But very often it so happens that the one who lives an ascetic life is himself unaware of what he is doing and what it is intended for. And therefore even if he lives his whole life as an ascetic, he cannot derive a full benefit from it. His loss is then greater than his gain. For even asceticism is not a happiness; it is only a means of self-discipline; it is a drill in order to fight against temptations which draw one continually in lite and which hinder one's path to happiness. Not understanding this, a person may go on living an ascetic life but can never be benefited by it, like a soldier who has drilled all his life and never fought. Many have understood self-denial as the way to happiness, and they interpret self-denial in the form of asceticism, to deny oneself all pleasures which are momentary.