Sannyasa
Sannyasa is a lifestyle in itself; it is not a part of the usual social
approach to living. Society emphasises attachment to things and people,
we desire and we accumulate. Sannyasa, on the other hand, aims to release
and to become free of attachment. The two approaches are fundamentally
different in nature.
Deepening the experience of sannyasa involves progressively realising
the nature of the Self from the grossest to the subtlest level. This requires
becoming aware of the qualities or limitations appearing within, now,
at this moment. It is an approach which incorporates viveka (discrimination)
and vairagya (non-attachment), and the outcome is that we gradually
cease to be negatively affected by anything.
Cultivating viveka and vairagya, and pursuing them to the revelation
of our deeper selves is the purpose of jignasu and karma
sannyasa. These initiations are especially appropriate for those who experience
a big shift from the usual social way of life to sannyasa. Some, however,
find adopting the sannyasa lifestyle a natural and spontaneous process;
these become poorna sannyasins.
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