Asceticism in TB and "The Middle Way"

[practitioner]

One of Buddha's foremost disciples, Mahakashyapa, was an ascetic who did not shave his head and who practiced Dhutanga while roaming around in the forests surviving on fruits. So I suppose Buddha was not opposed to asceticism.

He was opposed to Self mortification which is a different thing altogether and this was understood to be in reference to the disciples of Niganthas. Stuff like sleeping on a bed of nails, inflicting pain on your body (like some Christians and Muslims do). This is what is extreme.

At the time of the Buddha Christians and Muslims did not exist...

[Tiger]

One of Buddha's foremost disciples, Mahakashyapa, was an ascetic who did not shave his head and who practiced Dhutanga while roaming around in the forests surviving on fruits. So I suppose Buddha was not opposed to asceticism.

He was opposed to Self mortification which is a different thing altogether and this was understood to be in reference to the disciples of Niganthas. Stuff like sleeping on a bed of nails, inflicting pain on your body (like some Christians and Muslims do). This is what is extreme.

At the time of the Buddha Christians and Muslims did not exist...

You are right. I wanted to refer to the Hindu ascetics and Jains who tend to torture their bodies and do practices like sleeping on a bed of nails, piercing their bodies with blades etc.