s of monasticism can be divided into three main parts- ascetic practices, separation from the world, and mystical aspiration."Several influences contributed to the rise of monasticism within the ancient church. The dualistic view of flesh and spirit, with its tendency to consider flesh evil and spirit good - so characteristic of the Orient- influenced Christianity through the Gnostic and Neplatonic movements. Retirement from the world would, it was thought, help the individual to crucify the flesh and develop the spiritual life by meditation and ascetics."Some of the ascetic practices that were performed were such as extreme fasting, a life of celibacy, prayer seven times a day and solitude. One person who explains extreme asceticism is Simon the Stylite. Simon lived buried in the ground up to his neck for several months. He also spent over thirty years on the top of a sixty-foot pillar near Antioch. Simon was an extreme, but others lived in fields and never undressed or bathed to have a reputation of sanctity. "Geography merits some consideration as a factor responsible for the rise of monasticism. It would have been much more difficult to carry on the monastic life in area where the climate was more severe than in Egypt, where the monastic life had its beginnings. The warm, dry climate and the multitude of caves in the hills along the banks of the Nile were conducive to separation of the individual from society. Small gardens, along with the resources of food provided by the Nile, made securing of food by the individual fairly easy. Nearness to desolate, forbidding scenery of the desert stimulated meditation."The mystical aspirations spoken of earlier can be defined as a communion in the mystery of Christ and so in his spirit who works in the soul through his gifts. The more intense communion with Christ, the more gifts play their part. Gregory of Nyssa will explain it by the idea of synergy.St Basil wrote this: "If ever a kind of lig...
