Fw: Bhaktisiddhanta's letter concerning the behavior of Sannyasis

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COM: Shyamasundara (das) ACBSP (Sylva, NC - USA)

<Shyamasundara.ACBSP (AT) bbt (DOT) se>

Praghosha Prabhu <praghosa (AT) datastar (DOT) net>

Sunday, December 26, 1999 11:30 AM

Bhaktisiddhanta's letter concerning the behavior of Sannyasis

 

 

>[Text 2886050 from COM]

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>---------- Forwarded Message ----------

>

>Letter COM:1566870 (329 lines)

> Shyamasundara ACBSP

> 07-Aug-98 08:27 -0400

> Jasomatinandan (das) ACBSP (Gujarat - IN)

>Cc: Bhakti Vikasa Swami

>Cc: Bhaktimarga Swami (Canada)

>Cc: Prahladananda Swami

>Cc: Basu Ghosh (das) ACBSP (Baroda - IN)

>Cc: Bhima (das) ACBSP (TP Mumbai, Juhu - IN)

>Cc: Hari Sauri (das) ACBSP

>Cc: Mahabuddhi (das) ACBSP (Florida Vedic College - USA)

>Cc: Mahamantra (das) ACBSP (Vrindavan - IN)

>Cc: Ranjit (das) ACBSP (Archives)

>Cc: Braj Hari (das) JPS (Juhu, Mumbai - IN)

>Reference: Text COM:1544800 by Jasomatinandan (das) ACBSP (Gujarat - IN)

>Comment: Text COM:1578384 by Bhakti Vikasa Swami

> Bhaktisiddhanta's letter concerning the behavior of Sannyasis

>---------------------------

>

>Dear Maharajas and Prabhus,

>

>Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

>

>The following text is an undated letter by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati

>Thakura that he posted to the members of the Sri Caitanya Matha. It appears

>to be a xerox copy of the original. The contents of the letter describe the

>acceptable and unacceptable behaviors of a sannyasi according to standards

>of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura. This letter does not define a

>strict code of conduct for a sannyasi in all circumstances, but rather

gives

>guidelines according to a particular time, place and circumstance. Though

it

>is not an all encompassing codification of sannyasi behavior we can still

>glean hints of how a sannyasi should behave. This, along with other sastric

>evidence can be used to write a formal code of behavior for sannyasis in

>ISKCON. I will make some comments at the end of the text.

>______

>

>My dear.........

>

>We, who have come to Sri Caitanya Matha, are all surrendered to Sri

Caitanya

>Deva, therefore we do not have any other goal besides serving the Supreme

>Lord. If we lack in our devotional service, then our mentality will become

>like that of a materialistic person and devour us. In order to protect the

>Matha we have to abide by some rules.

>

>1). It should be the duty of a Sannyasi that they should never use shoes

and

>go everywhere on foot. They should never use shoes or conveyance.

>

>2). They should never accept service from anyone. They should never get

>someone to massage the body or feet with oil.

>

>3). Eating nice food, eating separately is totally forbidden.

>

>4). One should never go to a physician. They should never take medicine

>according to their own wish. When a Sannyasi would need something then it

>should be the duty of the residents of the Matha to take care of him

nicely.

>Is also the duty of a Sannyasi to serve the ones those who are not the

>Sannyasis. The living entity invites difficulties by criticizing others,

>scandalizing others and unnecessarily talking about others. One should

>always desire auspiciousness. One can control his mind and destroy his

>desires by serving the Holy-Name.

>

>5). The Supreme Personality of Godhead is residing in every spirit soul,

>therefore one should not consider himself worshipable and that others

should

>serve him. When a Sannyasi is free from his false ego then the residents of

>the Matha should serve him, otherwise, one should go back home [to his

>wife].

>

>6). Excessive foppery, excessive drinking of milk, eating luxuriously like

a

>big man, should be given up totally. We don't want gymnasts (body builders)

>to stay in our Matha. This is the place for the devotees.

>

>7). Strengthening the senses by taking excessive medicine and trying to

>spread one' s domination in order to attract other' s wives, should be

given

>up totally.

>

>8). Krsna is the only Lord and Enjoyer of everybody and everything, one

>should remember that all the time. One should serve according to the degree

>of his devotion. There cannot be any auspiciousness unless we become free

>from the evil desire to use of the devotees in our service. The fire of

lust

>burns for our sense gratification that should be given up. But that doesn't

>mean that one should speak uncivilized language and dress in an uncivilized

>way in order to mix with the dignified society.

