“Enq: I have heard people say that your rules require all members to be vegetarians, celibates, and rigid ascetics; but you have not told me anything of that sort yet. Can you tell me the truth once for all about this?
Theo: The truth is that our rules require nothing of the kind. The Theosophical Society does not even expect, far less require of any of its members that they should be ascetics in any way, except – if you call that asceticism – that they should try and benefit other people and be unselfish in their own lives.
Enq: But still many of your members are strict vegetarians, and openly avow their intention of remaining unmarried. This, too, is most often the case with those who take a prominent part in connection with the work of your Society.
Theo: That is only natural, because most of our really earnest workers are members of the Inner Section of the Society, which I told you about before.
Enq: Oh! then you do require ascetic practices in that Inner Section?
Theo: No; we do not require or enjoin them even there; but I see that I had better give you an explanation of our views on the subject of asceticism in general, and then you will understand about vegetarianism and so on.
Enq: Please proceed.
Theo: As I have already told you, most people who become really earnest students of Theosophy, and active workers in our Society, wish to do more than study theoretically the truths we teach.
They wish to know the truth by their own direct personal experience, and to study Occultism with the object of acquiring the wisdom and power, which they feel that they need in order to help others, effectually and judiciously, instead of blindly and at haphazard. Therefore, sooner or later, they join the Inner Section.
Enq: But you said that “ascetic practices” are not obligatory even in that Inner Section?
Theo: No more they are; but the first thing which the members learn there is a true conception of the relation of the body, or physical sheath, to the inner, the true man.
The relation and mutual interaction between these two aspects of human nature are explained and demonstrated to them, so that they soon become imbued with the supreme importance of the inner man over the outer case or body.
They are taught that blind unintelligent asceticism is mere folly; that such conduct as that of St. Labro which I spoke of before, or that of the Indian Fakirs and jungle ascetics, who cut, burn and macerate their bodies in the most cruel and horrible manner, is simply self-torture for selfish ends, i.e., to develop will-power, but is perfectly useless for the purpose of assisting true spiritual, or Theosophic, development.”
H. P. Blavatsky
The Mark Of God: Understanding Your "I AM Presence" 