I spent a day with a sect of Sanyasis in Varanasi a while back.
I was lucky enough to have started up a conversation with one who, in his youth, had graduated from a prestigious university in Calcutta. He had studied english literature there and spoke flawless english. After three decades of working in the advertising industry, he left his job, his home, his family and all his worldly possesions for a life of meditation and the "search for eternal knowledge." He was an amazing person to speak with. Our ability to really communicate was such a pleasant surprise and such a rare opportunity that I abandoned the day's plans to spend time with him and the others from his sect.
Sanyasis spend most of thier lives in the mountains and forests away from civilization. They are renunciates, taking only the food and water they need to survive. Their traditions are as ancient as the land. Bhudda himself lived as a sanyasi during his quest for enlightenment.