>

>9). A Brahmacary should not desire to become a Sannyasi in order to have

>greater sense gratification. The desire to dominate is detrimental to

>devotional service. To consider a sense enjoyer to be a Sannyasi, and

>wanting to become a Sannyasi with that ideal should be totally rejected.

>When one starts to enjoy his senses and becomes deceptive, he cannot serve

>the Lord or His devotees.

>

>10). One should be careful that no mood of foppery enters into Caitanya

>Matha in order to ruin the Sannyasis and Brahmacaris. The examples that we

>are getting should not be tolerated. The householders also, like a

Sannyasi,

>should overcome the urges of lust and anger. Everyone should consider

>himself to be very low and serve the residents of the Matha and other

>Vaisnavas.

>

>11). The ones, those who are not the residence of the Matha but are staying

>in the Matha or staying in the Matha in some business or want some favor

>from the Matha, should always be willing to serve the residence of the

Matha

>or the Matha. The residents of the Matha should never behave indecently

with

>a guest in the Matha.

>

>12). If the residents consider the Matha to be their property, and consider

>the guests to be the objects of their mercy, then that mentality should be

>rejected. A guest should be treated with highest honor--everybody in this

>world should be respected. Otherwise me what we may land up in the same

>distress the materialists are suffering. A resident of the matha should

>remember all these things very carefully. One should give up foppery,

>deception and desire to become a hero. One should always serve Krsna. There

>shouldn't be any mistake in that, and more indispensable is the service to

a

>Vaisnava.

>

>13). If the Sannyasi has to go to the shop or dispensary for a reason other

>than the service of the Matha, then he should go on foot. Let the car be

>sitting but still they should not get it. They will not get any conveyance.

>What everybody else gets they should get only that.

>

>14). Never have they used any conveyance, but with the excuse of going to

>the doctor they take the car. They buy medicine and eat luxurious food. If

>they behave properly for one year, then their eligibility can be

considered.

>The Matha is not the place for foppery or staying in a hospital one should

>not display his foppery. They can better behave that way staying at home.

>Instead of red cloth they can be clad in white cloth with a tail and sent

>back home. The ones who want foppery, luxurious food and medicine they can

>go back to their homes and take care of their families, then they won't

have

>to identify themselves with the Matha.

>

>15). Everybody should be reminded very nicely that cars, horses, launch and

>men are all meant for the use of the Matha, not for any individual's

display

>of foppery. Luxurious eating should be totally stopped. The Sannyasis those

>who will not indulge in foppery they should be recognized as the Gaudiya

>Matha Sannyasis. The rest should be sent back to their respective homes. If

>our manpower decreases due to that, that is still better. The ones those

who

>have taken shelter of the Matha but are motivated by their bellies and

>genitals, if they are driven away then the expenses of the Matha will be

>reduced. If you appoint...... for that job then your distress will be

>reduced. The pleasure loving sense gratifying managers should not be

allowed

>to waste money. Everyone should earn for the Matha. It is important to make

>a list about how much one earns, it is not necessary to eat, buy medicine

>and display foppery, more than one earns.

>

>The one who came to render devotional service, are Brahmacaris, Grhasthas,

>Vanaprasthas and Sannyasis. The ones who do not render devotional service,

>the Matha will not give them the shelter--because they do not deserve it.

>One should never think--"I have rendered a lot of service to the Matha, so

I

>will ride the car." This is the mentality of a materialist. One who is

>serving the Matha, should do that without any expectation of a return.

>Because everyone has come to serve the Matha. If anyone takes anything in

>return of his service to the Matha, or serves himself, he will become a

>sense gratifier. When one is a guest then he cannot demand, he should eat

>according to the wish of the host. One who is busy having his sense

>gratification should be asked to leave.

>

>Your ever well wisher,

>

>Sri Siddhanta Sarasvati

>

>_________

>

>

>COMMENTS

>

>I will comment on the numbered paragraph.

>

>1). This rule may not be so applicable in this day and age, because of cold

>weather or feces on the ground, but it indicates the level of austerity the

>sannyasi should maintain. If it is at all possible a sannyasi should go

>without shoes.

>

>2). This is just the opposite of the behavior of some of our problem

>sannyasis. They want that everybody should serve them.

