the mediator God, the quantum field, or whatever else suits your worldview, it all boils down to being subservient to the will. I am the manifestation of that will; I act and create as such. I am constantly reinventing myself and influencing my surroundings. That is the essence of existence. When I become conscious of the very fabric of my being, I find true satisfaction in the process—the way we find joy in play when we are children, and in creation once we mature. It's found in labor and in simplicity. It is achieved through a gaze that remains unburdened by worry.

Damn, I actually like this. Really like it.
I assume you'll mock me since I'm admitting I like it and because I don't have a more profound comment than "this is good"—but honestly, who cares?
I like it.

Michael Castillo said:What exactly constitutes our existential duty toward one another?

Ethical conduct. Humanity.

How exactly are you defining that?

silentwolf192 said:silentwolf192 here. Personally, I think the whole asceticism thing actually makes sense if you look at it through a different lens: it’s really just about streamlining your life. If you cut out all the trivial nonsense, you aren't wasting precious time or energy on things that don't matter. It doesn't even feel like much of a sacrifice, honestly—it's more like leaning into that natural human instinct to seek out simplicity and ease.
I just don't get this whole asceticism thing—this idea that you have to reject everything actually good and life-affirming just to find spiritual clarity. Some people seem obsessed with that path of total deprivation, basically insisting on punishing their own bodies through suffering just to reach some kind of "freedom." And look, maybe for some folks, that’s a valid route. I'm not saying it isn't possible. But personally? Since I don't believe that misery is a prerequisite for growth, I’m definitely not going down that road.
Look, if I decide to skip out on meat or cut back on the sweets, it’s not some strict "access" thing or a rigid dietary protocol I'm following. It’s much simpler than that—I’m just listening to my gut. Honestly, I just go where my intuition takes me.
I’m actually inclined to believe that if Aako views suffering as this ultimate agony, then the whole thing is pretty much pointless. I mean, the spirit remains tethered regardless, right? And yet, there are certain things you just have to purge through pain—like getting clean from heroin or having a rotten tooth yanked out by a dentist. You can't really bypass the grit of it.
Maybe my take on enlightenment is a little too hedonistic for some, but hear me out. I truly believe that motivation has to come from a positive place if you actually want to reach that state of peace and bliss without all the unnecessary suffering. If the end goal is finding the light, then why shouldn't the journey itself be driven by that? Sure, people talk about asceticism or intense catharsis, but even those paths are supposed to lead toward something better. For me, I try to keep the path itself positive and cut out the misery—unless, of course, the struggle is absolutely necessary to get where I'm going.

👍

Ryan Wilson2 said:The ascetic imperative... yeah, right... anyone can claim they want that. But just imagine if that imperative were brutally material—if you actually needed a million dollars just to begin your journey toward spiritual enlightenment.

Well, that wouldn't work, would it? Such a religion wouldn't be accessible to everyone.

There’s no safety net there. What's going to keep you warm during a blizzard? Are you allowed to kill to eat? Can you gut a deer to prep the meat, or cold-bloodedly slaughter a rabbit that wandered into your trap? And so on, and so forth.

It’s all very easy to type away from the comfort of a heated room. It's easy when, instead of trekking through the wilderness while starving, you just walk over to a 7-Eleven. When you're thirsty, you turn on a faucet instead of hiking to a spring in the middle of the night. And when nature calls, you have a bathroom rather than a hole in the dirt.

I am genuinely fascinated by these "spiritualists" who preach about returning to nature, yet seem to have absolutely no grasp of everything modern civilization has provided for us.

