What do you think of this:
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(Sannyasa) Suburban Bobba
by Guy Gismo PhD, Anjana Suta Academy (www.jayarama.us)
Urban Monk: Exploring Karma, Consciousness, and the Divine by Gadadhara Pandit Dasa; Amazon.com
We are concerned with serving Krsna:
nitya-siddha kṛṣṇa-prema 'sādhya' kabhu naya
śravaṇādi-śuddha-citte karaye udaya (CC 2.22.107).
It is our normal life. For that, we need to become immortal. If we are going to die and then become sheep, turkeys, pig-keepers, then how will we be Krsna conscious. Srila Prabhupada may not be able to hang on to us unless we get free from so many strong material attachments like … breathing air. He may lose contact with us and we may plunge again into the 8,400,000 species of life for all eternity or for an aeon.
This is sannyasa:
Nyasa - renouncing.
San-nyasa - completely renouncing.
It is like Vanaprastha Ashrama and then Sannyasa Ashrama. You give up gross sex with a woman and then you give up even joking with women.
Of course, our ISKCON Sannyasis are trying to do this. Yes, they take Sannyasa for the fame, easy life, peace, but they also do it also for the right purpose, to get free from Samsara for their benefit, for benefit of society and for … the benefit of Krsna (Yasoda-nandana).
How can we do that in the modern world??
The Lives and Challenges of Vaishnava Sannyasis in Modernity by Yadunandana Swami https://blservices.com/product/sannyasis-in-modernity/
Gadhadhara Das, in the book cited above, talks about being an Urban Monk, but Srila Prabhupada’s mission is to deliver the Western world and most of that also requires going into the Suburbs where our congregational base lives, Suburban Monk.
How do we host an ISKCON Sannyasi in the Suburbs? Help him do his work of seeking liberation, exalted devotional service and leading us to the same platform?
Discussing the cause of his fall-down H. H. Satsvarupa Das Goswami comments that he broke the first rule of Sannyasa, being alone with a woman.
“There are so many rules and regulations to be followed in the renounced order of life. Most important of all, a sannyāsī is strictly forbidden to have any intimate relationship with a woman. He is even forbidden to talk with a woman in a secluded place. Lord Caitanya was an ideal sannyāsī, and when He was at Purī His feminine devotees could not even come near to offer their respects. They were advised to bow down from a distant place.
This is not a sign of hatred for women as a class, but it is a stricture imposed on the sannyāsī not to have close connections with women.
One has to follow the rules and regulations of a particular status of life in order to purify his existence.” BG 16.1-3 (p).
Ladies should not talk to Sannyasis unless their husband, father, grown-up sons or brothers are present.
SM: Ooof! That is not practical!
It is with some effort and the result is wonderful for all.
SM: Did Prabhupada follow that with Sally Agrawaal in Butler, Pennsylvania? He came from the YMCA where he was staying and cooked lunch before Mr. Agrawaal came home. Didn’t he talk with her alone, in a “secluded place”.
UG: Yes, there are reports of some instances like this, but we find so many times Srila Prabhupada was very strict about not being alone even for regular discussion with respectable ladies. Maybe he was in the same open room while they put flower vases in place. Maybe he answered questions simply but did not initiate or extend conversation.
These are our, Prof. G. Gismo, Anjana Suta Academy, realizations, standards, an line authorized.
SM: What if I have to talk with a visiting Sannyasi about something. Can I call him?
Make a conference call with your son. Text him with a copy to your husband.
If a Sannyasi is staying in your house and you the Dude has to go to work and leave him alone in the house with the ladies, then you offer to drop him off at the library. Understand that as a host you must have a male devotee, gentleman come and keep him company if you will be out of the house.
How can we help him in his Sannyasa? By taking advantage of his association.
Why do universities exist? So teachers can learn.
Plan on taking Sannyasa. Understand that your comfortable Suburban environment is temporary. It is a step on the way to Vanaprastha and that is a step on the way to Sannyasa.
We may think, “Oh, I am a devotee, why do I need to undergo these formalities, Sannyasa, civil widow?” The answer is that they are formalities but not without meaning. We may have deep personal commitment between a man and a woman but still they should get formally, religiously, married.
This is a good basis, no?
Question: What does your, Uncle Gismo, PhD mean.
UG: Doctor of Phalocracia. Study it with us and we will award you the same title.
SP: You are half mad, no?
UG: Yes, but… Lord Caitanya said that one can understand Srimad Bhagavatam only when he becomes a madman like him. Of course, there are many madmen, but we want to become madmen like Lord Caitanya.
Controlling the tongue, belly and genitals.
A Sannyasi who is traveling has to eat, engage his tongue and belly, in many different places. Srila Prabhupada was a “miser” but he took the expense of traveling with a personal (even female (with male secretary)) cook, no? Once we had lunch at five different ISKCON restaurants in Mexico City before we came to Houston. We were completely sick! All of the food was Sattvic but it was all different, different consciousness. Ask your guest what he wants to offer to his Deities. Don’t offer what you think he would like, which often may be opulent, or special food that you think you would like.
Often people will cook special preparations for a Sannyasi or any special guest rather than the simple food they take daily. You don’t cook these special preps every day so many times they aren’t cooked that well and if he is eating special, opulent food daily the Sannyasi will get sick and die very soon and become a street dog.
What does he want? Does he want to cook? Let him. Invite him.
Ask him what he wants. So many times we see that people ask XYZ what this Sannyasi eats and get the wrong information. Ask him.
Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna.
All of us going with Srila Prabhupada to see Krsna.
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