Stefan from Germany to Become a Sannyasi at Santhigiri.

Pothencode: German native Stefan Johannes Schiessl will receive Sannayasa Deeksha at the Sannyasi Deeksha Varshikam to be held at Santhigiri Ashram on October 5. This is the first time that a person from outside India is being initiated from the Ashram. In the ceremony to be held at the Sahakarana Mandiram, 20 people will be initiated by Gurustaniya Shishya Poojitha Amritha Jnana Thapaswini.

Forty-three-year-old Stefan hails from Bayern Munich, Germany. He was born on May 21, 1979 as the child of Konrad Schiessl and Veronika Schiessl. After primary education, he worked in construction sector for five years. Being from a Catholic family, he was keenly interested in spiritual matters from an early age. He went to Ireland to become proficient in English language. He served as a social worker for two years with the desire to do something for the common man.

Later, he turned to spirituality. After reading the book on Milarepa, he thought of going to Tibet, but circumstances did not allow it. He decided to travel to India. He arrived in India on 23rd September 2001, and wandered in different places. Finally he boarded the train from Mumbai to Kerala. On September 30, 2001, he reached Pothencode Santhigiri Ashram. When he saw the portrait of the Guru in the Sahakarana Mandiram, he made up his mind that this was the spiritual master he had been searching for. He expressed his desire to Gurusthaniya Shishya Poojitha to stay in the Ashram. Shishya Poojitha told him to go and come back the next day. The next day was a full moon day. He was allowed to stay in the Ashram from that day.

He is serving in the Ashram as one of the Guru’s devotees for the last 21 years. When asked what was his favourite place in the Ashram, Stefan answers that it is “Sahakarana Mandiram”. Stefan saw it as his right to clean the Sahakarana Mandiram every day before Guru Darshan. Even the little children in the Ashram know the foreigner standing on the steps of Sahakarana Mandiram and doing his karma.

Stefan has one brother and two sisters back home. They visited the Ashram twice. Father and mother have not been able to come. He goes to Germany to see them. Stefan told Santhigiri News that he was very happy to get initiated into Sannyasa after years of celibacy.