Panchdiksha

• 3 hours per fortnight

• Lifelong

Abstinence from consuming non-vegetarian food and drugs for life

• 3 hours in a week

• 15 minutes twice a day

• Lifelong

Abstinence from consuming alcohol and smoking for life

• 7 hours in a week

• 45 minutes in 2 sittings everyday
• Two Sadhana Bhattis in a year, of which one must be a 3-day bhatti; the other may be done as:
  • 1-day Bhatti 3 times, or
  • 3-day Bhatti Once

Everyday 3 samayiks or 3 hours maun

One day in a week 12 hours maun (can be done in 2 parts) preferably with some tapa e.g. fruit day.

• If lifelong – then ‘Dikshit’ (Initiated)
• If for 1 year – then ‘Abhyasi’ (In practice)

Abstinence from eating root vegetables (kandmul) for life

Read the Vachanamrutji minimum once

• 2 hours daily

• 1 hour daily
• Three Sadhana Bhattis in a year; of which 1 must be a 3-day Bhatti; the other 6 days may be done as:
  • 1-day Bhatti 6 times, or
  • 3-day Bhatti twice, or
  • 3-day Bhatti once and 1-day Bhatti thrice.

Everyday 4 samayiks or 4 hours maun

One day in a week 12 hours maun preferably with some tapa e.g. fruit day.

• Minimum 125 days stay in nivrutti kshetra
• Minimum 9 hours of sadhana-seva during nivrutti days

During nivrutti days:

• Observe complete celibacy
• Abstinence from business activity

• If lifelong – then ‘Dikshit’ (Initiated)
• If for 1 year – then ‘Abhyasi’ (In practice)

Abstinence from eating after sunset for life (Can take exemption of liquids and medicines)

Vanprastha Abhyas for minimum one year

Read the Vachanamrutji minimum twice

What is the Code of Conduct for Vanprastha Diksha?

Spiritual Eligibility

1. Retreats:

• Spiritual retreats of minimum 125 days in a year. (It does not have to be 125 days at one stretch).
• These 125 days can include stay in the Ashram, yatras, Paryushan Parva etc. – retreats taken for sadhana and seva.
• In case of an unforeseen emergency, illness etc. if you are unable to go to a separate place for a retreat, then the days, when you spend 9 hours in sadhana (swadhyay, bhakti, dhyan etc.) at home, can be counted in your 125 days.
• Only for NRIs: The days when you spend nine hours in sadhana and seva and wear white clothes at home, attend no social functions or business activities, along with abstinence from shopping and TV can be counted in the 125 days.

2. Sadhana-Seva:

• Observe four hours of silence (or four samayiks) every day.
• One day in a week 12 hours maun, with some form of tapa as per your capacity.
• Full morning and evening Ajnabhakti and one hour of meditation.

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• Chaityavandan and Devvandan.
• Minimum 2 hours of swadhyay every day.
• During retreat days, nine hours of sadhana and seva daily.
• Minimum 3 sadhana bhattis in a year.
• Only for NRIs: Self Sadhana Bhatti can be done as per the culture.

Prayashchit:

• One besnu or 2 tunks (i.e. 2 meals in a day).
• 11 times recitation of Kshamapna.
• 500 written jaaps of the mantra – ‘Sahajatmaswaroop Paramguru’.

3. Sheel (Code of Conduct):

• Lifelong abstinence from – Saat Vyasan i.e. seven addictions (gambling, alcohol, non-vegetarian food, stealing, prostitution, adultery and hunting).
• Saat Abhaksha i.e. seven forbidden food items (fruit of banyan tree, fruit of peepal tree, fruit of peepla tree, umarda, figs, honey and butter).
• Abstinence from eating after sunset for life. (Can take exemption of liquids and medicines).
• On the five tithi days, observe complete celibacy.
• During retreat days, observe complete celibacy.
• During retreat days, wear white clothes.
• Only for NRIs: During summer, no eating after sunset and during winter, abstain from eating after 7:30 pm. (Can take exemption of liquids and medicines)

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Social Eligibility (Not for Abhyasis)

1. Financial Responsibility

• Complete freedom from debt.
• If not, there should be someone willing to accept the responsibility of fulfilling your debt. (This must be in writing).

2. Business

• During retreat days, complete abstinence from business activities (May use phone for only important and urgent matters).
• During other days, not more than 6 hours a day.

3. Marriages and other Social Activities

• During days other than the retreat days, not to attend marriages and social occasions other than immediate family members.
• Can only attend marriages and social occasions of your own children and only the marriages of your grandchildren. Attend these occasions with complete detachment.

Only those who have undertaken Vanprastha Abhyas for minimum one year and studied the sacred Vachanamrutji at least twice are eligible to take Vanprastha Diksha.

Aspirants wishing to commence this journey will be bestowed with ‘Vanprastha Diksha’ by Pujya Gurudevshri during the Diwali shibir at Shrimad Rajchandra Ashram, Dharampur.

Vanprastha Details (Gujarati PDF)