Advantages of Being a Sannyasi
I find one distinct advantage in being a sannyasi: I need not pretend before others. While living as a family, people have to maintain a certain status quo in society. They have to ‘act’ before others. Once, one of my shishyas exaggerated his position to a third person. When I confronted him on this, he said, “What to do Swamiji? In this world, we cannot be 100% transparent and on several issues we have to exaggerate a bit. This is not telling a lie, but part of life. As a sannyasi, people never expect you to be successful in your endeavor. But we, as family people, are always compared with others in life.” One way it is true. But now few sannyasis also want to project how successful they are. Their success is measured according to the number of their shishyas and followers, establishments, particularly with huge ashram all controlled by electronic devices, if possible have a huge business to promote their products. Now they are under more pressure than a family person to show how they are successful. Gone are the days when they try to live as recluse.
This leads to another advantage I have as a sannyasi: to serve and to be served. Since I serve others as much as possible, when the need comes, I do not hesitate to not just request but even demand the same kind of service from others (of course as much they could do). One time, when I moved from the North and settled down in the South, I called one of my shishyas and said, “As a sannyasi, I have even the right (dharma) to beg and demand from you,” when I was in need of money. The difference between a family person and a sannyasi is that, when they seek the help of others, sometimes their respect, prestige, statues, etc. are at stake. Whereas, thankfully, Indian society never expects a true sannyasi to uphold any of these values, except to remain true to his call and vocation as a sannyasi with real detachment. He is relieved from all these because of his choice. He can go and ask without any personal hurt and pain. At least in principle, when he asks, he is not asking for the comfort of family but to serve others.
Sannyasis and Social Work
At the same time, I should express my opinion of sannyasis being involved in any kind of social work, particularly those that directly involve money, as well doing business in the name of promoting organic products keeping the health of people. Though I had my ‘Fund for Friends’, I soon realized how even a philanthropic work can trap a sannyasi in dealing with money. I liquidated that fund by giving the final amount to someone in need. At the time, to be honest, as my mother left some money for me, I am financially independent in one way. But when it comes to doing charity, I never directly involve gathering money and using it for any kind of philanthropic work. When such needs come, I ask others directly to help the needy person.
Though a sannyasi can ask without any sense of any hurt or pain to his ‘ego’, he has to take help from others. At the same time if some problems come in collecting and using for philanthropic work under his direct involvement, then he alone is responsible for them. The recent criminal cases against a few sannyasis and swamijis are the best examples for this. I prefer either the govt. or NGO’s doing all kinds of social and public service rather than the sannyasi being directly involved. He can motivate and inspire his followers to do it on their own either personally or through any other means.
One time, a local political leader asked why I didn’t collect fund from my shishyas to help needy poor children for their education. For this I said, “Poor and needy people are everywhere. Why should I ask others to help those who are here alone? Rather I encourage them to do it in their own place. By this we not only encourage others to take responsibility, but also decentralize such activities.”
When a sannyasi becomes the head of any fund or service centre, he becomes the final authority, and is not challenged by his followers. He can follow democratic norms by appointing committees and trustees, but when it comes to the final decision on certain crucial decisions, his word is final and it will only later be questioned and criticized by others. In life I uphold this principle that ‘A sannyasi should not have money and power’. He can have moral authority, which is earned because of his life and service rather than demanding because of his dress or position.
A Reminder to Society
So a sannyasi is not only one who has renounced in mind but attached with a particular dress. He stands in the society to convey some tangible message to those who live in it. The saffron robe is the symbol of ‘fire’ that often reminds people about the transitory nature of material things. Though life needs to be lived in its totality by enjoying all legitimate things in this world, sometimes it helps people not to become so entangled with materialism. Of course, people need not look at a sannyasi to learn this, but a sannyasi can stand as a symbol to remind people about the transitory nature of things.
Nothing goes to waste in creation. Even those things that stand away from others have a place in creation to make it complete. As a joke I tell that, by not marrying and raising children, sannyasis are helping the population control in our country, for which the government and others are spending a lot of effort. At least in this, even negatively a sannyasi serves the society. Now the new movement of ‘childless life’ or even the world appreciates our decision. However I personally agree with them. Now several countries are struggling with an aged population with lower child birth which threatens their society.
Society functions based on an identity, but this identity needs to be expressed through outward symbols and signs. We cannot have an identity constructed in mind alone. Otherwise, simple people cannot learn and understand their role in society. So, although it is often abused and misunderstood, the symbol of a sannyasi (both as a vocation and stage) speaks to the society. Though he stands away from it, he cannot stand apart from it. In this respect, both the sannyasi and the society will remain incomplete without each other contributing for the common good for all.
