Everyone will have a different evolutionary journey. Asceticism was also a path the Buddha experienced before taking the Middle Way.
Everything that happens is necessary. The ascetic path may be necessary at a particular stage of evolution. We learn about asceticism to understand truth and the middle way, so we can transform and practice in balance rather than follow trends or the crowd.
You can learn more about the ascetic path through the history of Buddhism and by exploring the paths toward truth. One piece of Buddhist history is portrayed authentically through the journey to India in The Path of Awakening – The Path.
