Namasthe- Reinvesting the attachment

[Guest guest]

Dear all,

 

What are the differences between a Grihasthan or householder and a Sanyasi or ascetic?

 

1. Grihasthan mainly uses Shareeram or body for acquiring material pleasures where as Sanyasi uses the Shareeram for the service of God and His devotees.

 

2. Grihasthan sees nature as wife who gives him all material pleasures and Sanyasin sees nature as a helper to progress spiritually.

 

3. Grihasthan sees vikaaraas or emotions as own sons and Sanyasi sees Vikaaraas as enemies

 

4. Grihasthan sees Indriyas or senses as a means to enjoy the pleasures of the world where as Sanyasi sees Indiryas as servants who are completely under his control.

 

How a householder can slowly walk from grihasthaashramam or the life of a householder to Vaanaprashtam ( stage in between the life of a householder and sanyasi) and to sanyaasam? Jnaanananda Saraswathi says : " we can move from one stage to the other stage staying where we are. The only thing we have to do is to change our attitude towards people and things. As we progress in fulfilling the duties towards parents, siblings, children and dependents, we have to consciously make an effort to change our attitude. This is a slow and steady progress to be achieved with sincere prayers and effort and has to be started when we are young. Reinvest the attachment towards worldly things slowly to the Almighty realizing that everything else is transient and just like our childhood dies with the emergence of youth and youth dies with the emergence of old age, old age also dies. So concentrate on the eternal and surrender unconditionally and the rest is His responsibility. "

(excuse the poor translation of his powerful words in Malayalam)

 

How beautifully said! Even if we cannot change the situations, let God bless us to react to the situations positively and with maturity.

 

Regards and prayers

 

Savitri