let's go easy on our sannyasis

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> [Text 1566551 from COM]

>

> Varnashram, means, being situated in the position where YOU REALLY FIT IN.

To

> do this you must listen to your heart, your feelings. You must go internal,

> and introspect, and be honest with yourself. Those who are not honest, for

> reasons known only to themselves, will not be able to maintain an artificial

> position....

>

> Therefore we see sannyasis, wanting to get married, or gurus, wanting to get

> married and give up the dry renunciation that could not fill their empty

> hearts, with spiritual happiness....

>

> any feedback?

> Your fallen servant Pracetana dasi

 

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Hare Krsna dasi

 

 

I know that many of our sannyasis have disappointed us by not being able

to maintain their vows in the long term. Some of them, I guess I'm

thinking especially of Kirtananda, turned out to be real power mongers

who were not actually faithful to Srila Prabhupada, but instead tried to

supplant him and receive all his glory for themselves.

 

But for many of them, I believe that they took their vows with all

sincerity and to the best of their "internal knowledge," but it just

turned out that they were not actually prepared to maintain those vows

for the decades ahead of them.

 

I feel like that is an honest mistake. Their downfall is certainly a

tragedy, not only for them, but also for others that depended on them. To

break the vow of sannyasa is a serious thing.

 

But, I don't think it is really fair to imply that everyone who has

fallen originally aspired to sannyasa with motivations for power and

glory. To spread the movement, Srila Prabhupada needed men with no

family connection who could devote their full attention on organizing and

spreading Krsna consciousness. These young men were willing to try to

make that sacrifice. They had the conviction that they could do it.

 

Can you imagine-- many of them were only in their 20s when they took

sannyasa. They were just 20 year-old kids, but out of their love for

Srila Prabhupada they wanted to step forward and do this work for him.

At that age, how could they know what they would actually be capable of

in the decades to come? Some would be able to maintain their vows,

others wouldn't. They didn't have the self-knowledge that would have

come from years of experience, and the advice of senior Godbrothers, or

even devotee parents. They did what they believed was right at the time,

but they simply misjudged their own ability to push on in the long run.

They misjudged their actual emotional needs.

 

So, I really don't think that it is fair to dismiss every fallen sannyasi

as simply a pretender who could not be honest with himself. They

sacrificed so much, but in the end, some had needs that they were too

young to understand when they took sannyasa. I don't think it is fair to

simply lump them all into one category and label them all as hypocrites.

 

And, as noted by others, the idea of giving sannyasa at such a young age

was something that had to be done in the emergency of trying to start the

Krsna consciousness movement. As the society matures, we will have the

benefit of waiting until most candidates are a little older before

awarding sannyasa. That way there will be fewer disappointments. But in

the meantime, let's not overlook the sacrifice of those who tried, but

failed to make it to the end.

 

your servant,

 

Hare Krsna dasi