Even though many renunciates live on the donations and offerings of other people, it is not the perfect way of living one's whole life (by begging and by depending on other's wealth and so on.)
Oh.....
I will go step by step. You have to understand Good Karma here.
Begging is not a bad thing. You just give an opportunity to the donor by making donations to a sadhu, so that his bad deeds can be wiped off. You may take the life of Shirdi Sai Baba, and other Mendicants, even Buddha - this begging is out of compassion towards others, and not a very cheap thing.
Even to say, Begging is the purest act ever can be done for the good of others, making their life better by giving alms and add up good karma.
And so, Brahmanas in early life to live with donations and gifts, but not a working class. And so renunciates too.
And Depending on Other's wealth? What do you mean by OTHER? There is no wealth written in the name of "Viswa" and "Greg". Wealth is itself temporary in hands. One time it will be with you, and other time the same with me, and so passes every where.
And so, Krishna many times said, don't seeks results of action (which is wealth earned and good and bad and etc.,) as YOUR's.
There is no OTHER's "blah blah blah". Nothing one own's, and is just he thinks he owns, a mere ignorance.
You said the renunciates didn't consider life hard because donations always reached them.
Do you realize my friend, where this donation of a wealthy man comes from? Isn't it earned by the wealthy man by working hard. So there's got to be people in society who should aquire or earn by providing their services.
On the other hand, I've read in the past, that few advanced yogis don't need food to survive and therefore they don't even need to empty their bowels. With their yogic powers they can absorb energy from air and sun, just like plants.
They don't need warm clothes while living in the snowy mountains and can take care of themselves, without relying on other people's help.
This is a lot better than begging if you ask me. Atleast they're not being leeches.
But it is not easy to obtain such yogic powers, atleast in this age. In this kali yuga, we have no other choice but to work.
Energy from air and sun, is also a donation. If there is no Sun, then how they can survive?
Also, you have to read the same history again. Body will decay, but only time can be extended, and one can transforms from one body to another with yogic powers. But still that body will decay too, and pressurized to take another body, like the happenings in the movie Ghost Rider 2. If one is not interested in Begging, then like those yogi one can live the life by concentrating on throat, where the Hunger power resides. By such concentration for months/years, hunger can be eradicated.
But note, all Sages and Monks spent their life in food by donations and not by work or with siddhi powers. Even Buddha or Sankara or Ramana, who understood and had siddhi powers - forgone those and remained seeking donations/gifts. Because with siddhi powers, there is no use for others. But in Begging or donations, as I said, it helps people a lot in adding Good Karma, which they won't get in any action in the world.
Only in donation to real mendicants/Sages/Jnanis, people accumulates highest good karma in this world, or dissolves any highest bad karma they did. It's what Vedas says too. By Sacrificing the wealth one accumulated to such pure beings, one eradicates all past bad karmas.
Yes. There is better than begging. But it is useful only for him and few. But in the act of begging, it makes use to whomever donates to that pure mendicant, rather than himself, as nothing he wants for him and just roam around as mendicant only for spreading the Love and Teachings.
Shankara lived in Alms. Ramana Maharshi. And so many and many.
Begging is not a laziness to those truth seers. Begging is out of compassion to others.
Also, they begged only food and not money, that is what notable.
But, in this Kali Yuga, not everyone can get those donations always. If you have the pure Bliss inside, people will surely gets attracted to you and not by the words you speak (those words business of Asadhgurus are just temporary), like they got to Ramana and many, will reach you wherever they are around the world.
You see, in Sathya yugas and others only there is more good, so not many difference in Attraction towards those, as many are pure.
But, only in this Kali yuga, there is need of Pure, and people who suffers and truly seeks, easily gets attracted towards those pure beings. That's the Goodness in kali Yuga. That's the difference of Many Lights in Electric Shop/Daylight, and a Simple small Lamp in Immense Darkness.
