truereligion

      A devotee, a Sannyasin or a Yogi may live on any food he likes. He may dress in any way he

likes, he may dress his hair in any manner he pleases. He may live on fruits, dry leaves, water, or on

rich delicacies according to his Prarabdha. He may live naked or in rich garments. He may be a great

Titikshu or a Tapasvi. But these things have nothing to do with true religion.

     Real religion begins when one has gone above body-consciousness. Real religion begins

when one has gone beyond the petty customs, manners and conventions. These are all meaningless

social binding for those who are still after body-consciousness. These things have nothing to do for

a man who has expanded himself. A real Sannyasin or a Sadhu is above all these things. None in the

world can expect a real expanded man to be a slave to all these preliminary social or religious

bondages. The worldly-minded persons attach too much stress on dressing and eating, and as such

are not able to judge the merits of a real Sannyasin. They look to his externals only and are

deceived; and at last they run after him in vain. They are unreasonably prejudiced. They waste good

opportunities, and do not derive much advantage from the company of Sadhus. They always find

fault for trifling and petty things. They say, “That Sannyasin is eating onions; this Sadhu is

smoking; that Mahatma is having his face shaved.” If you look on all these petty things, you can

never be benefited. A Tibeti Baba, a great living Yogi of Burdwan, is smoking and he takes meat

also. What of that! He knows how to convert a Tamasic food into Sattvic food.