Householder

[sadananda]

>>What defines a householder?  family, a job, social responsibilities.  Can
>>any of these be done in a selfless way?  I think not.  Imagine a parent
>>for instance who didn't care if his children came home at night or not.
>>He would be condemned as irresponsible not hailed as a sannyasi.
>
>Does caring for others mean Selfishness? With respect to a jnani being a
>householder, just because he must not have any attatchments, doesn't
>mean, he can forego his duty. The Bhagavat Gita lays much emphasis on
>this. A householder's duty is to take care of his family. And a jnani, who
>is also a householder, would do all his duties without being really
>attatched to anything (atleast theoritically it's possible, and by practice I
>hope it should be practically possible too). And going by what I
>understand of the term 'Anandam', which means happiness, happiness
>out of love with everything 'Brahman', a householder who is a jnani,
>would love his family, just the same way he loves everything else in the
>Universe (as he sees Brahman in everything).
>
>I would be obliged if somebody could eloborate on this (Giridhar, are you
>there?).


I think Vidya has answered to the point regarding the sanyaasa.  We had
these discussions in the past and Jaldhar H. Vyas insists on the external
sanyaasa as well. Apparently he strongly believes in it. So be it.  Since
he believes in it,  he can not get liberation without taking sanyaasa.  If
you think you can gain liberation without taking external sanyasa you can.
This is called self-fulfilling prophesy.

But from the truth point, all these external things are helpful but not
essential.  They are neither necessary nor sufficient for realization.  But
external environment can help to setup a conducive environment for
contemplation. Just like going to sleep.  Good soft bed and conducive
environment are helpful but they do not guarantee sleep.  In India when we
were students there used to be a third class compartments with people
packed to the core.  We were getting comfortable sound sleep(sound for
others) on somebody's shoulders!

What counts are the four qualifications that Vidya elucidated that help in
the purification of the mind.  Ultimately as Shankara says in
VivekachuuDaamani:

na yogena sa sankhyena karmaNaa nona vidyayaa|
brahmaatmaika bodhena mokshasidhyati naanyatha||

Neither by yoga, nor by shankhya nor my action nor by studies one can gain
liberation.  Only by the teachings (understanding) of the oneness of
Brahman and atma that one can gain liberation and by none other.

Hari Om!
Sadananda