At the same time we have to remember the difference between several religious communities choosing the vocation of singlehood. Though there are few exceptions, they also live as a ‘community’ whereas ideally a sannyasi should be a recluse both in letter and spirit. There is a statement about this: Yek me niranjan; do me suki; theen me chatpat char me duki. Living alone [in solitude] is blissful; two sannyasis staying together [not living together as a community] might bring some comfort—with mutual service to each other; there will be dispute when three join together and four will bring more sorrow and pain.
Renouncing All
One who has truly renounced will not pay attention to another’s comments on his renunciation, whether outward or inward changes. Even I am laughing to myself on how I have tried to defend my act of renunciation by writing such a long apology not merely about sannyasi, but sharing my personal story. In this context, I would like the story about Pattinathar. He was the wealthiest merchant at Kaveripoompattinam (also known as Poompuhar), even richer than the king. But he had no child and in answering his prayer, Siva himself was born to him as a son. When Siva grew up, he went to other countries by ship for business and brought lots of wealth. In order to protect it from thieves, he hid it in dry cow dung cakes.
Once his son reached home, Pattinathar was shocked that he brought only dry cow dung and not lots of wealth. In anger, he threw one of them on the floor, and it broke and precious gems and stones scattered on the floor. His son, to teach a lesson to his father about his attachment to wealth, went away leaving a palm leaf with the words, “Even at death, a needle without its eye (whole) won’t come along with you.”1
Realizing his vanity, Pattinathar (this was his sannyasi name) immediately distributed all his wealth to the poor, renounced everything, and went and sat under a tree in the main centre. On hearing this, the king himself came to see him to ask the reason for such a drastic act on his part. When the king asked what he gained by renouncing everything, Pattinathar replied, “While you stand, I am sitting.” Because like other citizens he need not stand up to pay homage to the king but can sit receiving it from the king.
On hearing this, the king immediately renounced his post and became Pattinathar’s disciple. While he was a merchant Pattinathar had to stand to receive the king when he came to visit him. Now that he had renounced everything, he had no fear about protecting his wealth from the king or any one, and therefore he had no need to stand up to receive the king.
One day when Pattinathar went to the field to take some rest in the afternoon, he kept his head on the edge of the field as a pillow. Two women came there to cut the gross. On seeing him, one said, “See how rich he was and now where he is sleeping?” For this the other woman said, “Though he renounced everything, he could not renounce the comfort of the pillow to take rest.” Then both went to cut the grass.
When they returned they saw that Pattinathar had even removed his head from the edge and was sleeping on the field. Then the first woman said, “What kinds of words you spoke! See what he has done now?” For this she said, “He has not yet completely renounced everything. If he had done it, he would never have minded the opinion of others about him.”
There is another interesting account about Pattinathar. When he and his disciples were sitting on the two opposite entrances of the temple, one man came seeking some help from Pattinathar. For this he said, ‘go to the other side where a family person is sitting like me. Ask him and he might help you’. So he went and did the same. Perplexed by such comments by his guruji, the shishya immediately rushed to Pattinathar and asked why he called him as a family person, whereas, like his guruji, he also renounced everything. With a smile Pattinathar said, still you keep a begging bowl and dog for your companionship. Then, naturally you are a family man’. Hearing this his shishya throws the begging bowl on the head of the dog and it dies.
In one of his songs he says that unless someone seeks him and offers food, he won’t go and beg from any house2. Even if they become thin and worn out by this. It is interesting to note that, in spite of this extreme form of renunciation, he never renounced his dharma towards his mother as a song and promised her to come do the funeral rites to her. And when he came to know about her death, he went and even did the cremation and wrote heart wrenching songs about his mother which I shared elsewhere.
Gurukulam, December 14, 2007
Notes
’சூதுற்ற கொங்கையும் மானார்
கலவியும் சூழ்பொருளும்
போது உற்ற பூசலுக்கு என் செய்ய ஆம்?
செய்த புண்ணியத்தால்
தீதற்ற மன்னவன் சிந்தையில்
நின்று தெளிவதற்கோ
காதற்ற ஊசியைத் தந்து விட்டான்
என்றன் கைதனிலே!’ (305)– பட்டினத்தார் ஒரு பார்வை. பழ. கருப்பையா. கோயம்புத்தூர், விஜயா பதிப்பகம். 2009. பட்டினத்தார்.-ப. 49
2. இருக்குமிடந்தேடி யென்பசிக்கே யன்ன
முருக்கமுடன் கொண்டுவந்தா லுண்பேன்-பெருக்க
வழைத்தாலும் போகே னரனே யென்றேக
மிளைத்தாலும் போகே னினி.— ஞானக்கோவை என்கிற சித்தர் பாடல்கள், ஸ்ரீ செண்பகா பதிப்பகம், சென்னை, [2௦௦5] இரண்ட்டம் பதிப்பு, 2000, வெளிப்பட்டபின் பாடியவை,பாடல், 19, ப. 146
Advantages of Being a Sannyasi
I find one distinct advantage in being a sannyasi: I need not pretend before others. While living as a family, people have to maintain a certain status quo in society. They have to ‘act’ before others. Once, one of my shishyas exaggerated his position to a third person. When I confronted him on this, he said, “What to do Swamiji? In this world, we cannot be 100% transparent and on several issues we have to exaggerate a bit. This is not telling a lie, but part of life. As a sannyasi, people never expect you to be successful in your endeavor. But we, as family people, are always compared with others in life.” One way it is true. But now few sannyasis also want to project how successful they are. Their success is measured according to the number of their shishyas and followers, establishments, particularly with huge ashram all controlled by electronic devices, if possible have a huge business to promote their products. Now they are under more pressure than a family person to show how they are successful. Gone are the days when they try to live as recluse.
