Ancient Ajivika ascetics wandered the plains of Magadha with a single goal in mind: total surrender to niyati, the unbending law of destiny. Rather than performing elaborate fire sacrifices or chanting hymns from the Vedas, these mendicants embraced silent meditation and austere self-discipline. Hair was shorn, possessions pared down to a water-pot and a single garment, and each step taken barefoot served as both punishment and pilgrimage.

Fasting became a cornerstone practice—sometimes lasting days on end—meant to strip away desire and physical comfort. The idea wasn’t self-flagellation for its own sake, but a stark reminder that personal willpower was an illusion. No boasting about progress, no “if I just try harder” clauses: Ajivikas believed every breath was prewritten, like lines in a cosmic script. Their gatherings rarely erupted into heated debate; instead, hush-filled circles would unpack the implications of destiny, helping one another steel the mind against doubt.

Alms-begging held ritual significance beyond mere sustenance. Accepting whatever was offered, without complaint or uplift, symbolized total acquiescence to fate. Refusing meat or animal products wasn’t motivated by compassion alone, but by an acknowledgment that even the slightest interference with another life was part of destiny’s vast machinery—nothing more, nothing less.

In a world where contemporary neuroscientists and philosophers still argue over free will, the Ajivika approach feels surprisingly modern. Think of debates around AI algorithms now shaping everyday choices: there’s a strange resonance with ancient teachings that claim personal agency is a mirage. Yet these ascetics weren’t cold fatalists. Pilgrimages to sacred springs, shared communal meals on festival days (observed without fanfare), and the gentle rhythm of chanting mantras in near-silence offered warmth, solidarity and a kind of fierce peace.

By embracing the idea that every moment was already written in the stars, Ajivika practitioners discovered a freedom even modern society craves—a release from the anxiety of “what if” and a daring leap into the art of simply being.