👍
The body is really the ultimate indicator—like, if you start shifting how you eat, that’s almost always tied back to what’s going on in your emotional life, too. It’s all connected.
It’s one thing to understand your own body—really getting how you work—but it’s a whole different story when people start packaging up parts of themselves just to sell a certain image to the world... mostly just to feed their own ego.
It’s not just a coincidence that everyday people—you know, the actual masses—can spot genuine sincerity from a mile away. It’s like an instinct we have. Take someone like Marina Abramović, for instance—she's a world-renowned artist, and I've always felt she really tapped into that true, raw perception of the human body.
It’s not just a coincidence that Buddha once suggested—if I can paraphrase him a bit here—that your body has the potential to become... Rahulo. 😉
It’s such a massive mistake to point fingers at people based on their bodies—honestly, there's a much better way to handle things through actual re-education. Instead of just throwing someone in jail, Putin should have just shown the American public the actual pornographic footage of those girls. I mean, I haven't seen anything more disgusting or repulsive than that. It really just drags down the concept of both pornography and the human body itself. It all feels so unnatural and staged—they try so hard to manipulate the space around them that even teenagers can see right through the act.
People tend to get so hung up on things that don't really matter in the grand scheme of things—I remember being into clothing-optional beaches back in the day, but now? I don't feel much of anything toward that kind of thing, neither good nor bad. Though, I suppose there are people out there who aren't exactly thrilled about seeing a naked body next to them or having someone remind them which parts of the anatomy they actually possess.
Honestly, it's probably best to sort out your own backyard before you start bragging or comparing notes with others—just look at what's happening over in Japan.
A woman in Japan is looking at two years behind bars because of a kayak shaped like her own scanned anatomy.
Japanese Artist Megumi Igarashi Arrested Over Vagina Kayak
TOKYO - An artist in Japan who designed a kayak modeled after her own anatomy stated on Wednesday that she was "outraged" by her arrest and promised to fight the obscenity charges in court. Megumi Igarashi, 42, claims she was trying to push back against a culture of "discrimination" regarding discussions of female anatomy in Japanese society.
Igarashi, working under the pseudonym Rokudenashiko—which translates to "good-for-nothing girl"—constructed a bright yellow kayak with a top shaped like her own anatomy after pulling in about $10,000 via crowdfunding. As a thank-you to several donors, Igarashi even shared 3D printer data of her scan—the digital blueprint for the whole project. She was taken into custody this past Saturday for distributing indecent material and is currently facing up to two years in prison along with a fine that could hit $25,000. The tricky part is that the legal definition of obscenity is pretty murky in Japan, and according to her defense attorney, Kazuyuki Minami, the whole debate hinges on whether the anatomy itself can actually be labeled as obscene. Even though Japan has a massive adult entertainment industry, it’s still governed by sections of the criminal code that haven't changed since 1907. Because of that, video porn in Japan frequently uses digital mosaics to blur out genitalia just to dodge those obscenity laws.
Japanese artist Megumi Igarashi, known as Rokudenashiko, paddles in her uniquely shaped kayak on October 19, 2013. She noted on her website that this specific part of the body "has been such a taboo in Japanese society," adding, "It's been overly hidden although it's just a part of a woman's body."
In-Depth
- Reuters
First published July 17th 2014, 10:22 am
http://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/ja...-kayak-n158081

There are two ways to practice asceticism:

1. Total external renunciation. This is pretty much impossible to pull off in the US unless you're living in a monastery following strict religious canons;
2. Internal detachment. This means letting go of everything within yourself while still staying fully engaged in your day-to-day life—and honestly, that’s the real imperative.

Casey Gomez said:The core issue here is essentially how far an individual intends to push their own self-development and spirituality, versus how much they settle for frivolous, fleeting quick fixes—those superficial religious veneers and New Age recipes typically cobbled together from religious or psychoanalytic theories dressed up in naive semantics.
The term "spirituality" itself, which relies on spirit as its central motif, ideologically implies a counterpoint to materialism; it suggests non-substantialism. In nearly all religious texts, the imperative to renounce material wealth emerges as a necessity for the spiritual and secular lives of religious figures—essentially acting as an idealistic paradigm.
Such a demand placed upon a human being stands in direct opposition to our innate nature, which is defined by the permanent attempt to satisfy our own internal voids. As one philosopher clarified, the very existence of passion is a clear indicator that human reality is one of scarcity. It is an unquenchable scarcity that easily devolves into compensation through extreme forms of human gratification, manifesting as blind greed and hatred.
Thus, it is clear that in the struggle against our own animality, man must sacrifice his inherent inclination toward materialism to slowly ascend toward, say, the divine, in order to reach what is ultimately a true ordering of reality. Truth is ugly, according to N.

However, it is difficult to realize this imperative *a priori*, and even harder to abandon the psychological primacy through which we live our lives: our instincts.
The reward is hazy; the state of consciousness belonging to a sublime spirit is an intangible unknown that cannot be pursued if one isn't even aware of its existence.