This leads to another advantage I have as a sannyasi: to serve and to be served. Since I serve others as much as possible, when the need comes, I do not hesitate to not just request but even demand the same kind of service from others (of course as much they could do). One time, when I moved from the North and settled down in the South, I called one of my shishyas and said, “As a sannyasi, I have even the right (dharma) to beg and demand from you,” when I was in need of money. The difference between a family person and a sannyasi is that, when they seek the help of others, sometimes their respect, prestige, statues, etc. are at stake. Whereas, thankfully, Indian society never expects a true sannyasi to uphold any of these values, except to remain true to his call and vocation as a sannyasi with real detachment. He is relieved from all these because of his choice. He can go and ask without any personal hurt and pain. At least in principle, when he asks, he is not asking for the comfort of family but to serve others.
Sannyasis and Social Work
At the same time, I should express my opinion of sannyasis being involved in any kind of social work, particularly those that directly involve money, as well doing business in the name of promoting organic products keeping the health of people. Though I had my ‘Fund for Friends’, I soon realized how even a philanthropic work can trap a sannyasi in dealing with money. I liquidated that fund by giving the final amount to someone in need. At the time, to be honest, as my mother left some money for me, I am financially independent in one way. But when it comes to doing charity, I never directly involve gathering money and using it for any kind of philanthropic work. When such needs come, I ask others directly to help the needy person.
Though a sannyasi can ask without any sense of any hurt or pain to his ‘ego’, he has to take help from others. At the same time if some problems come in collecting and using for philanthropic work under his direct involvement, then he alone is responsible for them. The recent criminal cases against a few sannyasis and swamijis are the best examples for this. I prefer either the govt. or NGO’s doing all kinds of social and public service rather than the sannyasi being directly involved. He can motivate and inspire his followers to do it on their own either personally or through any other means.
One time, a local political leader asked why I didn’t collect fund from my shishyas to help needy poor children for their education. For this I said, “Poor and needy people are everywhere. Why should I ask others to help those who are here alone? Rather I encourage them to do it in their own place. By this we not only encourage others to take responsibility, but also decentralize such activities.”
When a sannyasi becomes the head of any fund or service centre, he becomes the final authority, and is not challenged by his followers. He can follow democratic norms by appointing committees and trustees, but when it comes to the final decision on certain crucial decisions, his word is final and it will only later be questioned and criticized by others. In life I uphold this principle that ‘A sannyasi should not have money and power’. He can have moral authority, which is earned because of his life and service rather than demanding because of his dress or position.
A Reminder to Society
So a sannyasi is not only one who has renounced in mind but attached with a particular dress. He stands in the society to convey some tangible message to those who live in it. The saffron robe is the symbol of ‘fire’ that often reminds people about the transitory nature of material things. Though life needs to be lived in its totality by enjoying all legitimate things in this world, sometimes it helps people not to become so entangled with materialism. Of course, people need not look at a sannyasi to learn this, but a sannyasi can stand as a symbol to remind people about the transitory nature of things.
Nothing goes to waste in creation. Even those things that stand away from others have a place in creation to make it complete. As a joke I tell that, by not marrying and raising children, sannyasis are helping the population control in our country, for which the government and others are spending a lot of effort. At least in this, even negatively a sannyasi serves the society. Now the new movement of ‘childless life’ or even the world appreciates our decision. However I personally agree with them. Now several countries are struggling with an aged population with lower child birth which threatens their society.
Society functions based on an identity, but this identity needs to be expressed through outward symbols and signs. We cannot have an identity constructed in mind alone. Otherwise, simple people cannot learn and understand their role in society. So, although it is often abused and misunderstood, the symbol of a sannyasi (both as a vocation and stage) speaks to the society. Though he stands away from it, he cannot stand apart from it. In this respect, both the sannyasi and the society will remain incomplete without each other contributing for the common good for all.
