Sivananda

THE PATH BEYOND SORROW

Chapter 4: Real Renunciation

7. Inner Renunciation Is Real Renunciation

Energy Enhancement Enlightened Texts Sri Swami Sivananda The Path Beyond Sorrow

After all, where can you go to get away from the world? Even if you go to the Himalayan caves, you are still in the world. What really is needed is not so much the renunciation of the outward form of this world, is not so much the giving up of all outward desires. Renunciation does not mean renouncing merely a house, a beach, a garden or a piece of ground, or a mode of eating. Renunciation means completely renouncing worldliness. This is the secret of true renunciation.

You may renounce the objects of this world; you may renounce all your wealth, your property, everything; but your heart may be attached to them still. You may still have inner desire for all these things. Such renunciation cannot give happiness. Outward renunciation alone is not true renunciation, unless it is accompanied by inner renunciation. And if you are established absolutely in full inner renunciation, then outward renunciation becomes superfluous. Whether you renounce outwardly or not, it does not seriously matter. The great thing is to be not of the world even when you are in the world. The thing is to see that the desire for objects does not enter into your being even when you are in the midst of objects.

What is the root cause of such desire? It is the very antithesis of renunciation. The root cause of desire is the feeling of your individual personality—“I”. It is this “I” that wants, it is this “I” that desires, it is this “I” that craves. And therefore, real renunciation is not so much in the abandonment of all things and all actions. It is not eccentric diet alone. It is not to be without any possession, without even a cloth, without even shoes. This is not the essence of renunciation. It is not in shaving the head and wearing monk’s robes. True renunciation is the renunciation of desires and cravings, of the possessing nature and passions; and these are rooted upon the ego sense—the “I” and the “mine”. Therefore, the secret of real renunciation lies in the complete renunciation of egoism and mineness. The heart should be devoid of the “I” consciousness, the “I” sense and all idea of “mine”. The secret of real renunciation is the eradication of attachment and the ego.

Real renunciation is renunciation of all cravings and the subtle mental impressions that fill your mind—mental impressions of previous enjoyments. To get rid of all mental impressions through Sadhana is real renunciation. Real renunciation is the eradication of attachment to all passing things of this world. Real renunciation is freedom from the idea of “I am the doer; I am the enjoyer; I see through the eyes; I smell through the nose; I hear through the ears”. This identification with the senses and the body has to be renounced. This is the bondage.

Identification with the body, with the mind and its desires—this has to be renounced and you have to just centre yourself for ever in the consciousness of your own nature, your true nature—totally transcending body, senses, Prana, mind, intellect and thought attachments. Beyond all these You are—the absolute, unaffected, changeless, Witness Consciousness, the Supreme that knows no birth, no death, no suffering, that has neither want nor desire (for It is ever full and ever content).

A deep perennial satisfaction characterizes your true being. Nothing is lacked, for It is all-full and perfect. Plenitude is your true nature. To be established in the awareness of this plenitude is the greatest secret of real renunciation. Abandon ruthlessly the present wrong identification with the body-mind personality. Live in your Self within. That is true renunciation. To be rooted in your splendid Atmic Consciousness, splendid Spiritual Nature, your splendid Divine Essence—this is the secret of real renunciation. Freedom from all the bonds of attachment—that constitutes the glory of real renunciation.

