What To Renounce

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SIVANANDA DAILY READING FOR 29 NOVEMBER: WHAT TO RENOUNCE

 

Mere outward giving up of things is nothing. It is not real

renunciation. Real tyaga or sanyas (renunciation) consists in absolute

renunciation

of all vasanas (tendencies) and the destruction of the heart-knot of

ignorance, the cit-jada-granthi (confusion between the conscious

subject and inert object).

 

What is to be renounced is the bheda buddhi (divisive intellect)

which says, "I am superior to that man.I am the body." And the

kartrtva abhimana which thinks, "I am the doer." There is no use in

your renouncing your home, wife and children. You must destroy moha

(attachment)for the body, children, money, house, property - then you

will get that state of immortality from which you will never return.

 

He who has merely withdrawn himself from worldly possessions,

cannot be regarded as having renounced the world altogether; but he

who is living in actual contact with the world, finds out its faults.

He who is freed from every passion and whose soul depends on nothing

may be said to have truly renounced the world. Read the story of Raja

Sikhidhwaja and Queen Chudala in the Yoga Vasishta.

 

The spirit cometh and goeth. Therefore you will have to be careful

always in nourishing and protecting your spiritual samskaras

(impressions) with burning vairagya (dispassion), intense and constant

sadhana (practice) and burning mumuksutva (desire for liberation).

Increase your good samskaras. Develop them. Multiply them.

 

People do not want to remove mala (impurity) by selfless service

and viksepa (restlessness of mind) with upasana (devotion). They think

that bhakti and service are nothing. They at once jump to open the

kundalini and raise the brahmakara vrtti (the feeling of Brahmin is

the all). They will only break down their legs.

 

Serve and worship; jnana and yoga will come by them­selves,

kundalini will be awakened by itself.