THE GLORY OF RENUNCIATION
Every Religion has a band of anchorites who lead the life of seclusion and meditation. There are Bhikkus in Buddhism, Fakirs in Mohammedanism, Sufistic Fakirs in Sufism, Fathers and Reverends in Christianity. The glory of a religion will be lost if there are no monks leading a life of renunciation and service to the world. It is these people that maintain the religions of the world. They give solace to the householders when they are in trouble and distress. They are the harbingers of peace and wisdom. They heal the sick, comfort the forlorn and bring help to the hopeless, joy to the depressed, strength to the weak, and knowledge to the ignorant. One true Sannyasin can change the thought-currents of the world for better.
A real Sannyasi is a mighty potentate of this earth. Sannyasins have done sublime work in the past. They are working wonders at present. One real Sannyasin can change the destiny of the whole world. I dance in joy when I see or hear from an aspirant who entertains genuine devotion, aspiration and inclination for the path of renunciation and tries to get out of this quagmire of Samsara. Through prayers and thought-currents I am in very close touch with such students and help them a lot. They are all attracted towards me and leave the world quickly with a great hope for the future. I welcome them with great joy and train them nicely in a variety of ways in the path of Yoga and take care of them until they are able to stand firm in the path.
YOUTH IS THE BEST PERIOD FOR RENUNCIATION
In scriptures, the order of Sannyasa is mentioned for those who have passed the Brahmacharya, Grihastha and Vanaprastha stages of life. That means people took Sannyasa in their old age, on the verge of death. It is quite good to have some peace at the time of death. By this they may get a good birth. From experience I find that tremendous energy is needed for purposes of contemplation, clear vision and extraordinary purity of body, mind and heart. I consider youth, with abundant energy and mental purity, as the foremost qualification for the path of renunciation. I have all admiration for those young Brahmacharis who do not have any worldly bondage and entanglements. They can be moulded nicely.
Viveka, Vairagya, Shat-sampat and Mumukshutva are the primary qualifications to students prescribed by the scriptures. It will not be possible to have all the above qualifications when people live in worldly environments with heavy responsibilities, anxieties and worries. By the time they develop one virtue or try to remove a single defect or evil in the mind, they get entangled in various other directions. The vibrations of the materialistic world are not favourable for spiritual progress in the early stages. They have to spend their entire energy solely in resisting the temptations. Therefore I prefer young persons. Necessary qualifications will come by themselves when they tread the path of Yoga, in a favourable atmosphere, and when they live in the company of Yogis, in a place far away from the temptations and attraction of sense-objects.
NO RIGID CONDITIONS ARE ATTACHED
I heartily welcome all types of people. Old people can take bath in the holy Ganga and spend their time in prayers and Bhajan and enjoy the benefits of Satsanga. Young persons will evolve quickly through a dynamic Sadhana and bring spiritual good to the world. If people only show some symptom of disgust for sensual enjoyment coupled with a taste for the path of Yoga, I at once give them Sannyasa and share with them what I have and encourage them to a great extent.
It is a great surprise to many to see that I give initiation through post also. Some students who are not in a position to come to the Himalayas have taken Sannyasa by receiving the sacred cloth and instructions by post. I cannot express their joy in full. They have made wonderful progress. I closely watch them.
The entire voluntary donation I receive from devotees for my personal use is spent in providing comforts and conveniences to the students, for their welfare and peace and in creating hundreds of avenues in which they can quickly evolve and help the world in a variety of ways. In my method of work for the spiritual uplift of mankind, I permit even married people to take to the path of renunciation and live like Sannyasins. There are many who have taken to the order of Sannyasa when they have a family and children. After some training here, they go back and live near the family or a little away and take care of the family with complete detachment and gloriously prosper in their Sadhana.
The point of my method is that I look to the motive and the inner purity of the seeker. I do not impose too many rules and restrictions on food and dress. External conformity to rules is not of much value. My students can live in any place, in any dress and yet effectively follow my instructions. They all set an example to the whole world. Glory to the true, ideal Sannyasin who leads an exemplary life. This world is in need of ideal Sannyasins who will serve the country and humanity with divine consciousness and disseminate true knowledge and carry the message of the Sages and Saints to every door. May Sannyasins, the repositories of divine knowledge, the torch-bearers of Truth, the beacon-lights of the world, the corner-stones of spiritual edifices and the central pillars of the eternal Dharma or religion, guide the nations of the world.
