"We value spiritual progress, which must include renunciation of self, and also an understanding of earthly conditions. The one who renounces everything earthly cannot be a fair judge of this, and similarly, the one completely involved in earthly concerns cannot rise above them sufficiently to observe fully. It is rare to find the person in whom these two attitudes are harmoniously reconciled. Most people see them as contradictory, because they do not know that spiritual advancement can be accomplished in ordinary life. Monasteries were established to help strengthen those who were weak in spirit. But those monks who were strong went out to spread their teaching far and wide. They could not remain long in their hermitage. Their spiritual vessels filled, they felt a need to return to the world. Thus, they not only brought spiritual help, but also themselves acquired a knowledge of life. This aspect is not usually understood, because people are unaware of the needed harmony between renunciation and acceptance of daily life. 523."
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Agni Yoga, Supermundane (1938)
https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Monasticism
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Monasticism
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