Entering the path of monasticism
Myriad times they are born and die. In millions of follies they forget this, they are immersed in the darkness of obscuration. When, finally, the hidden grace of Shiva breaks through and disperses the night, then the moment comes for the soul to renounce the world. When she does this, she becomes a radiant light
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Tirumantiram
At all times, there have been people who, at a certain stage in their lives, leave the limitations of everyday existence and devote themselves to serving the highest ideals. They realized the dead end of material comfort and the impermanence of the pleasures of material objects, and as a result, a desire for renunciation awakened in them. Renunciation not only of external, but also of internal limitations, only then the spirit will be able to manifest itself freely. The idea of renunciation is a product of higher consciousness. At this stage in life, the spiritual seeker takes monastic vows (sannyasa).
Sannyasa (monasticism) is not just a ritual for adopting a new name, wearing ocher robes and shaving your head. This ritual has a very deep meaning. Sannyasa (monasticism) implies the gradual abandonment of the ego, of one's desires and personal motives, of shame and hypocrisy, and ultimately of one's limited nature. This is what a sannyasi disciple is fighting for.
At the right time, he finds a Guru and stays in his ashram, under his direct guidance. Until the student gets stronger and reaches a state where nothing can lead him astray, he is encouraged to be in an environment conducive to spiritual growth. A sannyasy is well aware that the mind can be deluded. He can raise him to the heights of spiritual bliss, and then lower him down at great speed. Therefore, a sannyasi disciple (monk) lives and works in an ashram and accepts all the attendant difficulties as part of his training.
Sannyasa (monasticism) is a philosophy of life, it is an ideal that one strives for in order to gain an understanding of one's own nature and experience the highest spiritual bliss. In the ashram, people from different social positions meet, they live under one roof, sharing common ideals in an atmosphere of harmony and equality. One might argue that if sannyas is an intrinsic quality, then one can be a sannyasi while living in society. It is worth trying this on your own experience to see how wrong this statement is. When one lives in a society, one is caught in a web of commitment and daily struggle. There is no way out of them. The more a person struggles, the more he gets entangled in these networks.
In addition, our nature has its limitations. Our personality traits attack us from all sides, directing our actions. We are trying to change these qualities, but due to the strength of maya and weak will, this rarely works. Therefore, in order to stabilize his personality and calm mental fluctuations, the student must live for some time under the protection of the guru. After all, a sannyasy himself came from society and has all the qualities of his society. The difference is that he has control over his instincts and strives for perfection. A sannyasy has grown out of the ordinary patterns of life and is looking for higher paths.
An ashram is not a place where sannyasis rest and talk about God all day. Sannyasis work diligently from dawn to dusk. They can do absolutely any job, but there is one important point - this is the attitude with which they do it. They don't work for personal gain. Their work does not imply reward or selfish motivation. When a sannyasy disciple is fully established in this attitude and awareness, he can successfully operate anywhere.
Sannyasis (monks) offer themselves to the Guru, fully aware of their limitations and their distorted concepts of love, hate, greed, anger and jealousy. The guru maintains constant contact with sannyasis at all levels and guides them through the difficulties on the path. When a sannyasi becomes strong and established in knowledge, the Guru sends him to serve in another place, according to his ability.
The life of a sannyasi (monk) is always devoted to the faithful service of the Guru, and through devotion he realizes the truth.