Guest guest Posted April 26, 2001 Report Share Posted April 26, 2001 ---------- Forwarded Message ---------- Text PAMHO:4229232 (84 lines) [W1] Internet: "cittahari dasa" <cittahari > 26-Apr-01 01:47 -0700 BVKS Sanga [995] Cc: "srini" <seenu091 > (sent: 26-Apr-01 03:54 -0700) Cc: "vivek anand prabhu" <vivek_102 (AT) eudoramail (DOT) com> (sent: 26-Apr-01 03:54 -0700) Sannyasa --------------------------- (Excerpts from upcoming books of Srila Guru Maharaj) For a devotee without a strong service mood,who prefers being served to serving others,taking sannyasa will act like a poison. Sannyasa is not meant for accepting service, but for becoming the servant of everybody. Sannyasa is meant for the preaching and the unencumbered cultivation of Krishna consciousness. Sannyasis should therefore concentrate on hearing and chanting about Krishna without diversion into other endeavors less intensely Krishna conscious, such as astrology, mundane academics, politics, social affairs and even temple management. A Sannyasi is ready to perform any service, he should rather give guidance to others in performing various services. There is little point to his having taken sannyasa, if he remains absorbed in activities others could do that. Because a sannyasi is free from all personal cares and worries, he is able simply by his personal presence, to uplift those overwhelmed by the inevitable difficulties of the material world. A sannyasi reinforces the confidence of struggling sadhakas that Krishna consciousness is alive, real and attainable.To give such hope, a sannyasi must have a strongly positive attitude,that is sustained even amidst great difficulties. A sannyasi must be beyond the lamentation and moping of ordinary persons, otherwise he cannot inspire them. “Taking Sannyasa does not mean that you will be free from sex desire, but that you cannot act on it.” (At a sannyasa initiation lecture; told by HH Danavir Dasa Goswami) Those who cannot live up to the ideal of sannyasa should not aspire to take it. A sannyasi who is whimsical, frivolous, talks prajalpa, gluttonous, lazy, sleeps excessively, foppish, attached to women or luxury, cannot give a coherent lecture. Philosophically unsound or unclean or highly eccentric is more of an embarrassment than an asset to the institution he is supposed to be ideally representing. Regular traveling means inevitable delays unexpected changes of plan, irregulation, tiredness, things going missing or being left behind, and things going wrong. The traveling sannyasi is sometimes welcomed, sometimes neglected, and sometimes insulted. He may be lodged in a palace one night and in the hut, the next, and sometimes not find any place to rest his head. Although others may carefully choose their association, a sannyasi has to be strong enough to be open to all. A sannyasi accepts the challenges of traveling just to bring Krishna consciousness to others. He learns to remain calm, detached and fixed in purpose despite all the vagaries of itinerant life. A vaishnava takes sannyasa not to renounce the world but to serve everyone in it. He renounces all material relationships for the purpose of developing spiritual relationships. A sannyasi has to be in the mood of giving, not taking. Otherwise the donations, respect and service offered to him will cause his bondage. Your servant, Cittaharidasa __________ Get your free @.co.uk address at http://mail..co.uk or your free @.ie address at http://mail..ie (Text PAMHO:4229232) ------ ------- End of Forwarded Message ------ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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