The Ascetic Life

   It's interesting to read the story about Buddha's life, and to wonder about his period of asceticism. Many people are familiar with the way in which Buddha tried to train his body in many traditions before he finally had discovered the mind. In one sense, Buddha had integrated the concentration and discipline of asceticism by channeling it into a very intense determination to practice and realize the true spiritual path, particularly in a world of many sensual temptations and desires. But in the end, the Buddha simply could not accept or embrace ascetic life, particularly when it tried to see a 'next life' as better than this life. In a sense, Buddha was pointing out how ascetics contradict their practice by proposing that self-denial and fasting will eventually lead to greater happiness in the next life, or even paradise. If, as ascetics suggest, the life of sensual pleasure is unwholesome and full of suffering, why do ascetics often aim to reach a heavenly state where there are infinite pleasures of the senses? I believe that the Buddha was detecting a duality here, where the mind desires something more than a limited body or self. But this subtle duality creates all kinds of tensions and expectations, which often only makes suffering worse.
     Buddhism teaches a middle path of sorts: not to indulge in sensual pleasure (through attachment) and yet not trying to reject the sensual in favour of some heavenly image. I sometimes wonder, however: this day and age in North America, one hardly sees anyone close to resembling an 'ascetic' or one who trains her mind through diligent practice of self-mortification. Isn't modern Western culture in danger of constantly succumbing to sensual indulgence? But as soon as I pose this question, I start to realize that asceticism does still exist in subtle ways.  For instance, people often believe that if they punish their bodies by refusing to eat, they will magically reach an ideal body type which is considered highly valued by the society. Could this self-punishment not also be a kind of murky attempt at a spiritual path? I think any philosophy which poses something out there to be attained for the sake of 'being okay' can easily slide into asceticism. Perhaps deep down inside, people genuinely feel that they need to deny themselves certain senses or experiences in order to heal the mind and body.
   Although ascetic life is not so formalized in Western culture today, there are certain tendencies it represents. I think it has a long history of being associated with a Puritan work ethic, especially in suggesting that one can gain more by renouncing present pleasure. There is a subtle clinging to becoming which characterizes this fetish for 'inner growth' or 'self denial'. It is as though we have been taught all so often that we will have more if we forsake the 'easy' attainments of the senses and everyday pleasures. But what often results from this tendency is a kind of vigilance, where the self affirms itself through acts of sacrifice, often competing with others to see who 'sacrifices' the most. I wonder if this modern fetish for 'growing out' of one's skin or shedding skin, could perhaps be a holdover from the ascetic practices of early historical periods.