Sannyasa and the Jivanmukta (from Sanga)

[Jahnava Nitai Das]

Sannyasa and the Jivanmukta

 

Q & A with Swami B. V. Tripurari

 

"Real nama bhajana is not a cheap thing. We must pay the price to attain this through service, self-abnegation, and sacrifice. Do not be afraid to sweep the temple, thinking you will miss something. Participation in Krsna lila is all service, regardless of what form it takes, therefore our prospect for entering there requires first and foremost that we develop

a serving ego."

 

Q. Yesterday, I was listening to a famous historical tape of Srila

Prabhupada chanting japa. When I listened it seemed that Srila

Prabhupada

was not chanting the maha-mantra properly. It sounded like he was

mostly

skipping the "Hare Hare" at the end and going directly to "Hare Rama."

Do

you have an explanation for this?

 

A. In the tape Prabhupada is chanting "Hare Hare" mentally because his

tongue cannot move fast enough to taste the sweetness of the holy name

of

Krsna.

 

Q. I have several burning questions that I hope you can clear up for

me. I

am a 24-year-old who is very interested in Advaita philosophy, but I

lack

the courage to renounce the world. What should I do?

 

A. Some fear of renunciation is healthy. It is not a cheap thing.

Still,

you should spend some time in an ashram. Then you will get a better

understanding of renunciation in general and its relationship to

liberated

life. Gaudiya Vaishnava ashramas teach and practice yukta-vairagya

(balanced renunciation), which involves renouncing our false sense of

proprietorship, as opposed to the renunciation of all that is

considered

material. In yukta-vairagya we learn how to utilize so-called worldly

things in the service of Krsna, their true proprietor. You may find

this

attractive given the charm of Krsna and the dharma of his holy name as

taught and exemplified by Sri Caitanyadeva.

 

Q. There are myths of men with great wealth being able to achieve

self-realization, such as King Janaka. It is also said that there are

jivanmuktas among us who lead very normal, ordinary lives. Is this

possible?

 

A. Although it is possible, it is very, very unlikely that liberated

souls

live among us leading ordinary lives. While theoretically this

possibility

exists, the abuse of this theory has given rise to a number of

so-called

liberated souls, who, while living rather mundane lives, call

themselves

liberated and attract foolish followers. Look for a liberated soul who

sets

an example for others to follow by which they can become liberated.

 

Persons like Janaka and other liberated men and women who did not adopt

a

posture of overt renunciation nonetheless lived extraordinary lives

guided

by scriptural principles.

 

Q. In the Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, the Master makes reference to how

Vedanta and all the religious texts have been poisoned or tainted. Why

would he say this?

 

A. It is true that many scriptural texts have been subject to

interpolation

and perhaps this is what Ramakrishna was referring to. However, such

statements should not be used to do away with scripture itself, as

there is

more than enough concurrence between various scriptural texts on

essential

spiritual truths. Scripture can also guide us in our own search for a

living guide and save us from deception in the name of guru.

 

If a person claims to be a Vedantist, he or she should be familiar with

the

scriptural theory of Vedanta, be it devotional or nondevotional, at

least

enough to represent it accurately and to live a life that exemplifies

its

theory.

 

Q. Is it true that becoming a sannyasin is not necessary for

self-realization and in fact may be an impediment to this goal, i.e.

one

can even become proud of being a sannyasin?

 

A. Strictly speaking, the doctrine of Advaita as articulated by

Sankaracarya requires that one be born in a brahmana family and then

adopt

the renounced order of sannyasa in order to attain liberation. However,

many of the devotional sects of Vedanta, such as the Gaudiya lineage

that I

am affiliated with, do not agree with this. Krsna says in the Gita that

the

path to liberation, and more--attaining love for him--is open to all.

 

Q. How will one jivanmukta know the other? There are so many tales of

false

gurus that I have become very wary of them all.

 

A. It is said, "It takes one to know one." Scripture can also assist us

in

differentiating the false from that which is real. Therefore we should

doubt anyone who dismisses scripture.

 

Q. Should one remain a brahmacari while still struggling with sex

desire or

should one marry?

 

A. If the desire for sex shows its face in brahmacari life, this does

not

mean one needs to abandon celibate life. However, one does need to

learn

how to refrain from acting on this desire in a way that is healthy.

That

is, without becoming psychologically dysfunctional.

 

Q. Do jivanmuktas really have no fear of death?

 

A. Yes, liberated souls still living within this world have no fear of

death.

 

Q. I read on the internet that sannyasis are not supposed to preach,

but

rather they are meant to live a renounced, secluded life and leave the

preaching to householders. I would appreciate your comments on this

issue.

Here is some of what was posted on the subject:

 

"The Apastamba Dharma-sutra, one of the most authoritative and ancient

of

the treatises on dharma, teaches that members of the sannyasa order do

not

preach. This is the description of sannyasa life from that text that

distinctly says they should remain silent:

 

'Next the wandering ascetic. From that very state, remaining chaste, he

goes forth and should live as a silent sage, without fire or house,

without

shelter or protection. Speaking only when he is engaged in private

Vedic

recitation and obtaining food from a village to sustain himself, he

should

live without any concern for this world or the next. Discarded clothes

are

prescribed for him. Some say that he should go completely naked.