It is obvious that such a philosophy cannot be contemplated unless it is lived. It requires a different worldview, a different tuning of the nervous system—something that seems impossible to the average person. This requires either an innate quality or circumstances driven by a certain destined force.
Our needs and desires are, even historically speaking, replaceable as momentary pursuits. It would be absurd to suggest that a modern person wants exactly what an 18th-century resident wanted, such as a new carriage and a horse. Yet, that was just as much of a struggle for them as a luxury car is for someone today.

So, who is truly prepared to sublimate nature—that nature whose enchanting, scenic beauty we admire—while beneath our feet, a dramatically fatal and relentless war plays out as a compensation for the eternal deficiency felt by those who live?

An ambitious man who works for hours just to enjoy wealth still represents the ideal of human will and struggle, but can he simultaneously enjoy his entire estate in the same way a higher spirit can enjoy the entirety of its own hard-won, superhuman consciousness?

Anyone looking for God through the New Age is basically looking for bread when they should be looking for cake. My dear philosopher, you've explained your very simple thought process with such expert precision. Asceticism isn't for people who haven't been called to that life; you can dive into it philosophically, sure, but it won't bear any fruit. You enter asceticism alongside God and your soul, and over time, your soul detaches from your intellect so you can fully immerse yourself in the onostran... being in the world, but not of it. I'd recommend watching the documentary "veličanstven tišina" or checking out some of the rare works by the Carthusian brothers.

Betty Collins5 said:Anyone looking for God through the New Age is basically looking for bread when they should be looking for cake. My dear philosopher, you've explained your very simple thought process with such expert precision. Asceticism isn't for people who haven't been called to that life; you can dive into it philosophically, sure, but it won't bear any fruit. You enter asceticism alongside God and your soul, and over time, your soul detaches from your intellect so you can fully immerse yourself in the onostran... being in the world, but not of it. I'd recommend watching the documentary "veličanstven tišina" or checking out some of the rare works by the Carthusian brothers.

What I really want to know is: how many Carthusians have actually managed to immerse themselves in the onostran?

Or is it all just a collective delusion that they've achieved anything at all?

It shouldn't be hard to check, given how few of them there are left in the world:

Right now, there are roughly 380 Carthusians and Carthusian nuns living in 22 monasteries globally—5 of which are female. To give you an idea of their footprint, there are 5 monasteries in France, 4 in Spain, 3 in Italy, 2 in South Korea, and then just one each in England, Argentina, Brazil, Germany, Portugal, Canada, Switzerland, and the USA.

And when you look at their daily schedule:

It looks to me like they probably spend most of their days just sleeping. 😲 😁

The real tragedy would be if they missed out on:

Benjamin Taylor6 said:What I really want to know is: how many Carthusians have actually managed to immerse themselves in the onostran?

Or is it all just a collective delusion that they've achieved anything at all?

It shouldn't be hard to check, given how few of them there are left in the world:

Right now, there are roughly 380 Carthusians and Carthusian nuns living in 22 monasteries globally—5 of which are female. To give you an idea of their footprint, there are 5 monasteries in France, 4 in Spain, 3 in Italy, 2 in South Korea, and then just one each in England, Argentina, Brazil, Germany, Portugal, Canada, Switzerland, and the USA.

And when you look at their daily schedule:

It looks to me like they probably spend most of their days just sleeping. 😲 😁

The real tragedy would be if they missed out on:

Hey there! How's it going?
I don't really know how deep those Carthusian types have gone into the onostran stuff... honestly, they aren't even really my focus right now...
What does it even matter how many of them there are scattered across the globe? Honestly... it feels like such a moot point...
What does their agenda even have to do with us? It feels like they're just spinning wheels...
That link about those Eastern meditation techniques has absolutely nothing to do with what I was actually talking about!...

Betty Collins5 said:Anyone looking for God through the New Age is basically looking for bread when they should be looking for cake. My dear philosopher, you've explained your very simple thought process with such expert precision. Asceticism isn't for people who haven't been called to that life; you can dive into it philosophically, sure, but it won't bear any fruit. You enter asceticism alongside God and your soul, and over time, your soul detaches from your intellect so you can fully immerse yourself in the onostran... being in the world, but not of it. I'd recommend watching the documentary "veličanstven tišina" or checking out some of the rare works by the Carthusian brothers.

