Good morning Satsanghers;

Thank you for all of your valuable posts regarding the issue of
ashrams, teachers, traditions. We may not have exhausted all sides
of the discussions, but this has been important for me, at least.
Preparing to travel to India to become a Sannyasin, I must be certain
regarding my own mind and committment to serve a lineage, a guru and,
of course, God, the Divine, MySelf, or whatever words any of us may
use to indicate the presence of Grace in our lives.

It is encouraging to discover that there are so many seekers, who
like myself, have struggled to improve the spiritual quality of their
lives while working, raising families and so forth. It is also
encouraging to know that I certainly am not the only 'seeker' to
question the significance of monasteries, ashrams, lineages and
teachers.

That one may receive the blessings of Grace while working and doing
one's Sadhana in the world is true.

That one may receive the blessings of Grace while participating in
the life of the ashram, monastery or the devotee of a particular
Teacher or tradition, is also true.

The important thing is quality of life. There are many ways to enjoy
quality of life. We are fortunate to have many choices available to
us. We can stay at home and go nowhere, we can live in intentional
communities, we can discover life in foreign lands, we can probe
relationships that are new and different--so many choices. Not all
equal, not all the same, but none essentially superior to another.
Just different for different reasons.

Thank you again for challenging me and assisting me in knowing my own heart.

In devotion,

Madhya