WISDOM OF DETACHMENT

APPY New Year, dear readers, and every good wish.

- RENUKA NARAYANAN

Before we plunge into another cycle of time, I thought it might be interesting to look at those who defy time and worldly attachments with their attendant pains and pleasures, and look for something within.They explore an inner landscape that has its own discoveries, awards and rewards. Things that may mean nothing to other people, but are personally very meaningful to these seekers. Seekers are of many kinds, and in the space available here, you might like to check out an intriguing type of seeker who is not widely known about—the Avadhuta.

The word Avadhuta is apparently from the Sanskrit root ‘to shake’. It denotes a kind of mystic or sage who is cut loose from the usual human bondage of attachments and anxieties. There are four recognised kinds of Avadhutas in tradition.