>

>3). The comment about eating separately is very important, because some

>sannyasa God-brothers have isolated themselves. I remember many years ago

in

>1980, that Krsna Dasa Babaji, Srila Prabhupada's beloved God-brother

visited

>the Calcutta Temple. He was taken to Srila Prabhupada's private room where

>he was served prasadam while the other devotees were taking lunch outside

in

>the hallway. He didn't like taking prasadam alone, so he came outside and

>sat down with the rest of us devotees. It was very clear that he was much

>more advanced than we were. He was always laughing and smiling and had a

>very jolly mood, he was always chanting Hare Krsna. Though he was much more

>advanced, still he wanted the association of the Vaisnavas and did not want

>to eat alone. He did not want any special opulent prasadam but was happy

>having the prasadam that we all shared together. His behavior was very

>charming and he won the hearts of all the devotees.

>

>When was the last time you saw the "big guns" sit down and eat prasadam

with

>the rest of us devotees? I can recall many times when the prasadam that the

>rank-and-file was eating was unfit, but the "big gun" was unaware because

he

>had his own private cooks as well as getting only maha-prasadam and eating

>in private and getting fat.

>

>4). In this section the most important point is that it is the Sannyasis

who

>should serve others not the other way around. Somehow some of our sannyasa

>God-brothers think that because they are sannyasis everyone should serve

>them. This was condemned by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati in this letter

>and it was also condemned by Srila Prabhupada in a letter to Brahmananda on

>August 30th, 1969.

>

>A little background: Srila Prabhupada had just left America and was in

>Germany for the first time. Up to this time all the main preaching was

being

>done by the grhasthas who opened up centers all over America and Europe.

>There was only one sannyasi in the movement other than Srila Prabhupada and

>that was Kirtanananda Swami. Within days of Srila Prabhupada leaving

America

>Kirtanananda Swami immediately tried to claim extra honor for himself as a

>sannyasi and tried to get Brahmananda to divert funds to him instead of

>Srila Prabhupada who was trying to set up the ISKCON Press. Srila

Prabhupada

>writes:

>

>"I do not know what you mean by co-operation with Kirtanananda Maharaja. In

>our society everyone, either a brahmacari or sannyasi or grhasta, who has

>dedicated his life and soul for this movement, they are all on the same

>level of sannyasa. For the present moment, nobody can claim an extra honor

>from his God-brothers. Everyone should treat his God-brothers as Prabhu.

But

>nobody should try to claim an extra honor on account of an official

>position. I do not know why Kirtanananda Maharaja says that his authority

>overrides yours. At the present moment everyone is working under my

>authority. Similarly, Kirtanananda also should work under my authority. So

>the condition imposed by Kirtanananda and stated by you does not look well.

>A sannyasi has got four stages of elevation: kutichak, bahudak, parivraja,

>and paramahamsa. The sannyasi in the paramahamsa stage is the spiritual

>master of everyone. I have asked Kirtanananda Maharaja to work on the

>bahudak stage for the present."

>

>5). The point in this paragraph is a continuation of the idea of the

>previous paragraph (#4) and that is that sannyasis should not consider

>themselves worshipable and expect worship. But when they are free of false

>ego others will naturally wanted to serve them.

>

>6). In this section we come across the first usage, by Srila

>Bhaktisiddhanta, of the word "foppery" which he uses a total of eight times

>in this letter. It is evident that he despises "foppery." Thus it would

>behoove us to find out what " foppery" means. According to the dictionary:

>

>Foppery: the dress or manner of a fop.

>

>Fop: a vain, affected man who is preoccupied with his clothes and manners;

a

>dandy.

>

>Foppish: of, pertaining to, or characteristic of a fop; dandified.

>

>Dandy: a man who affects extreme elegance in his clothes and manners.

>

>We have seen extreme examples of foppery in ISKCON in the past. Sannyasis

>and brahmacaris would compete as to who would have the most expensive Rolex

>watch, who had the fanciest briefcase (the rage when I was in India was the

>Halliburton briefcase which looked like a glorified tiffin box yet could

>easily cost three hundred dollars) or gold pens. Sannyasis would wear silk

>clothes and wear expensive jewelry (gold chains and jeweled rings). They

had

>expensive cars and were chauffeured around. While it is not as extreme now

>it still goes on. (It is not so extreme because all who practiced it

>eventually fell down, so it is decreasing by attrition.)Some signs of

>foppery in an ISKCON sannyasi would be the following (this is not an

>exhaustive list nor would they have to have all of the symptoms): wearing

>silk, wearing expensive jewelry and watches, sleeping in beds, elaborately

>furnished living quarters, elaborate eating paraphernalia, private cooks

and

>dining quarters, using fancy walking canes, and fancy car, etc. Generally

>living like grhasthas but without a wife. Examples of this type of foppery

>can still be found in ISKCON among some of the sannyasis. This is giving

the

>sannyasa ashrama a bad name and must be eliminated. There are many austere

>sannyasis so I would like to point out that I am not attacking the sannyasa

>ashrama but am critical of fop's pretending to be sannyasis. It so happens

>that it is these very foppish sannyasis who are the source of difficulty in

>ISKCON. They were not always fop's and have in the past been quite austere.

