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| A Sannyasi |
A favorite of magazine
covers and documentaries, nothing presents a more exotic and mysterious picture
of Hinduism than that of the sannyasi. Traditionally revered in Hinduism, and
sometimes derided by detractors, these wandering holy men have been part of the
Indian landscape since ancient times. Indeed, tales of sannyasis retiring to
the forest in search of enlightenment is a staple of the civilization. By the
time of Buddha, two thousand six hundred years ago, the tradition of sannyasa
had already long existed. In fact, before his enlightenment, the Buddha spent
years travelling with a group of sannyasis, practising austerities, who then
became his first disciples.
In Hinduism, four
stages of life are described: bramacharya, grihastha, vanaprastha and sannyasa.
A bramachari is a celibate student, whose duty is to learn from his teacher,
his guru; a grihastha is a householder, whose duties include raising a family
and engaging in civic duties; vanaprastha is the retired stage of life, and
finally, a sannayasi is someone, who having performed all worldly duties,
renounces all for the pursuit of spiritual wisdom. In practical terms however,
many young men (and women) take sannyasa.
Thus a sannyasi is not
a priest, which is profession, but a natural stage of life. It is the result of
a deep commitment, involving no salary nor benefits, and a product of a personal
search for the truth. Yet, despite their abandonment of societal
responsibilities, the orders of sannyasa have built up significant traditions over
the years. While many sannyasis are free of any association and follow their own
path, many more coalesce into orders, attracted by the teachings of the
leaders.
The Buddha created an
order of sannyasis, which he called the Sangha. These monks (in western terms)
dedicate their lives to understanding the teachings (the Dharma) and expounding
it to others.
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| Shankaracharya |
One of the great
organizers of sannyasa in Hinduism was the great 8th century saint
Shankar-acharya. Born in South India, he travelled across the land, expounding
his philosophy, establishing temples and orders of sannyasis, which have great
influence to this day.
He founded two types of
sannaysis; one called the astra-dhara (the carrier of weapons), and the other the
shastra-dhara (the carrier of scriptures.) The astra-dhara, the warrior sannyasis,
were meant to protect Hindu temples, which were being regularly attacked by
invaders. They were structured around mahants (leaders) and their orders are
called akharas, which literally means the circle within which martial arts are
practised.
The shastra-dhara
sannyasis established mathas, whose closest English translation would be
monasteries. There, they studied scripture, specifically those that expounded
the monistic teachings of their founder. These sannaysis became known as the
dasnami (ten-name) sannyasis, so-called because upon entrance to the order, initiates
are awarded one of ten names (such as Puri, Bharati and Giri.)
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| The Sringeri Matha, established by Shankaracharya |
Sannaysis are still
found in India, though in much reduced numbers. The main reason for the decline
is the minimization of traditional spiritual education in India, where western
education is seen as a gateway to the best paying jobs. In the transition to a
materialistic culture, and away from a spiritual one, many of the ancient
traditions are diminished.
Mohan Ashtakala is the author of The Yoga Zapper (www.yogazapper.com) published by Books We Love (www.bookswelove.net)