Mayke, this wasn't intended as a search for God. 😲 Let God fast if He feels like it. Besides, it’s not the 80s anymore. 😲 Are you a time traveler or something? 😲

Betty Collins5 said:Anyone looking for God through the New Age is basically looking for bread when they should be looking for cake. My dear philosopher, you've explained your very simple thought process with such expert precision. Asceticism isn't for people who haven't been called to that life; you can dive into it philosophically, sure, but it won't bear any fruit. You enter asceticism alongside God and your soul, and over time, your soul detaches from your intellect so you can fully immerse yourself in the onostran... being in the world, but not of it. I'd recommend watching the documentary "veličanstven tišina" or checking out some of the rare works by the Carthusian brothers.

Betty Collins5, aren't we all called to live out our renunciation through kindness and compassion? 🙂
Rather than embracing the cross of life, shouldn't we avoid trying to 'empty' ourselves or strip away everyday existence by chasing after who-knows-what powers that exist outside of God? 🙂

You put that so beautifully, and honestly, thanks for the tip about the Carthusian film. I’ll have to check it out tomorrow since it’s pretty long—on Vimeo, nearly three hours. I don't think I've seen it, though I've always thought the Carthusians were cool (like Father Damir, the university chaplain in a big US city, who's actually a born Canadian, a sturdy guy... basically a saint 😍)

...but I wouldn't go as far as to say, like you suggested, that the intellect separates from the being. In Christianity, a person is an inseparable whole—body, mind, and soul—and separating them would go against God's natural law. The intellect is simply redirected (toward God) and sobered up [1 Peter 5:8] by connecting the mind with the heart—and then everything rises together toward God.

nepsis is basically synonymous with Christian mindfulness—that ascetic alertness over one's thoughts, the discipline practiced by the ancient Church Fathers to maintain sobriety of mind and prevent thoughts from wandering or drifting away.

That is what living the faith looks like: applying it to daily life, right in the middle of everyday experiences and the temptations that pull us away from God.

The arena for Christian asceticism isn't at the peak of a mountain or tucked away in a monastery, nor is it found in some egoistic, self-indulgent meditation; it's right there in the heat of life.

Amy Brooks12 said:Betty Collins5, aren't we all called to live out our renunciation through kindness and compassion? 🙂
Rather than embracing the cross of life, shouldn't we avoid trying to 'empty' ourselves or strip away everyday existence by chasing after who-knows-what powers that exist outside of God? 🙂

You put that so beautifully, and honestly, thanks for the tip about the Carthusian film. I’ll have to check it out tomorrow since it’s pretty long—on Vimeo, nearly three hours. I don't think I've seen it, though I've always thought the Carthusians were cool (like Father Damir, the university chaplain in a big US city, who's actually a born Canadian, a sturdy guy... basically a saint 😍)

...but I wouldn't go as far as to say, like you suggested, that the intellect separates from the being. In Christianity, a person is an inseparable whole—body, mind, and soul—and separating them would go against God's natural law. The intellect is simply redirected (toward God) and sobered up [1 Peter 5:8] by connecting the mind with the heart—and then everything rises together toward God.

nepsis is basically synonymous with Christian mindfulness—that ascetic alertness over one's thoughts, the discipline practiced by the ancient Church Fathers to maintain sobriety of mind and prevent thoughts from wandering or drifting away.

That is what living the faith looks like: applying it to daily life, right in the middle of everyday experiences and the temptations that pull us away from God.

The arena for Christian asceticism isn't at the peak of a mountain or tucked away in a monastery, nor is it found in some egoistic, self-indulgent meditation; it's right there in the heat of life.

Are you sure? Maybe he's a Salesian? Carthusians usually don't leave the monastery...
Definitely watch that documentary. It's beautiful. Three hours of pure, majestic silence. Good for the soul...

Edit: Not exactly a fan of Father Damir, for other reasons...

Jeffrey Watson13 said:Are you sure? Maybe he's a Salesian? Carthusians usually don't leave the monastery...
Definitely watch that documentary. It's beautiful. Three hours of pure, majestic silence. Good for the soul...

Edit: Not exactly a fan of Father Damir, for other reasons...

Alright then, sounds like I can't miss out on all that monastic silence.

You don't have to be a fan of Father Damir himself, just the way of life he's actually living.
Hmm, let me guess what those "other reasons" might be... 🙂 Is it his family lineage, or maybe something he said that got totally twisted by those local Catholic enthusiasts over there—the ones he wasn't even talking to in the first place?