Once, an ascetic heard that the holiest people were those who endured sufferings and tortured their bodies. The ascetic decided to test this theory. Thus, he went to live in the darkest of the forests to be away from any human contact. He ate dirt and ashes. In the summer season, he spent his days under the trees, thereby, being burnt by the bright rays of the sun. During the winter season, he got covered with snow. Thus, he tortured his body throughout the different seasons. This was how he passed his life. Then, one day, he had a vision in which he saw himself in hell. The ascetic realised that despite going through such severities, he would still go to hell. Therefore, after that, he gave up torturing himself.
The Ascetic Who Tortured Himself
