Karma and Sanyaasa

[Sankaran Jayanarayanan]

sadananda <sada at ANVIL.NRL.NAVY.MIL> wrote:

[..]

>The whole of my post is to say that sanyaasa is not essential but
helpful.

[..]

>My statement is bhoutika sanyaasa is neither necessary nor sufficient
but
>helpful for self-realization.

[..]

>My central objection is against the claim that physical renunciation is
>essential for self-realization.

I think you either have not read Rama's previous posts, or you have
completely misunderstood what he is trying to say. Rama, in fact, gave
the example of a GYAni, who, far from being a sannyaasi, had actually
thrown stones on a Shiva Linga. If Rama thought physical renunciation
was absolutely necessary, it would've been foolish of him to have given
that example. Again, he always did accept that Janaka, who was not a
sannyaasi, was self-realized.

Then, obviously, Rama couldn't have meant that physical renunciation was
absolutely necessary!

And you must indeed apologize to him: if not for having made a personal
comment, at least for having misunderstood what he was trying to say.

[..]

Anyway, what Rama was trying to say, IMO, is that:

1) There are some who go about the world claiming to have "renounced
everything mentally" but they still enjoy the cozy comforts of life,
WITHOUT performing the karma required of them. They renounce all their
responsibilities, yet lay claim to their rights! These people, who have
"partially" renounced karma cannot achieve realization.

2) If you are living in the society and are striving for liberation, you
MUST perform the karma required of you. Janaka, having mentally
renounced everything, still performed his duty as a king.

3) Anyone who claims to be "mentally renounced" ought to be capable of
taking up physical sannyaasa. But most people who say they can [easily]
renounce everything mentally are totally incapable of being a samnyaasi.

-Kartik

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