Five Reasons To Leave Home For Work

“Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu further advised the brahmana Kurma, ‘If you follow this instruction, your materialistic life at home will not obstruct your spiritual advancement. Indeed, if you follow these regulative principles, we will again meet here, or, rather, you will never lose My company.’” (Chaitanya Charitamrita, Madhya 7.129)

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कभु ना बाधिबे तोमार विषय-तरङ्ग
पुनरपि एइ ठाञि पाबे मोर सङ्ग”

kabhu nā bādhibe tomāra viṣaya-taraṅga
punarapi ei ṭhāñi pābe mora saṅga”

1. There are distractions

“The amount of noise is intolerable. Seriously, I don’t think anyone has it this bad. The yelling pierces through my ears like a knife. If I am lying down, trying to sleep, I feel my heart jump at the sudden sound. That cannot be good for my health.

“If I travel somewhere else, if I leave home, it is like putting on a warm blanket during the coldest winter night. I immediately feel safe and secure. I have the opportunity to carry out work without so much else getting in the way.”

2. There is interference

“If I stay at home, I essentially have to proceed clandestinely. I have to work in private, on my own. I must always remember to lock the door in the room. If anyone else finds out what I am doing, they will not be happy. They will mock. They will ridicule. They will tell everyone else in their circle of friends and family. Trust me, that circle is wide enough to rival the reach of the broadcast networks.

“On the other hand, if I leave home for work, there is no concern over these issues. I can continue in peace. I will not be judged for my choices. At least there will be a lack of a critical eye. I will be accepted, since everyone else is following the same path.”

3. There is a lack of colleagues

“Why am I leaving home? I need support. There is strength in numbers. We can learn from one another. We can share our doubts, our fears, our obstacles, and our shortcomings. We can provide tips and tricks that we have learned from experience in the field.

“If I stay at home, I am all alone. I have no one to help me. No one has the same interest. They think I am crazy, to begin with. They do not approve of my direction. It is like trying to walk forward while constantly facing a heavy wind, blasting cold and ice in my face.”

4. The playing field is nonexistent

“There are no opportunities to practice where I live. It is just the way it is. I have to essentially create my own playing field, hoping that interest will increase. There is nothing wrong with going that route, but I am not prepared to handle the burden, just yet. I am too immature in the discipline to be able to lead others. I need support at the moment. I need greener pastures, a place where there is ample opportunity to practice.”

5. There is serious ambition

“I could remain local. I could rise to the top. I could become prominent. But then where would I go after that? I am limited in my potential to influence. If I leave home, I can carry the same ability, but automatically be known throughout the world. I want to rise to the very heights. I do not want to settle for second-best.”

…

In studying the history of the practice of sanatana-dharma in the kshetra of the material world, we see that the well-known leaders are often travelling renunciants. They end up begging for a living. It is like voluntarily becoming homeless. Except there is respect with this path. Kings and men of sufficient means feel an obligation to support such ascetics, who are something like beggars going door to door.

There is the famous instance of the brahmana named Vishvamitra visiting the royal palace of King Dasharatha in Ayodhya. Vishvamitra was not begging alms. He was not there to support himself through donations of rice, ghee, or a cow. Rather, he unashamedly asked for Dasharatha to sacrifice his eldest son, Shri Rama.

This wasn’t for a basic training mission. It wasn’t to enroll Rama in an academy or to take the eldest son for a summer camp experience. Rather, the purpose was to face the greatest danger in the world. The sages in the forest of Dandaka were being harassed by man-eating ogres who ranged the night.

जबहिं मुनीस महीसहि काजु सुनायौ
भयौ सनेह सत्य बस उतरू न आयौ

jabahiṃ munīsa mahīsahi kāju sunāyau
bhayau saneha satya basa utarū na āyau

“When the lord of munis told the king the reason for his visit, the king became caught between love and truth and thus couldn’t come up with a response.” (Janaki Mangala, 24)

Though a youth at the time, only Rama was sufficiently capable of remedying the situation. Vishvamitra was so respected that Dasharatha reluctantly agreed. He sent his two sons, in fact. The brothers Rama and Lakshmana were essentially lent to the brahmana to serve as security detail in a part of the world that had become dangerous.

This is but one instance, and there are countless others of people leaving home for the life of asceticism. They often feel compelled to follow that direction, as if it is their calling in life. They then set up an ashrama or join an existing one. They use the release from family obligations as a boon for travelling from place to place, for teaching others the meaning of life.

In this regard, a person may wonder why there is such need. Why do people have to leave home in order to practice bhakti-yoga or sanatana-dharma? Why can’t they stay right where they are? Why should an expensive requirement be attached to success in life?

As we see from the example above, the same justifications used for moving to carry out any occupation apply to the bhakti-yoga path, as well. There may not be sufficient opportunity at home. The other residents may be hostile to the idea. They see the practice of dharma in a serious sense to be a kind of competition, one in which they would rather not lag behind.

At the same time, saintly people are so kind that they try to bring the same opportunities to others; especially those who may not be able to leave home. There is the story of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu dissuading an admirer from leaving his family. Rather, Mahaprabhu assured this person that if they spoke the instructions of Shri Krishna and asked others to chant the names of the Lord, they would be acting as guru all the same, under the order of Chaitanya.

एक-देश-स्थितस्याग्नेर्
ज्योत्स्ना विस्तारिणी यथा
परस्य ब्रह्मणः शक्तिस्
तथेदम् अखिलं जगत्

eka-deśa-sthitasyāgner
jyotsnā vistāriṇī yathā
parasya brahmaṇaḥ śaktis
tathedam akhilaṁ jagat

“Everything that is manifested within this cosmic world is but the energy of the Supreme Lord. As fire emanating from one place diffuses its illumination and heat all around, so the Lord, although situated in one place in the spiritual world, manifests His different energies everywhere. Indeed, the whole cosmic creation is composed of different manifestations of His energy.” (Vishnu Purana, 1.22.52)

Vishnu Purana gives insight into the distribution of the transcendental energy. The original one can be compared to the most potent fire. That original energy then gets distributed everywhere. The universe is thus something like the body of the Supreme Lord.

मया ततम् इदं सर्वं
जगद् अव्यक्त-मूर्तिना
मत्-स्थानि सर्व-भूतानि
न चाहं तेष्व् अवस्थितः

mayā tatam idaṁ sarvaṁ
jagad avyakta-mūrtinā
mat-sthāni sarva-bhūtāni
na cāhaṁ teṣv avasthitaḥ

“By Me, in My unmanifested form, this entire universe is pervaded. All beings are in Me, but I am not in them.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 9.4)

This means that wherever we live, we are attached to the original potency. We are part of the body of the Almighty. All beings are in Him, but He is not in them. There is always the opportunity for success, whether living at home with family or taking residence inside of a desolate cave, detached from civilization. The necessary ingredient is remembrance; to always think of God the person and to remain His dear servant.

In Closing:

Since like the greatest fire at head,
Its influence everywhere to spread.

Whether living with family at home,
Or in desolate cave all alone.

On order of Chaitanya hearing,
Obstacle of circumstances clearing.

Always in proximity near,
To remain His servant dear.