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YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED: F.A.Q. 11
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RENUNCIATION QUESTION: In many people's view, the World is good
and enjoyable; why then is it regarded as something to be renounced if we
wish to attain Enlightenment? ANSWER: The term "renunciation" has been
the subject of much misunderstanding and misinterpretation. In the experience
of accomplished Yogis, the World is a beautiful creation of the Supreme
Intelligence. So why renounce it? The short answer is that what we must renounce is not the
World itself, but our limited and distorted experience thereof. This much
should have been understood by now even in the West. Unfortunately, this does
not seem to be the case. In our endeavour to solve the problem, therefore, we
must identify three main factors, the elucidation of which should lead to a
proper understanding of the matter: (1) the definition of the word
"renunciation" or sannyas, in Yogic terminology, (2) what it means
to the person who renounces (sannyasi or renunciant) and (3) what meaning it can
have for society at large. First, what must be accepted as established beyond any shadow
of doubt is that human perception of reality is very limited: even animals
often possess faculties of sensory perception that are far superior to those
of ordinary humans. It is for this very reason, and for the sole purpose of
completing, expanding and clarifying our perception of reality, that entire
fields of knowledge such as philosophy, religion, science and psychology have
been established by the thinking minds of the World. Yet a limited perception of the World is only the beginning of
the problem. Limited as it already is, this perception is further distorted
by our psycho-mental apparatus: our sense faculties are conditioned to
perceive certain data to the exclusion of others; our emotion patterns ensure
that we feel in predetermined ways about certain things; and our intellectual
training demands that we think in a fixed way about everything. Thus the human mind acts as a filter consisting of sense
perceptions, emotions and thought-constructs which allows only a very
watered-down and muddled-up picture of reality to enter our field of
awareness. This necessarily leads to a faulty understanding of the World
which in turn creates an incoherent, inharmonious and ultimately
dysfunctional, relationship with the World, leaving us trapped in a truly
hopeless situation. In consequence, what Yoga or common sense, suggests, is not
that we give up the World but our dependence on a limited and distorted
perception of the World. The difficulty lies in the fact that in order to
acquire a clearer and more reliable perception of the World, we need to do
two things: detach ourselves from the habitual World in order to prevent the
mind from constantly re-enforcing and imposing upon us its distorted picture
of the World; and direct our conscious attention to those aspects of the
World which our mind until now has systematically excluded from the picture. Should anybody prove capable of accomplishing this without any
form or degree of isolation from the World, we naturally wish them good luck.
We shall not here concern ourselves with those rare cases, but limit
ourselves to the majority of Spiritual aspirants who may, as a matter of
fact, require from time to time brief or prolonged periods of retirement
from, or "renunciation" of, the known World. (The discerning Seeker
will, no doubt, have observed that even the opponents of renunciation often
offer "retreats" to their followers.) We shall accordingly further investigate
the process of renunciation. It will be remembered that what is ordinarily experienced as
"World" is just a small fragment of the totality of reality: there
is much more to the World than a Spiritually untrained mind allows us to see.
Logically speaking then, even if the World were renounced in a negative
sense, this would hardly constitute a major issue so long as reality is not
renounced in its totality, supposing of course, that such total
renunciation be possible. If, on the other hand, the World were to be renounced
in a positive sense, this would certainly amount to a positive, rather than
negative enterprise. Negative renunciation is the act of rejecting the World as
worthless or even harmful and is negative by virtue of its being based on a
negative attitude towards the World. It is, of course, not found among
genuine Yogis. Yet even this kind of renunciation presupposes a desire in the
renunciant to seek something better, which desire must be admitted to be good
- or positive - in nature, being potentially conducive to an improved
condition or situation. Now, if the desire that prompts the renunciant in his
action is essentially good, then the act of renunciation itself cannot be
altogether bad. Naturally, we may expect a positive form of renunciation to
be even better. Indeed, as we shall presently explain, positive or true
renunciation is neither negative nor is it renunciation - in the absolute
sense - at all. It must be once more recalled that ordinary experience of
reality or "the World" is limited and fragmentary. In consequence, renunciation
is the provisional abandonment of a limited mode of experience for the
purpose of acquiring a less limited one. (The adjective
"provisional" is here used to stress the fact that, having reached
a higher level, the renunciant is free to return any time to lower points in
the spectrum of experience if he so chooses. In other words, the end result
of renunciation is an increased freedom of experience. As a matter of fact,
the extraordinary freedom of experience it confers on its followers is
precisely what has made Yoga so attractive to generations upon generations of
Spiritual Seekers.) When correctly understood, the purpose of renunciation is to
enable us to go beyond, or transcend, limited habitual experience together with
our psychological dependence on such experience. Once a higher and wider
experience of reality has been attained, this will in turn transform,
complete - and thereby enhance - our previously limited mode of experience.
