The divisions that developed within the Sri Vaisnava community in the centuries after Ramanuja are the result of doctrinal differences, the roots of which, can be traced back to the time of the Alvars and the acaryas. read more

In Vedic society, the Viraja Homa, or 'Universal Sacrifice', is the final fire sacrifice performed before a man accepts the order of sannyasa. read more

The sannyasis, having realized the actual conclusion of the Vedic statements, having given up personal sense enjoyment for engagement in the Lord's service, and being completely cleansed of the material modes, at the end of their lives become freed from the material world and enter the Vaikuntha realm. read more

In Buddhism, the Patimokkha is the basic Theravada code of monastic discipline, consisting of 227 rules for fully ordained monks (bhikkhus) and 311 for nuns (bhikkhunis). It is contained in the Suttavibhanga, a division of the Vinaya Pitaka. read more

The Nyasa-paddhati is a short Sanskrit work written by Madhvacharya expounding the daily activities of a monk belonging to the Dvaita Vedanta school of philosophy. read more

This is a very short poem with five stanzas which glorifies the life of a sannyasi. An ascetic in India is supposed to give away all his wealth before entering in to renunciation and get a loin cloth (kaupina) from his teacher. That would be his only property. read more

The Narada Parivrajaka Upanishad is one of the 23 sannyasa upanishads found in the vedic canon. It is in the form of a conversation between the great sage Narada and group of ascetics led by Saunaka. This upanishad deals with the various rules and conduct of a Vedic sannyasi (monk). read more

To become a Sadhu, it is compulsory to give up worldly life and to take to initiation. Those who take to Jain initiation, take, first of all, the five vows for life read more

The ordination ceremony (upasampada) which makes a Theravada Buddhist monk is one of the 'legal acts of the Sangha' contained in the Buddhist Monastic Rule (vinaya). read more

Sri Madhavendra Puri is the sprout of the great tree of devotional love represented in the world by Sri Chaitanya Deva. Sri Madhavendra Puri comes from the line of Sri Madhva, the acarya of the pure Dwaita (dualistic) philosophy. read more