Abandoning

truth and falsehood, pleasure and pain, the Vedas, this world and the

next,

he should seek the Self. When he gains insight, he gains bliss.'

 

From this text we learn that preaching is not the domain of a sannyasi.

Preaching, which is part of teaching, is the domain of the householder.

Therefore the teacher or guru is supposed to be a householder.

Sandipani

Muni, Krsna's teacher, was a householder. Students always study with

householders, not sannyasis. Sannyasis, in this postmodern world, have

wrongfully usurped the role of householders. Better they get back to

basic

Vedic recommendations, give up begging and take off their sannyasa

dress.

Their arrogance and efforts to play a role they are unqualified for is

bringing shame to Gaudiya Vaisnavism."

 

A. Every Gaudiya Vaisnava sect has its renunciates, be they sannyasis,

babajis, or whatever you want to call them. Their relationship with the

householders is one of setting a spiritual example and preaching in

exchange for which the householder feeds or gives monetary support.

Supporting the monks is purifying for the householder and represents

his

self-giving, for a householder is identified with his possessions and

earnings.

 

Brahmacaris and vanaprasthas are also renunciates who are justified in

accepting contributions for their upkeep from the householder

community.

How will brahmacaris survive as students if the householders are not

funding the ashram? What is the householder supposed to do with his

money

other than spend it for service to Krsna and his devotees?

 

If in Gaudiya Vaisnavism only householders can be gurus, then what

about

Gopal Bhatta Goswami, Narottama Thakura and so many other great Gaudiya

acaryas who were not householders?

 

Caitanya Mahaprabhu said, kiba vipa kiba nyasi sudra kene naya, yei

krsna-tattva-vetta sei guru haya, "Whether one is a brahmana, a

sannyasi,

or a sudra--regardless of what he is--he can become guru if he knows

the

science of Krsna." (Cc Madhya 8.128)

 

Mahaprabhu taught that it was irrelevant what dress the guru comes in.

What

was important to him was who had the spiritual substance to be guru. In

this verse he says a sannyasi (kiba nyasi) can be guru. Did he mean a

silent sannyasi guru?

 

To say the least, the Apastamba dharma sutra is an obscure text for

Gaudiya

Vaisnavas. Does one verse from an obscure text tell the whole story?

What

did Madhva, Ramanuja, or Sankara think of it? These great acaryas were

sannyasis. Did it stop them from preaching? Did it silence them? Did it

silence Mahaprabhu? He was a sannyasi and he preached, as did the other

sannyasis in his association.

 

The abuse spoken of is an inevitable aspect of religious life. It is

not a

product of introducing sannyasa to modern-day Gaudiya Vaisnavism. How

many

householders from the jati gosai sects have exploited their

congregation,

living off them and collecting donations for temple repairs that are

never

completed even after enough money has been collected to rebuild the

entire

temple?

 

And as for arrogance, any householder, and especially a learned one,

can be

as arrogant as a sannyasi.

 

Q. What is your understanding of how Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati

Thakura dealt with initiation and regulative principles? Did he require

four rules and sixteen rounds of japa like our Srila Prabhupada did or

did

he require sixty-four rounds of japa for temple devotees and less for

devotees living outside the temple? What were his standards for

initiation

and for sannyasa?

 

A. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura expected his disciples to

live a

moral life, with a license for sexual indulgence restricted to

marriage. He

gave initiation to those in whom sraddha had developed after they were

recommended for initiation by senior disciples and he gave sannyasa

only to

the brahmanas in his system of daiva varnasrama.

 

Srila Sridhara Maharaja explained that Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati

Thakura expected his disciples to chant Hari nama as much as possible,

but

he laid more stress on service: service to Vaisnavas, the matha,

preaching,

etc. If due to circumstances on any particular day they had no service,

they were expected to chant sixty-four rounds. He taught them not to

let

their mala fast, "malika upavasa na," but he also stated repeatedly

that he

did not consider sitting in the jungle all day chanting Hari nama to be

krsnanusilanam. In this way he tried to save his disciples from

degradation

in the name of Krsna consciousness by keeping them busy in practical

service and preaching, by which they would eventually become qualified

to

simply sit and chant remembering the lilas of Sri Krsnacandra.

 

We should not be afraid that we will be unable to attain the adhikara

(qualification) for nama bhajana if we are engaged in menial service.

Real

nama bhajana is not a cheap thing. We must pay the price to attain this

through service, self-abnegation, and sacrifice. Do not be afraid to

sweep

the temple, thinking you will miss something. Participation in Krsna

lila

is all service, regardless of what form it takes, therefore our

prospect

for entering there requires first and foremost that we develop a

serving

ego. This is more important than becoming a tattva vit and it will save

us

from our imagination. Even within the lila we will render menial

service

under the direction of Sri Gurudeva to the associates of Sri Krsna who

embodies our ideal. Service is our all and all.