Will power is the keynote of mastery, and asceticism is the development of will power.

     Bowl of Saki, September 21, by Hazrat Inayat Khan

Commentary by Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan

The first exercise to help the will power to develop would be to check every act, word, and thought which we do not wish to occur; to avoid unintentional actions, speech, and thoughts. The other exercise that is necessary for the development of the will power is that of seeing that neither our mind nor our body rules us, but that we rule our body and our mind. Desires such as appetite, thirst, sleep, even the desire of moving or standing or walking, all these desires should be under control. There should be a time in every day when every desire of the body is checked. See if you can do it; and then as long as you can let the body go without listening to it, do so.

   from  https://wahiduddin.net/mv2/VII/VII_7.htm


A person might ask, 'Is, then, the secret of happiness in the way of the ascetics, in tormenting and torturing oneself as they have done for ages?' Even that does not give happiness. It is only a distraction from the worldly pleasures which produce illusion. The ascetic shuts himself up in order to have an opportunity of taking another direction. ... For even asceticism is not a happiness. It is only a means of self-discipline.

   from  https://wahiduddin.net/mv2/I/I_IV_5.htm


The nature of the mind is such that it creates a thought and throws it over for another thought to take its place. This being the nature of the mind, it makes it difficult for one to concentrate upon one object steadily. The mind of an average person may be pictured as an unruly horse that jumps and kicks and throws anyone that tries to ride it. Masters of the world are those who have mastered themselves, and mastery lies in the control of the mind. If the mind became your obedient servant, the whole world is at your service. The king of mind is greater than the king of a nation.

   ~~~ "Githa II, 'Amaliyyat 1", by Hazrat Inayat Khan (unpublished)


The fasting and abstinence and all these things were taught in order to develop the will power, which results in self-discipline and which is the secret of all mastery; and it is by this power that the kingdom within is attained.

   from  https://wahiduddin.net/mv2/XIII/XIII_2.htm



   ~~~ Will power is the keynote of mastery, and asceticism is the development of will power.