The Holy Sannyas Order

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Sri Ekachakra Dham, pre-sannyas instructions
16 February 2019

When Mahaprabhu took sannyas from Keshav Bharati, He took an eka-danda sannyas, but Nityananda Prabhu broke Mahaprabhu's danda and it became a tri-danda sannyas. Actually, there is no sannyas in Kali-yuga, but Prabhupad Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur started making sannyas disciples in his life and he explained that tri-danda sannyas means sannyas with kaya, mana, vakya—'kaya' means 'body', 'mana' means 'mind', and 'vakya' means 'speech'. Gurudev also explained that tri-danda sannyas means one has to be humble, tolerant and give honour to others. Sannyas is not only changing one's dress. Try to always cultivate these qualities, you must be an example for our society, and try to always preach.

A sannyasi means a servitor, not a manager—you must be a servitor more and more, you must be more and more a servant of a servant. That is the main thing. You yourself must have good quality. I also pray to Gurudev that no pratistha comes to you. Sannyas pratistha is very bad for our sampradaya. You can see that Chaitanya Mahaprabhu showed that He had taken a sannyasi dress, that He had taken sannyas, but He also showed how much He served others with that dress, how much He preached with that dress. He did not sit in Kashi Misra's house in Puri all the time—He always served, and every day without exception, without stop, He chanted the Holy Name, he preached Hari-katha. Without stop.

You must understand that it is necessary to help with preaching. If you surrender to the Lord, if you help, then Krishna will help in your service. Always help, help, help. Some day you may get sick, but Srila Haridas Thakur said, "Asustha hoya mora mana, asustha nay mora sarira (অসুস্থ হয় মোর মন, অসুস্থ নয় মোর শরীর): my mind is sick, my body is not sick."

Also, you must not remember your previous life. All of you were householders before, but you have been detached from that householder life for many years now, so never remember it again now, never let it come to your mind. Do not keep any connection with them without service. Yes, you had a family before, but you must use that family for the service of the Lord, service of Nityananda Prabhu and Gurudev—you can engage them in service, but without service do not even talk to them.

One time, one of Gurudev's sannyasis told about me, "Acharya Maharaj is the acharya of the temple, but he is going temple to temple inviting all the brahmacharis and sannyasis for his Guru's festival. What is he doing? How can he do it? He is the acharya!" When I heard it, I thought, what is wrong with that? I am like that. I never think that I am the manager or the acharya. Mahaprabhu invited everybody, going door to door, collecting everything Himself for the festival of Haridas Thakur, and what am I compared to Him? I am nothing. If I invite brahmacharis and sannyasis, what is the problem? I go door to door, it is my duty. I do not sit in one place like a statue. Do you understand it? This is not our duty. Go door to door. You must go to householder people to rescue them from maya, it is necessary. In another way also, when you go to householder people, you yourself have to have a good character, good qualities. Sannyas life means you must always teach very nicely.

Actually, you are all already serving Gurudev, and I am only helping you by giving you this sannyas. I know you took initiation and shelter from Gurudev many years ago and you have been doing much service in his mission, but now the time has come to take more and more service. If you take sannyas and behave like a householder, then everybody will think, "He is also a householder, and I am also a householder," and nobody will listen to you when you come to preach Krishna consciousness.

With this said, I am telling you again and again—taking sannyas is not for pratistha. You must serve more and more. That is the main thing. Remember it.

Do not remember your previous life, your family life. This is also being a vantasi [a vomit-eater—you vomit something and then again take that vomit]. Do not be attached to any material things, to that which does not satisfy your Guru. You may be thinking you are doing some big job, some big things, but if it does not satisfy your Guru, then it is not a big thing—it is nothing, actually. So, the main thing is how to satisfy your Guru.

In this way, you must preach Krishna consciousness, you must practise proper Krishna consciousness.

sannyasira dharma nahe—sannyasa karina
nija janma-sthane rahe kutumba lana

"After accepting sannyas, it is not the duty of a sannyasi to remain at his birthplace surrounded by relatives."

(Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita, Madhya-lila, 3.177)

It is not appropriate for a sannyasi to stay with family. On the other hand, Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur also told that if you want to run away and stay alone, this is also not a sannyasi's life. When you stay alone, nobody can understand what you are doing, but nirjan bhajan (practising in seclusion) is kaitva (cheating), atma-vanchana (self-deceit). You will go to some place and be doing nirjan bhajan thinking you are alone, so nobody can understand what you are doing, but it is Kali-yuga and Mahaprabhu said it should be gostha-bhajan (practice and service together with devotees). Even when Mahaprabhu Himself took sannyas, He always preached. When Gurudev also took sannyas, he always stayed with many devotees—he was always surrounded by devotees. If you are always with devotees, then you cannot do wrong—you have to come to the mangal-arati, you have to attend programmes; but if you are staying alone, then always bad things will come to your mind. Always stay with devotees and engage in service. That is our life. So many problems will come, so many difficulties will come, but we do not run away from our service. That is our line.

There are so many centres, so many temples all over the world. You can see Sripad Tyagi Maharaj's example also: he goes all over the world, door to door, preaching. There were problems in Nabadwip and I told him, "All right, they are targeting you, you can go abroad and preach there." I told him that and he is following it. He comes to India only once a year at Gaura Purnima. Engaging in service is our life.

Always engage yourself in service. You should also understand that if you keep even a little distance from service, then so many problems will come to your mind, but if you engage yourself in service, then good, proper things will be coming to your heart. Do not be a vantasi. Do not think about your previous life, about your father, mother, etc. Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math is your real family. As for others, neglect it, it is maya, do not think about it. Only do service, and Krishna will look after you. He is thinking about us, why will I think about myself? If I serve Him, it is His duty to think about me. If I serve Nityananda Prabhu properly, then it is Nityananda Prabhu's duty to think about Me—why will I waste my time on thinking about myself? It is Nityananda Prabhu's duty! Will I waste my time on thinking about myself then? Not at all! Not—at—all.

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