AUSTERITY IN VEDANTA

In Vedanta, the spiritual practice of conserving energy and directing it toward the realization of God is called austerity.  There are three types of true austerity according to the Bhagavad-Gita.  Swami Prabhavananda summarized them this way:

Worship of the higher powers, service to the teacher and to the wise, cleanliness, external and internal, straightforwardness, continence, and care not to injure any being, these things are known as the austerity of the body.

Speech which causes no vexation, and is true, and also agreeable and beneficial, and regular study of the Scriptures, these are said to constitute the austerity of speech.

Serenity of mind, kindliness, silence, self-control, honesty of motive, this is called the austerity of the mind.

The swami added that one point needs to be emphasized here.  We should never forget that the ideal of life is neither austerity nor renunciation, nor even meditation, but to know God, to be illumined within one's own soul.  The means must never be confused with the end.