As a result of this process of transformation, the initially abandoned World
is finally seen in a new light and re-integrated into one's expanded
experience of life. This is the true meaning of renunciation. In practice, we may identify three forms or levels of
renunciation:
In the first instance, physical and mental interaction with
other human beings is drastically reduced, as in the case of monks living in
a monastic community, or altogether suspended, as in the case of a hermit who
lives well outside the range of human society. In the second, interaction
with material reality needs neither be restricted nor completely suspended
but continued on a level that is not conducive to psychological attachment or
dependence. In the third instance, the aim is to eliminate all forms of
attachment, including to non-material forms of existence such as the astral
or other planes. While in the first case, reduction or suspension of contact
with society may still leave the renunciant open to psychological attachment
to such contact, all attachment is eliminated in relation to physical reality
in the second case and in relation to both physical and non-physical reality,
in the third. The last two levels do not include physical isolation as a
necessary condition, the renunciation taking place on the psychological and
Spiritual level, respectively. In other words, social contact needs not be an
impediment to Spiritual development, provided that it is accompanied by the
correct inner attitude. As already observed, renunciation is a process of transcending
limited experience along with our psychological dependence on, or addiction
to, such experience. It is a conscious transition from the psychological to
the Spiritual field of experience and is understood as such by authentic,
that is, Spiritually informed practisers of renunciation. This transition
does not mean the total and permanent elimination of limited, psychological
experience from our field of awareness but its integration into the larger
and more real sphere of Spiritual reality. As such, it represents a positive
step forwards in a person's Spiritual evolution. As for the meaning it can have for society, it is known from
archaeological, historical and other sources, that various forms and degrees
of withdrawal from ordinary life have been practised in all human societies
from earliest prehistoric times down to our day. The stone-age shamans of
Asia and Europe, the native medicine men of America and Australia, the
priests, magicians and prophets of Ancient Egypt, India and Greece, religious
leaders like Orpheus, Moses, Buddha, Jesus and Mohammad, as well as 20th
century sages like Ramana Maharshi of Arunachala, are reported to have spent
periods of isolation, partial or total, from what is commonly termed
"the World". The fact is that these episodes of temporary isolation are not
regarded as having produced results detrimental to the society or tradition
in question. Ancient Pagan sanctuaries, Hindu ashrams, Buddhist and Christian
monasteries, have always been important seats of knowledge and great sources
of inspiration to entire populations. In fact, if we define renunciation as
the abandonment, temporary and partial or otherwise, of certain situations,
activities or experiences, then it must be admitted to constitute a factor so
fundamental to all human life as for its exclusion therefrom to appear neither
desirable nor indeed possible. Thus, a new-born baby begins life in this World by abandoning
the mother's womb. A child abandons the state of childhood to reach
adulthood. An adult abandons this life for the next, hopefully better, life.
