--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "emptybill" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > Guru Dev Swami Brahmananda Saraswati was a renunciate in Adi-Shankara's > monastic order - known as dashanami sampradaya. The name "sampradaya > dasha-nami" means "lineage of ten names", each name refering to a > specific designation. Paramahansa Yogananda's guru, Sri Yukteshvar was > a dashanami with the sannyasa name - Swami Yukteshvara Giri ("giri" > means mountain). The 1930's guru Swami Shivananda of Rishikesh was a > Saraswati (meaning both river and goddess) as is Swami Satchitananda. > Based upon my recollection, the Saraswati lineage is only open to > never-married Brahmins. Other castes must use one of the other > designations. > > Dashanami sannyasins (swami-s) have formally renouced the world > (including family ties) during their invesiture with cloth, name, pot > and somtimes staff. This rite has to be performed by another dashanamin > (usually one's own dashanami guru). This formal rite usually includes > diksha of one of the Mahavakya-s (great utterances) from one of the 12 > Upanishads commented upon by Shankara. This clarifying statement about > the nature of reality is then used by the new swami as the contemplative > and meditative focus of practice. Tat-tvam-asi (That you are) is the > most well known mahavakya. > > Because of their intense renunciation and unbroken contemplative > discernment, Swami sannyasins are considered to already be thoroughly > burned in the fire of tapasya (spiritual ascesis). Therefore their > bodies are not consumed in a fureral fire but are usually buried or > interned in a stone monument called a "samadhi". > > Guru Dev chose internment in a stone coffin and submergence in the > Ganges. It was his way to demonstrate to devotees that he was gone > beyond and that there was nothing they could hold. The changing (nitya) > and unchanging (anitya) are considered incommesurate and this is the > focus of their teachings to others.
Thanks again. > > empty > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "do.rflex" <do.rflex@> wrote: > > > > > > > > Thanks if you have an answer. > > >