On Selflessness, Selfishness, Self, and Family

I do agree with a good majority of the things that Avery has said. Avery addressed the possibility that leaving, even if it's not necessarily selfless, is not necessarily a bad thing either. I am going to talk about how leaving could actually be selfless, even taking the family into account.

For those who are reading this on just my blog - A Sannyasin is a person who has given up the material world possessions and connections with other people.

1.)  There is no discernible legal difference between dying and becoming a Sannyasin. Thus, becoming a Sannyasin, legally dying, would result in all of the Sannyasin's property and wealth going to his family. This essentially eliminates of the problem of the family's dependency on him.

2.) Furthermore, leaving your family, if they are dependent on you, could be viewed as selfless. Such that, leaving a dependent family would force them to gain their own independence, which, mind you, they would have to do regardless - when he actually dies. Though, not only would they have to gain their own independence after the individual's death, they would also be left to mourn over his death, which would be an additional burden which could prevent them from becoming independent in a timely fashion.

3.) The family can also be selfish. As with we saw in the movie, the family had no actual objections other than "but who will care for us" (even though he stated that they would be supported). They didn't say they loved him and didn't want him to go; they only thought of themselves. It could very well be selfless to lead by example and, by leaving and giving up all of his possessions and wealth to them, teach them to be selfless.

4.) As I mentioned before, the individual seeking to become a Sannyasin is going to die eventually. Imagine how the family would feel if, after his death, they realized that it was only them that prevented him from becoming a Sannyasin; only they prevented him from becoming spiritually enlightened. I can imagine they they would experience heavy negative feelings (from guilt to sorrow) about this. It could then be considered selfless to prevent them from having this severe emotional distress.

Also, I would, related to family duty, recommend reading Edith Wharton's "Ethan Frome." All the suffering that Ethan goes through is a result of his acting on the 'familial duty' to support his mother. His choice to give up his own desires creates suffering for not just himself, but everyone he loves and many people whom he does not.
Supplementary - I would also recommend Franz Kafka's "Metamorphosis" as an example of how feeding your family's dependence on you can, and does, turn them into the selfish, greedy kind of person that nobody likes.