Sannyaas
In my view, Sannyaas cannot have different forms. No adjectives can be used before this word. I will try to explain, although I am not sure whether Sannyaas can be explained in words. It is an understanding and without this understanding, you may call yourself a Sannyaasi, yet it may just remain a label to identify you for others.
Sannyaas is the last stage of life among the four stages of life which was followed in vedic period. From the very beginning of your life, you have got attached with this world through your mind. More specifically, your mindspace. Sannyaas is the stage, in which you understand those attachments and prepare yourself for the last stage of your journey (life). Therefore, renunciating your social relations, your home, your family, your identity etc. It takes you towards your 'self' and further towards the emptiness or the unknown from where you have started your journey (life). So, Sannyaas is the journey of your mind towards 'self' (not 'myself'. This 'my' is the very first attachment which you have associated with the 'self' in you).
Note: Understand this in the light of body-mind-spirit concept. Here 'self' is you in pure spiritual form i.e. without the sense of 'my body' and 'my mind'. You can never say 'my spirit' and hence, no 'my' self.
When the mind gets that understanding, the renunciation, is the by-product. In other words, when your mind understand Sannyaas, you renounce your attachments, rather than by renouncing your attachments you become a Sannyaasi! A 'Sannyaasi' can never say - 'I am a Sannyaasi'. The term is used by others for reference and that is for their convenience.
Agree or disgree, most of the people go through the four stages of the life -
first as a student (dependent on his father)second after marriage (self dependent or dependent on his father)third as a father (self dependent or dependent on his son)fourth as a useless fellow (either within a family or thrown to an old age home)
When a father understands that his son is able enough to take the responsibility of his family, he disowns him and starts his journey towards Sannyaas - the last stage of his life.
When a student or disciple (bramhachari), understands the complete meaning of the journey which is called life and decides not to be a Grihastha, he starts his journey towards Sannyaas. (This is a short-cut, bypassing 2nd and 3rd stages of life. He is the 'escapist', not taking the responsibilities of a married life).
When a student or disciple, after learning from his Guru, develops his own 'understanding', he is totally disowned by his Guru and has to take a decision whether to be a Grihastha or a Sannyaasi.
When a student or disciple, after learning, develops and establishes Dharma (within himself), he has to detach himself from all the means by which he has attained it. Dharma provides him the capacity to take his own decisions. Even Buddha has said - 'Buddham saranam gachhami, Dhammam saranam gachhami' - first come to Buddha's shelter and after learning, Dharma will give you shelter. It is not that you need to follow your Guru all your life. You need to follow him till you understand Dharma and start following it.
Dharma is the ability of mind by virtue of which it takes right decision before any action.
The goal of every religion is to develop this ability into the minds of its follower. And when one develops this ability, he becomes independent of religion.
Reason for those detachments - He might develop the sense of 'my belief', 'my faith', 'my guru', 'my religion', 'my sannyaas' etc. - causes for the ego. Detachments or renunciation does not necessarily mean leaving your family, society, religion etc. and going to himalayas. It means renouncing the very 'my' attached to these things from your mind.
Can you fight without associating 'my' to something?Think of any form of fight, battle or war!!!Could Hitler have gone for the War, without having this 'my' within himself? He wanted to call the entire world as 'my world'?
In the Indian caste system, the lowest of the lower castes is that of a bhangi. Do you know what is his duty? He takes the burden of cleaning the society, otherwise the people will rot and die in their own dirt. He does not have any kind of ego within him. He cannot perform his duty, without winning over the hatred within him for the dirt. Those who are on the path of 'Sannyaas' do something similar to that. Only, difference is that they try to clean the 'mindspace' of the society. Buddha, Vivekananda and Gandhi are very few 'known' examples. Those who succeed in this path, do their work and simply vanish!
Sannyaas is the last stage of life among the four stages of life which was followed in vedic period. From the very beginning of your life, you have got attached with this world through your mind. More specifically, your mindspace. Sannyaas is the stage, in which you understand those attachments and prepare yourself for the last stage of your journey (life). Therefore, renunciating your social relations, your home, your family, your identity etc. It takes you towards your 'self' and further towards the emptiness or the unknown from where you have started your journey (life). So, Sannyaas is the journey of your mind towards 'self' (not 'myself'. This 'my' is the very first attachment which you have associated with the 'self' in you).
Note: Understand this in the light of body-mind-spirit concept. Here 'self' is you in pure spiritual form i.e. without the sense of 'my body' and 'my mind'. You can never say 'my spirit' and hence, no 'my' self.
When the mind gets that understanding, the renunciation, is the by-product. In other words, when your mind understand Sannyaas, you renounce your attachments, rather than by renouncing your attachments you become a Sannyaasi! A 'Sannyaasi' can never say - 'I am a Sannyaasi'. The term is used by others for reference and that is for their convenience.
Agree or disgree, most of the people go through the four stages of the life -
first as a student (dependent on his father)second after marriage (self dependent or dependent on his father)third as a father (self dependent or dependent on his son)fourth as a useless fellow (either within a family or thrown to an old age home)
When a father understands that his son is able enough to take the responsibility of his family, he disowns him and starts his journey towards Sannyaas - the last stage of his life.
When a student or disciple (bramhachari), understands the complete meaning of the journey which is called life and decides not to be a Grihastha, he starts his journey towards Sannyaas. (This is a short-cut, bypassing 2nd and 3rd stages of life. He is the 'escapist', not taking the responsibilities of a married life).
When a student or disciple, after learning from his Guru, develops his own 'understanding', he is totally disowned by his Guru and has to take a decision whether to be a Grihastha or a Sannyaasi.
When a student or disciple, after learning, develops and establishes Dharma (within himself), he has to detach himself from all the means by which he has attained it. Dharma provides him the capacity to take his own decisions. Even Buddha has said - 'Buddham saranam gachhami, Dhammam saranam gachhami' - first come to Buddha's shelter and after learning, Dharma will give you shelter. It is not that you need to follow your Guru all your life. You need to follow him till you understand Dharma and start following it.
Dharma is the ability of mind by virtue of which it takes right decision before any action.
The goal of every religion is to develop this ability into the minds of its follower. And when one develops this ability, he becomes independent of religion.
Reason for those detachments - He might develop the sense of 'my belief', 'my faith', 'my guru', 'my religion', 'my sannyaas' etc. - causes for the ego. Detachments or renunciation does not necessarily mean leaving your family, society, religion etc. and going to himalayas. It means renouncing the very 'my' attached to these things from your mind.
Can you fight without associating 'my' to something?Think of any form of fight, battle or war!!!Could Hitler have gone for the War, without having this 'my' within himself? He wanted to call the entire world as 'my world'?
In the Indian caste system, the lowest of the lower castes is that of a bhangi. Do you know what is his duty? He takes the burden of cleaning the society, otherwise the people will rot and die in their own dirt. He does not have any kind of ego within him. He cannot perform his duty, without winning over the hatred within him for the dirt. Those who are on the path of 'Sannyaas' do something similar to that. Only, difference is that they try to clean the 'mindspace' of the society. Buddha, Vivekananda and Gandhi are very few 'known' examples. Those who succeed in this path, do their work and simply vanish!
posted by Agyat at 11:06 AM
1 Comments:
Agyat,
Really enjoyed this blog.
There are a number of other blogsters here on www....blogspot.com including; Chip & Aurora if itnerested.
take care :)
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