The Journey of the Dasa
In the Oikos Intentional Community the spiritual leader is known as the DASA (meaning "slave/servant" in Sanskrit). The dasa is solely dedicated to achieving perpetual spiritual enlightenment through meditation and contemplation. . The dasa wears a simple dhoti as a sign of his poverty. He/she renounces all material goods. Being dasa is open to both men and women, since God is both male and female. The dasa is meant to be an extreme example of servitude and enslavement to Elohim.
Becoming Dasa
The processes of becoming the dasa were establshed in the Constitution and Bylaws of the Oikos Intentional Community. The rituals following his/her selection include meditation one month prior to the investiture. Prior to that, the dasa shaves his/her head and body, including his eyebrows, to accent the androgynous character of Elohim (the masculine/feminine name of God). The dasa must continue this practice as a sign of submission and obedience, and signifying the dasa as sexless and androgynous. The dasa must also be naturists. The investiture is done with the dasa naked, and he/she is anointed with oil and is given the title "The Reverend Dasa".
Extreme vows are taken for life by the Dasa:
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POVERTY
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CHASTITY (Celibacy)
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OBEDIENCE
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SILENCE (For a designated time)
THE DASA WASHES THE FEET OF A NEW MONASTIC AS A SIGN OF SERVANTHOOD & HUMILITY
A person who becomes a dasa must seek a prior or prioress before the investiture. There, the dasa must sign a contract with the prior/prioress (who serves as physical and spiritual master of the dasa). The prioress/prior is in charge of exercising disciplines to build the extreme vows of the dasa. The dasa is in total submission to the prioress/prior for life and to God. The prioress/prior has earthly authority over the dasa and is charged with keeping him/her in a state of perpetual submission and obedience. This build the character of the dasa's vows.
Living as the dasa is meant to be a difficult lifestyle. Dasas are considered to be dead unto themselves, and legally dead to the world.
While the life of renunciation is described by the Christ in the gospels, the dasa must live with little, including minor portions of food. The dasa must be blessed with knowledge of the esoteric mysteries and use all energy, physical, emotional, mental and sexual energy for spiritual empowerment. The dasa must perform dirty and mundane tasks for the community, like cleaning dishes, scrubbing floors, cleaning the community toilets. These activities, and there are many, are acts of meditation, worship and prayer for the dasa.
THE 1ST DASA (above) OF THE OIKOS INTENTIONAL COMMUNITY SCRUBS FLOORS IN OBEDIENCE TO HIS PRIORESS.
The Dasa is to never to be seen as divine, and nothing more than a slave-teacher. What knowledge and insight he/she has is from God. The dasa must routinely wash the feet of the oikourgous (Oikos new monastics) and serve them as slave. The prioress/prior assigns tasks to all of the oikourgous in the community, including the dasa.
The ruggedness of the dasa life deters those who are not enlightened. The practices are rigorous, such as the renouncing of all material goods and a detachment from common luxuries.