What it is to be a Sanyasi (renunciation of worldly pleasures)

Once upon a time one pick-pocketer somehow entered into the crowd of people with an intention to steal money. But after sometime he found himself in the front row and just before him was a saint. He was speaking about devotion and detachment. That day he did not pick pocket. Something had changed inside him which he was not aware of. He went home and wife told him that a saint had come in the town and his sermon was so influential that her uncle decided to take Sanyas after some year. He laughed loudly. Wife screamed and asked the reason of laughter.

Those who feel the fire of detachment burning in their heart, they do not postpone renunciation and those who postpone, they have yet not felt the heat of that fire, He replied. Wife did not like the remark made by husband. She sarcastically said, “ If you have felt the fire, why don’t you show?” Thief looked at his wife, smiled, stood up, and left forever, never to come back. Wife kept crying, begging to stop, She said that she was joking. But thief did not turned back. Like the gust of wind, he left the home forever.

Many of you may think that thief became sannyasi when his wife asked him to showcase his detachment. No, you are wrong. He had already become a sannyasi. Spirit of sannyasa awakened that moment only when he decided not to pickpocket. It was revolutionary act. Imagine that you are in the same situation. You have stolen all your life. You have pickpocketed innumerable pockets. Will it be easy to give up in one moment. No. until and unless you feel the heat of detachment, you can’t. So pick-pocketer had already become a sannyasi, even before coming home. Her wife only became an immediate cause.

The story is very deep. You should read again if you have not understood. Wait and let this story enter deep into your heart. Don’t be in hurry. Sannyasa is not about leaving home and becoming a mendicant, Sannyasa is not about leaving externals. Sannyasa is more about giving up something internal, your attachments. You can have the robe of a sannyasi and heart hankering for enjoyment or you can have the robe of a worldly man and heart of a sannyasi. Where will you go? What will you leave? Just realize nothing is yours and you are a sannyasi. You are holding so many desires, so much wealth, so many relatives, so tightly you are holding. Loose the grip and let them where ever they are.

Just by loosening the grip of attachment you will become a sannyasi. Wife will be there, son will be their, wealth will be their but moment when you stop identifying them with yourself, you will feel the light of sannyasa in your heart. But if you artificially leave everything and go into jungle, there also you will have your mind. Your heart will be in home and body will be in the jungle. There also you will become attached to your caves, to your loin clothes and many other things.

We all need to realize that everything belongs to God. The moment we realize, what else we will have to give up. We just have to renounce this sense of ownership, sense of having something of our own. You do not own any thing, you are simply owned by God. The day, the moment you experience it, you become a sannyasi. For some it takes millions of life and for few it takes just a moment.

The concept of saffron robe men,severing all worldly connections and responsibilities choosing the life of wandering, is not the what was called Sanyasi in Vedic times. According to Vedic scriptures, a sanyasi is one who lives in the Samsara without being attached / affected by it. Shri Krishna was the greatest among sanyasis, What had he given up? Living life to its totality with responsibility with out being attached to it like a "Padma Patra" the lotus leaf which does not let water or the slush it lives in adder to is called sanyasa. Not renouncing the Samsara. This concept of renunciation came in only with Buddhism and Jainism. In the vedic times a sansari having lived a life of responsibility without being attached to it alone was entitled to be a sanyasi.

Now a days, we can't live a single hour without our cellphone, how can we live in jungle?Well, it all depends on how much self control you have.Living in the ashram like sanyasi needs sacrifice of all materialistic things!!! No partying, no shopping, no movies. no alcohol, no tasty food, Tough ??isn't it? Why we are finding this thing tough? Well simply because we find happiness in all external things be it money,expensive dresses or jewellery.give it a thought are these things really Making you happy or you are blindly dependent upon this things for your happiness. Living in ashram like sanyasi will definitely be tougher as we are dependent on external things for happiness.

Shrimad Bhagwat Gita Chapter 5.3

jneyah sa nitya-sannyasi

yo na dvesti na kanksati

nirdvandvo hi maha-baho

sukham bandhat pramucyate

One who neither hates nor desires the fruits of his activities is known to be always renounced. Such a person, liberated from all dualities, easily overcomes material bondage and is completely liberated, O mighty-armed Arjuna

Purport: One who is fully in Shri Krishna consciousness is always a renouncer because he feels neither hatred nor desire for the results of his actions. Such a renouncer, dedicated to the transcendental loving service of the Lord, is fully qualified in knowledge because he knows his constitutional position in his relationship with Shri Krishna. He knows fully well that Krsna is the whole and that he is part and parcel of Shri Krishna. Such knowledge is perfect because it is qualitatively and quantitatively correct.

The concept of oneness with Shri Krishna is incorrect because the part cannot be equal to the whole. Knowledge that one is one in quality yet different in quantity is correct transcendental knowledge leading one to become full in himself, having nothing to aspire to nor lament over. There is no duality in his mind because whatever he does, he does for Shri Krishna. Being thus freed from the platform of dualities, he is liberated—even in this material world. Jay Shri Krishna