SANNYASIN (Religious Movement)

‘Sannyasin’ is a Hindu term for a man who has renounced worldly ties in order to seek union with the absolute or God. Hinduism divides the life of men (but not women) into four stages: bramacharya, childhood and youth, occupied with education; grihasta, the householder stage of raising of a family and building a business; vanaprasta, a gradual retirement in which worldly and financial responsibilities are passed to the sons while their father moves towards the spiritual life. Finally comes sonny as, where the spiritual life becomes primary and all worldly attachments are dropped. Traditionally sannyasins left home to lead a wayfaring life on the road, or in a forest or hermitage, dependent on charity. They often dressed in orange robes, and were treated with great respect as wise elders. However, by the mid-twentieth century this ancient institution began to decline, as India became part of the modern world. Nowadays it is uncommon for men to take sannyas literally as a forms of worldly renunciation, particularly in the cities.

In the late 1960s, the Indian guru Osho reinterpreted and expanded the concept of sannyas, enabling serious spiritual seekers of any age, gender or nationality to become sannyasins. Osho defined sannyas as essentially a spiritual renunciation—not of the world but of the mind or ego obsessed with worldly desires and ambitions. He recommended that rather than renouncing the material world and becoming celibate itinerants, sannyasins should fully embrace and experience all aspects of life, within a much broader concept of spirituality. In sociological terms, sannyas was therefore transformed from a world-rejecting to a world-accepting spiritual path. The aim, however, in line with Hindu and Buddhist meditation practice, was to witness the mind with its thoughts and desires, and through understanding to become free of attachment. Osho taught that this was the path to true liberation and enlightenment. Originally he called his approach neo-sannyas, to distinguish it from the traditional Hindu path, but the ‘neo’ prefix was later dropped. This revisionism attracted criticism from both traditionalists and secularists, especially as the traditional orange robe was retained but symbolizing celebration rather than renunciation. Following Osho’s death, red robes are only worn within the ashram in India, but not otherwise. However, the term sannyas is still applied.

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