Practical Vedanta

[Jaldhar H. Vyas]

On Mon, 17 May 1999, Shashikanth Hosur wrote:

>         Namasakram
>         I differ to agree with whom you are calling samnyasin.  Sri Sankara
> warned us about such people in his bhaja govindam song.
>         Jatilo mundi lunchita Kesa: ....  Just because one calls one self as
> a samnyasin one does not become one.  One who truly has renounced everything
> is a samnyasin.

Agreed.

> Lord Sri krishna although lead a life of householder is
> true samnyasin.

That's a bad example.  As the Gita says, Bhagawan only appears to perform
actions so the ignorant will not be led astray into giving them up before
they are ready.  A Sannyasi is a person who acts who then gives up
the actions.  One who has never performed actions doesn't count.

> Such people can be recognised by there actions from day to
> day life.

Or rather their lack of actions!

> Just because one wears a saffron colored coth and roaming about
> with a stick in his hand calling himself a samnyasin does not become one.
> Sri Ramakrishna paramahamsa though being a housholder was a true samnyasin.
>

He actually came from a Tantric background which has radically different
views on the nature and utility of sannyasa than Advaita Vedanta.

As much as some people may wish otherwise, Advaita Vedanta considers the
grhastha and sannyasa states to be utterly irreconcilable.

--
Jaldhar H. Vyas <jaldhar at braincells.com>