Karma-Sannyasa Diksha

Karma-sannyasa-diksha means that the disciple decided to look at the world through the eyes of a sadhu, to think like a sadhu, to live like a sadhu, to seek those values ​​and meanings in life that a sadhu are looking for, to follow the culture of a sadhu.

Here the disciple takes the Eight Vows of Karma Sannyasi:

• 1) Five great vows (maha-vrata) of pure life: (do not harm anyone, do not steal, do not lie, brahmacharya karma-sannyasi, refusal from intoxicating substances).
• 2) Daily worship of the gods and saints Refuge in the ashram or at the home altar (upasana).
• 3) Daily practice of yoga and meditation at home or in an ashram, center, group (sadhana).
• 4) Practice of offering and worship on special days of saints and gods (Shivaratri, etc.).
• 5) Constant service (seva) for the benefit of one's Dharma, Sangha and sadhu.
• 6) Daily study of the scriptures or hearing and meditating on satsangs (shravana and manana).
• 7) Passing retreats according to the retreat rule for karma-sannyasis - monthly 1-3 days (tapas, anushthan).
• 8) Vegetarianism (rejection of alcohol, cigarettes, drugs, meat, fish, eggs, coffee).

Q: Swami, how do we prepare for Karma-Sannyasa diksha - the initiation of family Sadhu?

Answer: Karma-Sannyasa, Purna-Sannyasa is a great choice. It’s a choice of a lifetime and very expensive. It must be thought over, weighed. This is your destiny in the Dharma, your future life in God. Realize this, please.

• 1. First of all, you must have already accepted Creed. Which you have to take from an authorized Sannyasi monk in person.
• 2. You have to start the basic practice by yourself.
• 3. Don't be in a hurry; you need to think carefully about the importance of deeksha and this status. This status is for one who is endowed with faith in God, in himself as a person who wants to become a Sadhu. You have to beleive in saints, in the Dharma, in the sangha, Guru, Guru-Parampara, the Teachings of Advaita and Siddda Tantra. You have to be ready for serious seva, sadhana and deep connection with the Guru-Parampara and the Teaching.
• This is not a "familiarization" or "gift" status for everyone, such as a souvenir that can be bought in Kathmandu at a tourist shop for a simple establishment of a karmic connection with teaching and tradition. This is a really working spiritual status that requires a certain way of life and sadhana from the yogi. It reveals a lot to the ready student.
• When Guru is giving diksha, mantra and name, he invests in the student some of his blessing energy - shakti and this must be respected. You can't throw it around and take it easy. Diksha is both a certain result of your spiritual quest and a certain beginning and an important choice for the next 50–80 years, for your whole life. Respect this choice. Prepare for it to receive it with faith, joy, responsibility and awareness.
• Spiritual life begins after diksha on a new level. After accepting this status, you will have to really work on yourself, cleanse and educate yourself, without expecting that someone will persuade you. You will have to purposefully go in this direction for many years, without turning anywhere. Alone and with the Sangha. Karma-Sannyasa is association with Sadhus, it is very important.
• Then you need to think, are you ready to follow the principles, ethics, culture and Dharma of Karma- Sannyasa for all your life? If you are not in the mood for such a life, then there is no point in Karma-Sannyasa diksha.
• 4. Then you need to start on your own, even before the diksha, already observe all 8 principles of Karma-Sannyasa, the first principle is 5 obligations (vrata) and 7 other principles. They must be observed and performed for at least a year. Then you can ask for blessings and prepare for the Karma-Sannyasa diksha itself.

Conditions for obtaining a spiritual name and the status of Karma-Sannyasi

• 1. Belief in the Refuge, in the Transmission Line. Have the accepted Symbol of Faith Refuge.
• 2. Three years in the Refuge from the moment when the Symbol of the Refuge taken internally by the monk.
• 3. To pass on the level 2.1 of Advaita Vedanta Kanistha, according to the accepted curriculum.
• 4. A letter of petition has been written in free form to the community mail [email protected], in which the candidate asks for Karma-Sannyasa diksha.
• 5. Observance of the 8 principles of Karma-Sannyasi before diksha for at least 1 year.

  The eight vows of Karma-Sannyasi:

  • 1) The five great vows (maha-vrata) of pure life: (do not harm anyone, do not steal, do not lie, keep Brahmacharya Karma-Sannyasi, renunciation of intoxicants).
  • 2) Daily worship of the Gods and Saints f the Refuge in the ashram or at the home altar (upasana).
  • 3) Daily practice of yoga and meditation at home or in an ashram, center or group (sadhana).
  • 4) The practice of offering and worshiping on special days of Saints and Gods (Shivaratri, etc.).
  • 5) Constant service (seva) for the benefit of one's Dharma, Sangha and Sadhu.
  • 6) Daily study of the scriptures, or hearing and meditating on satsangs (shravana and manana).
  • 7) Passage of retreats according to the retreat rule for Karma Sannyasis - monthly 1-3 days (tapas, anushthan).
  • 8) Vegetarianism (avoiding alcohol, cigarettes, drugs, meat, fish, eggs, coffee).
• 6. The presence of a home altar, ritual white clothing.
• 7. Mandatory observance of Brahmacharya, one month before and one month after initiation, as well as observance of the rules for working with sexual energy for family Sadhus.
• 8. Performing daily yoga practice, meditation, concentration and upasana (worship) practice at the altar, according to the level of study.
• 9. Knowledge of the foundations of the Teaching, philosophy of Advaita from the texts of "Viveka Chudamani", "Yoga Vashishtha", books and lectures of the Guru, etc.
• 10. Read all the prescribed sacred texts in the volume of 2 degrees, in particular "Yoga Vashishtha", "Tripura Rahasya", "Avadhuta Gita", "Viveka Chudamani".
• 11. Permanent service (seva) to Dharma, Transmission Line, Sangha, Sadhu - for at least 3 years.
• 12. Regular participation in seminars, retreats, satsangs of the Guru.
• 13. Live in any of the WOSM ashrams for at least 2 weeks.
• 14. Recommendation from 1 monk.
• 15. Write a treatise on 3-4 topics from 24 analytical meditations to choose from, a total of 20 pages (14 letters, one and a half interval).
• 16. Answer the questions in writing for Test 1 and Test 2.
• 17. One month before taking Karma-Sannyasa diksha perform the ceremony of preliminary offering to the Refuge Tree on the altar and consecrate the Saddhu-Tattvas for taking Karma-Sannyasa diksha.