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An orthodox person remains grateful to the earlier practices knowing very well that in spite of their limitations, those are the ones that promoted him to the present higher level.

If we look into the various phases of Poojya Swamiji’s life, then we understand that it is the constant working of one quality called sincerity that made him live each phase with full dedication and outlive it with ease to follow the call of the next.

It was from orthodox religious disciplines of childhood to intense meditational sādhanā after initiation; then from the depth of meditational experiences to exclusive dedication to knowledge; then it was outliving peaceful spiritual life to plunge into cyclonic religio-social reformation movements, and then again, to a life of intensive spiritual propagation for larger section of the society through daily telecast programmes and mega-events like Śreemad Bhāgavata Tattva Sameeksha Satram, Vishṇu Sahasranāma Viśva Yajña Mahotsava, Global Bhagavad Gita Convention, etc.

While speaking about orthodoxy, we often associate a note of rigidity and lack of independent thinking. But truly, orthodoxy relates more to sincerity. Even etymologically, it indicates firm adherence to what one finds correct or true. An orthodox person will devoutly pursue whatever he finds right, but will readily take to even a revolutionary change with equal dedication when he finds that to be a natural and loftier step.

He will not be held back by his staunch adherence to the previous practices. In fact, the sincerity that makes him dedicated to a practice will also make him outlive it readily when necessary for a higher purpose. Poojya Swamiji calls it “super-orthodoxy”.

Brahma-nishṭhā or sincere dedication to the ultimate Truth takes one beyond all limiting standards. He lives in tune with the Infinite. He is called an atyāśrami – one who has transcended all the four āśramas (brahmacarya, gārhasthya, vānaprastha and sannyāsa). For him the standard norms of behaviour or lifestyle delineated for the four stages of life do not apply.

An orthodox person remains grateful to the earlier practices knowing very well that in spite of their limitations, those are the ones that promoted him to the present higher level. It is like passing out from primary classes to go for higher education. Will not one who loves primary studies be promoted easily and well to higher studies? Just because somebody is now in postgraduate class, can he degrade the importance of primary education?

Poojya Swamiji says: “In my pre-sannyāsa life, whenever I used to come home from Kolkata, I used to be filled with joy. I would run up the hill top and across the greenery to reach our farm-house. While going back to Kolkata, I would never fail to pay obeisance to my place. I would bend low and smear my forehead with the soil from our farmland. Even today, I am thrilled to recall these fond memories of my life there.”

From the book – “A Great Association”