Kuntimaddi/Why join monastry?

[Guest guest]

At 03:57 AM 6/22/99 PDT, you wrote:

>Kuntimaddi Sadananda <k_sadananda

 

>Monasteries are there to provide a spiritual training for those who deserve.

 

Who is qualified to determine who deserves and who does not?

 

>Monasteries have to survive on the public support and one should ask a

>question why should public support the person?

 

Perhaps a comprehensive series of questionnaires to see how ready a person

is to renounce would be called for. A system could be developed that might

be quite effective in determining whether or not a person " has what it

takes " to complete a monastic program. Would this not be a better

alternative than a simple, (and forgive me) stupid age limit? It reminds

me of the 1970's movie " Logan's Run, " where society was like a heaven, but

people were allowed only to live to age 30. Thus, in this movie was

created a society of youth run by computer that was eternally young, and

eternally lacking in wisdom.

 

>What is that I have to offer

>in return to deserve that support? Considering the investment involved in

>terms of public support, they like to train people who are capable of

>serving in the world.

 

So they set the age limit at 30. Let's say a person of age 31, 32, 33

comes along who wants to renounce. Do you seriously claim that there is a

difference between age 30 and age 32? Or even 35? Only at 45-50 does the

health of the body begin to decline to the extent that a person cannot

serve with full vigor in the world. With modern medical technology at its

heights, even this is a very low estimate.

 

>I do not see the need for any one to go in search of a monastery. My

>teacher used to tell me – a flower does not go in search of a bee. Bee

>shall come if the flower is ready.

 

This is wise.

 

>It is not the monastery that makes different but ones own mind. If I think

>I am in need of a monastery for my growth, all that implies is I still want

>some external agent for my sadhana, looking for something outside for help.

 

Might I quote briefly Adi Sankara, from Viveka-cudamani:

 

" Success in attaining the goal depends chiefly upon the qualifications of

the seeker. Suitable time, place and other such circumstances are aids to

its attainment. "

 

Hari OM,

 

Tim

 

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