Next: Chapter 5: Know Thyself

Energy Enhancement Enlightened Texts Sri Swami Sivananda The Path Beyond Sorrow

Chapter 4

Sri Swami Sivananda, The Path Beyond Sorrow Chapter 4: Real Renunciation
Sri Swami Sivananda, The Path Beyond Sorrow Chapter 4: Real Renunciation, Blessed children of the Lord! Radiant rays of the eternal Light Divine! Salutations to you all. With great joy I once again speak to you to give you a little message from the Master Sivananda and from the cultural treasure-house of the Sacred Land of the Himalayas, the Land of the Holy Ganges, the Land of the Upanishads and the Vedas at energyenhancement.org
Sri Swami Sivananda, The Path Beyond Sorrow Chapter 4: Real Renunciation, 1. Renunciation Should Be Based upon Right Understanding
Sri Swami Sivananda, The Path Beyond Sorrow Chapter 4: Real Renunciation, 1. Renunciation Should Be Based upon Right Understanding, Renunciation has been the key-note of the teachings of the Great Masters of India. Renunciation is the very essence of spirituality and the secret of God-realization. Renunciation is not lethargy, escapism or irresponsibility. It is the great strength that the aspirant has in his onward march to the Kingdom of Heaven. It is the strength of renunciation that truly sustains the aspirant in his arduous journey to the Supreme at energyenhancement.org
Sri Swami Sivananda, The Path Beyond Sorrow Chapter 4: Real Renunciation, 2. Worthlessness of Worldly Life
Sri Swami Sivananda, The Path Beyond Sorrow Chapter 4: Real Renunciation, 2. Worthlessness of Worldly Life, A life of delusion amidst sensuality, money and sense-objects is the pitiful lot of the normal human being. Life is transitory; death is silently staring at you like a venomous serpent with expanded hood, ever ready to strike. Various dire diseases cause much havoc to the body. Youth abandons the body quickly and old age grips it. He alone is saved who makes haste to utilise this precious life in striving to obtain the summum bonum of life through renunciation, discrimination and inquiry. Maya, the great illusory power of the Supreme, is a very great jeweller. She prepares a skeleton, covers it with flesh and muscles, and hides the various impurities within with a very shining skin. Oh, immediately, a human being is absolutely deluded with this appearancewith this doll prepared by Maya. How long are you going to call this body your self? Develop an undeluded imagination and identify yourself with your real nature, Satchidananda (Existence-Consciousness-Bliss) which is your true Self at energyenhancement.org
Sri Swami Sivananda, The Path Beyond Sorrow Chapter 4: Real Renunciation, 3. The Riddle of Life
Sri Swami Sivananda, The Path Beyond Sorrow Chapter 4: Real Renunciation, 3. The Riddle of Life, Try to understand the riddle of life and the riddle of this universe. Acquire discrimination. Take recourse to the company of seekers like yourself, getting together now and then with those of your own nature, those who are spiritually inclined. Even this will quicken your discrimination and give you the spirit of renunciation. Inquire into the nature of the Great Reality. Study books like the Gita and the Upanishads and then you will have a comprehensive understanding of the innumerable problems of life. There is not an iota of happiness in this world. Seek the happiness that is within at energyenhancement.org
Sri Swami Sivananda, The Path Beyond Sorrow Chapter 4: Real Renunciation, 4. Sensual Pleasures Opposed to Spiritual Bliss
Sri Swami Sivananda, The Path Beyond Sorrow Chapter 4: Real Renunciation, 4. Sensual Pleasures Opposed to Spiritual Bliss, In the presence of continual sensual pleasures, spiritual bliss cannot exist, just as darkness and light cannot co-exist. If one should come, the other must go. Therefore, show extreme contempt for worldly objects. Destroy all desire from within, Turn the mind away from sensual objects. Give up cravings. Give up deluded attachment and you will develop real renunciation. You yourself have made your life complex and intricate. You have entangled yourself in this quagmire of Samsara by increasing your own desires, your own wants at energyenhancement.org
Sri Swami Sivananda, The Path Beyond Sorrow Chapter 4: Real Renunciation, 5. The Indispensability of Renunciation
Sri Swami Sivananda, The Path Beyond Sorrow Chapter 4: Real Renunciation, 5. The Indispensability of Renunciation, At this point, we may try to consider one or two modern trends which have a direct bearing upon the vital subject of renunciation. Is renunciation really necessary? Many people in these modern days fight shy of renunciation. They put forward various ingenious arguments to prove that it is not necessary and that it is even useless. In fact, they go a step further and say that renunciation is harmful at energyenhancement.org
Sri Swami Sivananda, The Path Beyond Sorrow Chapter 4: Real Renunciation, 6. False Prophets of the Modern Age
Sri Swami Sivananda, The Path Beyond Sorrow Chapter 4: Real Renunciation, 6. False Prophets of the Modern Age, The modern age is materialistic. The dominant note in the era of today is the materialistic sense of values. Materialism also has many forms. There is a materialism which says that this world alone is everything, that this world alone is worth having. Then there is the other kind of materialisma subtle materialism which says that God alone is not enough, that there must be the universe also besides Him and that you cannot totally ignore or neglect this universe. To know God alone, according to the votaries of this subtle doctrine, is imperfection; and perfection is to know the ultimate Reality of God as well as this world. They say that you must know God and you must know this universe also in the true sense at energyenhancement.org
Sri Swami Sivananda, The Path Beyond Sorrow Chapter 4: Real Renunciation, 7. Inner Renunciation Is Real Renunciation
Sri Swami Sivananda, The Path Beyond Sorrow Chapter 4: Real Renunciation, 7. Inner Renunciation Is Real Renunciation, After all, where can you go to get away from the world? Even if you go to the Himalayan caves, you are still in the world. What really is needed is not so much the renunciation of the outward form of this world, is not so much the giving up of all outward desires. Renunciation does not mean renouncing merely a house, a beach, a garden or a piece of ground, or a mode of eating. Renunciation means completely renouncing worldliness. This is the secret of true renunciation at energyenhancement.org

�

ENERGY ENHANCEMENT TESTIMONIALS EE LEVEL1 EE LEVEL2 EE LEVEL3 EE LEVEL4 EE FAQS
NEWSLETTER SIGN UP
NAME:
EMAIL:

Search energyenhancement.org Search web