At the same time we have to remember the difference between several religious communities choosing the vocation of singlehood. Though there are few exceptions, they also live as a ‘community’ whereas ideally a sannyasi should be a recluse both in letter and spirit. There is a statement about this: Yek me niranjan; do me suki; theen me chatpat char me duki. Living alone [in solitude] is blissful; two sannyasis staying together [not living together as a community] might bring some comfort—with mutual service to each other; there will be dispute when three join together and four will bring more sorrow and pain.
Renouncing All
One who has truly renounced will not pay attention to another’s comments on his renunciation, whether outward or inward changes. Even I am laughing to myself on how I have tried to defend my act of renunciation by writing such a long apology not merely about sannyasi, but sharing my personal story. In this context, I would like the story about Pattinathar. He was the wealthiest merchant at Kaveripoompattinam (also known as Poompuhar), even richer than the king. But he had no child and in answering his prayer, Siva himself was born to him as a son. When Siva grew up, he went to other countries by ship for business and brought lots of wealth. In order to protect it from thieves, he hid it in dry cow dung cakes.
Once his son reached home, Pattinathar was shocked that he brought only dry cow dung and not lots of wealth. In anger, he threw one of them on the floor, and it broke and precious gems and stones scattered on the floor. His son, to teach a lesson to his father about his attachment to wealth, went away leaving a palm leaf with the words, “Even at death, a needle without its eye (whole) won’t come along with you.”1
Realizing his vanity, Pattinathar (this was his sannyasi name) immediately distributed all his wealth to the poor, renounced everything, and went and sat under a tree in the main centre. On hearing this, the king himself came to see him to ask the reason for such a drastic act on his part. When the king asked what he gained by renouncing everything, Pattinathar replied, “While you stand, I am sitting.” Because like other citizens he need not stand up to pay homage to the king but can sit receiving it from the king.
On hearing this, the king immediately renounced his post and became Pattinathar’s disciple. While he was a merchant Pattinathar had to stand to receive the king when he came to visit him. Now that he had renounced everything, he had no fear about protecting his wealth from the king or any one, and therefore he had no need to stand up to receive the king.
One day when Pattinathar went to the field to take some rest in the afternoon, he kept his head on the edge of the field as a pillow. Two women came there to cut the gross. On seeing him, one said, “See how rich he was and now where he is sleeping?” For this the other woman said, “Though he renounced everything, he could not renounce the comfort of the pillow to take rest.” Then both went to cut the grass.
When they returned they saw that Pattinathar had even removed his head from the edge and was sleeping on the field. Then the first woman said, “What kinds of words you spoke! See what he has done now?” For this she said, “He has not yet completely renounced everything. If he had done it, he would never have minded the opinion of others about him.”
There is another interesting account about Pattinathar. When he and his disciples were sitting on the two opposite entrances of the temple, one man came seeking some help from Pattinathar. For this he said, ‘go to the other side where a family person is sitting like me. Ask him and he might help you’. So he went and did the same. Perplexed by such comments by his guruji, the shishya immediately rushed to Pattinathar and asked why he called him as a family person, whereas, like his guruji, he also renounced everything. With a smile Pattinathar said, still you keep a begging bowl and dog for your companionship. Then, naturally you are a family man’. Hearing this his shishya throws the begging bowl on the head of the dog and it dies.
In one of his songs he says that unless someone seeks him and offers food, he won’t go and beg from any house2. Even if they become thin and worn out by this. It is interesting to note that, in spite of this extreme form of renunciation, he never renounced his dharma towards his mother as a song and promised her to come do the funeral rites to her. And when he came to know about her death, he went and even did the cremation and wrote heart wrenching songs about his mother which I shared elsewhere.
Gurukulam, December 14, 2007
Notes
’சூதுற்ற கொங்கையும் மானார்
கலவியும் சூழ்பொருளும்
போது உற்ற பூசலுக்கு என் செய்ய ஆம்?
செய்த புண்ணியத்தால்
தீதற்ற மன்னவன் சிந்தையில்
நின்று தெளிவதற்கோ
காதற்ற ஊசியைத் தந்து விட்டான்
என்றன் கைதனிலே!’ (305)– பட்டினத்தார் ஒரு பார்வை. பழ. கருப்பையா. கோயம்புத்தூர், விஜயா பதிப்பகம். 2009. பட்டினத்தார்.-ப. 49
2. இருக்குமிடந்தேடி யென்பசிக்கே யன்ன
முருக்கமுடன் கொண்டுவந்தா லுண்பேன்-பெருக்க
வழைத்தாலும் போகே னரனே யென்றேக
மிளைத்தாலும் போகே னினி.— ஞானக்கோவை என்கிற சித்தர் பாடல்கள், ஸ்ரீ செண்பகா பதிப்பகம், சென்னை, [2௦௦5] இரண்ட்டம் பதிப்பு, 2000, வெளிப்பட்டபின் பாடியவை,பாடல், 19, ப. 146
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