>But as a result of trying to imitate a mahabhagavata and getting everybody

>to worship them foppishness has been the result. It is not surprising that

>in the past those who lived like grhasthas without wives eventually sought

>out a wife (unless they were homosexual).

>

>Aside from foppery Srila Bhaktisiddhanta condemns luxuriously eating. While

>we do not deny anyone nice prasadam or maha prasadam but there should not

be

>luxurious eating. The symptom of luxurious eating is fat. We do not want

fat

>sannyasis. A fat sannyasi is an oxymoron.

>

>7). Over the past 20 years the phenomena of guru-in-law has developed in

>ISKCON. By this I mean that the guru who uses his female disciple to

>manipulate her husband. He comes between husband and wife and becomes a

>competitor to the husband for his wife's loyalty. I've seen this happen

many

>times in ISKCON. (I can supply a text which goes deeper into this phenomena

>if you like.) It has gotten to the point where a man will prefer to marry

an

>uninitiated woman and just give her some devotee name. (Or he will marry a

>woman whose guru has fallen.) He thus acts both as her husband and as her

>guru which is the Vedic way. In fact one of my sannyasi God-brothers who is

>a guru has told me that he has come to the decision that it is preferable

>not to initiate girls. What he suggests is that if a girl wants to be

>initiated then he tells her to marry one of his male disciples who is

>initiated and he will be her guru. This has several advantages. First the

>sannyasi does not have to deal with the female disciple wanting him to

>counsel her on intimate family problems. Secondly the wife has only loyalty

>to her husband not a second man, this is preferable. In fact the Manu

>Samhita states that for a woman there is no upanayanam samskara, sacred

>thread ceremony to become a dvija. Instead for the woman the main samskara

>is the vivaha samskara, her marriage ceremony. Manu describes that all the

>duties the wife performs in the ashrama of her husband are equivalent to

the

>duties performed by the husband in the ashrama of his guru. The wife serves

>the guru by serving her husband, the husband is her guru, she does not need

>a separate guru. There is more to this topic but this is not the

appropriate

>place to discuss it. (More on this topic is found on that same text about

>gurus who disturb marriages that I mention above.)

>

>8). Here again Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura emphasizes that a

>sannyasi should not try to get others to serve him. Of course this applies

>to all of us not just sannyasis.

>

>9). I've been told that the joke among the gurukulis is that if you want to

>have a good life with servants, good food, etc.. Then become a sannyasi.

>

>13). Here he emphasizes that no temple paraphernalia, even if it is not

>being used, should be used by a sannyasi for his own needs. And he again

>states that the sannyasi should not get more than what other people get.

>

>14-15). Here Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura states that such

>foppish sannyasis should not be maintained by the Matha but rather they

>should be sent back home. And it will be good, he says, if this decreases

>the manpower, because losing such sense gratifiers can only reduce our

>expenses, which could be better used in our preaching mission. It is clear

>that Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura is not a sentimentalist when

it

>comes to foppery.

>

>Another important point he makes is that any money that a sannyasi makes or

>earns should be accounted for. This suggests that all sannyasis should be

>audited regularly and all income that they possess does not belong to them

>but to ISKCON. That is not the case today. Some means must be devised so

>that funds are not diverted for a sannyasis personal use with out the

>permission of the GBC. This is especially true for gurus who have amassed a

>lot of wealth through their disciples. (How are sannyasis able to purchase

>villas in Vrndavana?)

>

>These are just a few observations on the letter of the Thakura. We see that

>he expected a higher standard of renunciation and detachment than is

>displayed by our problem God-brothers. The standards that he is giving are

>not unreal or unattainable for we see that several of our sannyasis are

>easily passing his tests. These sannyasis are a source of inspiration to

the

>devotees and we need more of them. It is the foppish sannyasis who are a

>source of irritation and we need to rectify or get rid of them as Srila

>Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura recommends. My suggestion to the devotees

>in ISKCON is that a standard for the code of behavior and manner of living

>for a sannyasi be researched and codified. And that all our present and

>future sannyasis must live by these codes. Until these rules are researched

>and codified into the laws of ISKCON, we should not wait around doing

>nothing but we should use the above guidelines provided by Srila

>Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura and clean up ISKCON. I beg to remain...

>

>Your humble servant

>

>Shyamasundara Dasa

>(Text COM:1566870) --------

>