Sannyasa Asrama

BY: TAMOHARADASA (ACBSP)

Jun 2, CALGARY, CANADA (SUN) — Further to the article "Sannyasa, or Sans Us, I have a relevant quote from our Spiritual Master. The current arrangements within ISKCON clearly fly in the face of the spirit of these instructions.

Sannyasa is a natural progression on the path of devi varna ashrama. This has been hijacked for political ends by those who have twisted the meaning of sannyasa. Now it has transmuted into something quite like the Catholic Church’s cardinals. This is not what Srila Prabhupada wanted, if the following has any relevance. Just read and judge for yourselves:

Prabhupada: YES. THAT IS A FORMALITY. THAT IS NOT VERY IMPORTANT. BECAUSE MAYAVADI SANNYASIS, THEY ARE ALSO VEDIC SANNYASIS. THEY ARE NOT OUTSIDERS. BUT THEIR INTERPRETATION OF VEDA IS DIFFERENT. BUT THEY FOLLOW THE VEDIC RULES. SO THIS ACCEPTANCE OF SANNYASA IS FOLLOWING A PRINCIPLE OF THE VEDIC RULES. SO THE MAYAVADI SANNYASI MAY DIFFER IN HIS INTERPRETATION, BUT HE'S FOLLOWING THE VEDIC RULES. SO THIS ACCEPTANCE OF SANNYASA IS FOLLOWING THE VEDIC RULES. SO YOU CAN ACCEPT SANNYASA EVEN FROM MAYAVADI. IT DOESN'T MATTER. BUT YOU HAVE TO TRANSCEND THE LIMITS OF VEDIC RULES. THAT IS KRSNA CONSCIOUSNESS. That also Caitanya Mahaprabhu... Although He took sannyasa, He did not assume the sannyasa title. His sannyasa guru was Kesava Bharati. Naturally, He would have accepted the Bharati title. Sri Krsna Bharati, or something like that. But He remained Sri Krsna Caitanya. Caitanya is the name of the brahmacari under the Bharati sannyasi. One brahmacari... The brahmacaris, they are assistant or personal servitors of a sannyasi. That is the system. So Caitanya Mahaprabhu was... In the beginning, He was accepted... That is the Mayavadi system. One is accepted first of all as brahmacari. So that, His name was Caitanya. But even after His acceptance of sannyasa, He did not assume the title Bharati. That means actually He did not take sannyasa. That was simply formality. Because Mayavadi sannyasi thinks that he is God; so how He can assume that title? He was preaching, He was going to preach that we are servant of God; therefore He did not assume that title. And besides that, when Caitanya Mahaprabhu was going to Lord..., see Jagannatha Puri, His rod was taken away by Nityananda and it was broken and thrown away. So He, apparently He became very angry that "You have broken My rod, sannyasa rod. So I am not going with You." He separated. These statements are there in the Caitanya-caritamrta. So in one sense, Caitanya Mahaprabhu did not require to accept any sannyasa guru, BUT HE ACCEPTED THE FORMALITY THAT IF ONE TAKES SANNYASA, ONE HAS TO TAKE SANNYASA FROM ANOTHER SANNYASI. THAT IS THE SYSTEM. JUST LIKE IF YOU WANT TO GET YOURSELF MARRIED, YOU HAVE TO CALL FOR A PRIEST. THAT DOES NOT MEAN THAT YOU HAVE TO AGREE WITH THE PRIEST'S PERSONAL OPINION. DO YOU FOLLOW? YES. HE MAY EXECUTE THE RULES AND REGULATION OF MARRIAGE CEREMONY, BUT THAT DOES NOT MEAN THAT ONE HAS TO AGREE WITH THE PRIEST'S OPINION, PERSONAL OPINION. THIS IS THE ANSWER. But when you accept a spiritual master, that is not allowed. Unless you cent percent agree with the spiritual master's opinion or philosophy, there is no need of accepting a spiritual master. There is no need. Yes.

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