Amnesty for sannyasis

[Guest guest]

>

>

> Very interesting comment! Would they humbly support this basic honesty

> that would certainly be a great step towards restoring trust in ISKCON

> leadership. At the same time, could a grhastha say:

>

> "I was pushed into this asram for different reasons but I realize now that

> this is not my dharma and drop his wife and children to go back to a

> brahmacari life?"

 

Basically, everybody is responsible for his/her actions in life,

wether accepting a danda or a family or whatever, though there

certainly could be some external circumstances that contributes to

making such decisions. We are all constantly exposed to the influence

of our surrounding, wether it be in ISCKON or anywhere else.

So, yes, anybody could in any time start finding excuses in order

to avoid his responsibilities. However, the discrimination is

required here. I see nobody harmed by someone's dropping a piece of

a bamboo, and I see people harmed by a premature dropping off a

family. Besides, if somebody who has already gotten himself into a

family life style is _honestly_ realizing that he is rather of a

renounced mind and hearth, then he is actually on the right path,

since that is indeed the purpose of a grhastha asrama to help one

gradually come to such a realization. So, then he will just carry

on with his prescribed duties on a renounced way (as one indeed

should) untill the *proper* time comes to take a sannyas, as per

the injunctions of sastras. So, there isn't any problem with an

really renounced person still acting as a grhastha, but there is

a lot of problems with an attached person acting as a sannyas.

 

Besides, there is anyway no much sense in going back to a

*brahmacary* (student) life style, from a family life style

for such a "realized grhastha". There are still a vanaprasta or

a sannyas as available options for those who think they have done

with their grhastha asrama in this life time. Otherwise, it's simply

going back to the "an another woman" option. Cheating.

 

(So, no amnesty for grhasthas!

 

 

>

> Vows are sacred, aren't they? Once you promise you should stick to these

> vows. As was suggested at the beginning of this GBC conference, they

> should be encouraged now to develop brahminical qualities and preach. And

> for sure, Krsna will help them if they are a bit sincere. Otherwise Srila

> Prabhupada said it is like eating one's vomit. We should be seriously

> concerned with our vows and not drop them each time there is a little

> inconvenient.

 

True, vows are sacred, indeed. But not in ISCKON, apparently.

"Anything goes" seems to be a kind of situation (I mean, almost).

One can devorce and remarry and still remain acting as a respectful

authority, for example. So it's accepted. Anyway, not to go much in

the length (one really could, unfortunately), let's go back to the

issue of sannyasis. Here also, giving up sannyas and getting marry

and still performing services of a social influence is not that unusual

thing. There is even a committee that is supposed to help the sannyasis

the transition between a sannyas and a grhasta asrama. So, it's

already there, in one sense. Your words "and not drop them [vows] each

time there is a little inconvenient" are actually confirming and

summarizing this situation.

 

What I am having on mind, is to utilize this already existing

loosen situation in regard to the vows, and have to possibility to

have the things sorted out without any bad feelings involved. And

then -- *stick* to the vows, for those who take the challenge!

So no more "drop them each time..."

 

 

> Bhaktarupa Prabhu said previously that studying and preaching are not the

> brahmanas' prerogative. So, I guess ksatriyas could also be happy doing

> that (See Maharaj Yudhisthira with the sages during more than 10 years in

> the forest, he was very blissful and would have like to stay there his

> whole life even though if was a ksatriya, wasn't he?)

 

Basically, it is against the ksatriya's nature to act as a brahmana.

*Especially* to take the vows of not having any close relationship

with any woman for the rest of the life, something that even only

some brahmans do! "Bhishma, bhisma!" Studying and preaching is not

the actual problem. The ksatriyas can do it. But no association

with any woman...??! A sannyas asram is simply not designed for

ksatriyas.

 

In any case, nobody would be deciding for anybody wether he is

this or that varna, fit or unfit, allowed or not allowed to follow

the sannyas sva-dharma life style. It would simply be a possibility

of providing an opportunity to nicely step down from the "wrong" train,

when in the station, and then catch the right one, once the actual

train schedule is being announced. Instead of later on jumping through

the window, on the speed of 160 km/hour...

 

 

 

- mnd