When we walk, we abandon a patch of earth and place our foot on another in
order to move forwards. When we exhale, we expel a volume of used air so we
can inhale fresh air. When we think, we let go of a thought so we can
generate a new one. A political leader may temporarily retire from the cares
of state to collect his thoughts and gather the strength to better discharge
the duties of his office. An artist or scientist may avoid social contact to
concentrate on the work of art or scientific discovery he is about to make and
so on... When seen from this perspective, the whole of life proves to be a
constant flow of letting-go instances, of "moments of renunciation"
which are all directed towards the attainment of something good, positive,
creative. As far as Yoga is concerned, it has always been accepted
practice among the followers of the Yoga Path to temporarily or permanently
renounce the comforts and pleasures of ordinary life and devote themselves to
Spiritual practices exclusively. However, to interpret this as negative
indifference to the World, means to completely misunderstand the Yogis'
motives and intentions and to be blind to their true function in the World. Suppose a host, in the course of a party and with the full
satisfaction of his visitors in mind, leaves his guests to ensure that the
supply of food, drinks and entertainment is running according to plan. To the
uninformed guests, his absence may appear to amount to a blatant disregard of
his duties, when in fact the reverse is true. Something similar happens in
the case of Yogis who, unbeknown to outsiders, contribute in a variety of
essential ways to Mankind's welfare while externally appearing to be wholly
detached or disinterested. The fact is that regardless of how renunciation is interpreted
by the uninitiated, the Yogis of India have always been regarded by their
fellow citizens as compassionate beings. Historically speaking, out of
compassion for the World, Yogis have often renounced their state of blissful
isolation to resume social interaction at all levels of life. Many have acted
as advisers to political rulers. Others have initiated and supervised the
founding of cultural and religious institutions, Spiritual schools, charity
organisations, or military orders. In this context, we may mention the Sannyasi Uprising of 1761-1800
against British rule which was led by naked ascetics (Naga Dashanamis) of the
Shaiva Orders (Akhadas). Historical evidence certainly shows that Sannyasis had
a long history of bearing arms both for purposes of self-defence and for
upholding Spiritual values and defending the country against foreign occupation.
This demonstrates that Sannyasis have not, historically speaking, been as
divorced from the realities of human life as it is sometimes claimed today. Indeed,
a number of ancient Yogic or Yoga-inspired texts such as the highly acclaimed
Yoga-Vasishta, far from advocating nihilistic inaction, vigorously promote a
harmonious blending of Spiritual knowledge and action. Even the most celebrated renunciant of all times, Lord Buddha
himself, renounced his high social status and became a mendicant monk only to
spend most of his life preaching to growing numbers of followers and laying
the foundation of what was to become a major World Religion. In modern times,
Shri Aurobindu of Pondicherry (1872-1950) who had begun his carrier as a
militant campaigner in India's struggle against British occupation, renounced
the World to write a number of Spiritual works and form a powerful movement
known as Integral Yoga. Swami Shivananda of Rishikesh (1887-1963), a
successful medical doctor, renounced the World to devote himself to the
publication of hundreds of books and the establishment of a worldwide Yoga
School. Swami Muktananda of Ganeshpuri (1908-1983), having taken the vows of
renunciation early in his life, travelled to many countries, initiating yet
another Spiritual movement known as Siddha Yoga. In view of these facts, even
the most recalcitrant sceptic must concede that far from being absolute,
renunciation often simply means the shifting of one's focus of interaction
with the World from the material to a more Spiritual level. This is only natural since, from the perspective of Yoga, the
World is not an illusion but a real creation of the Universal Intelligence or
God. The intention of genuine Yogis then, is not to forget the World but to
adjust and harmonise their experience of the World with the Universal Mind
who created it. To ensure that this process of harmonisation is not disrupted
or even rendered impossible by ordinary life, short or long-term isolation
from the World may under circumstances become necessary. This may amount to
anything from several days to a few months or, in extreme cases, even years. Although the notion of physical or mental isolation, however
partial and temporary, may give rise in certain individuals to objections to,
and even wholesale rejection of, Spiritual practices, such reactions are as
unfounded as a child's fear of going to sleep. The truth is that, as we open
ourselves to a broader spectrum of reality, our capacity for sensory
perception, emotion, or thought cannot possibly diminish; on the contrary,
our experience of the World becomes richer, more harmonious and more
enjoyable. In the same way as when tired, ordinary men withdraw from the
World and go to sleep in order to better see and enjoy the World upon waking,
so also, Yogis temporarily retire from the World so that they may acquire a
clearer and broader vision of it which in turn will inspire and enlighten
their own life and that of their fellow humans. What must be beyond doubt is
that life lived on any of the three levels of renunciation or non-attachment
as defined earlier, has the potential of inducing the development in the
aspirant of a wide range of essential psychological qualities such as
humility, compassion, patience, self-control, resistance to pain,
fearlessness, non-attachment, selflessness and will-power as well as psychic
abilities such as an enhanced power of intuition, telepathy, clairvoyance
etc., all these being the result of close contact with the Spiritual planes
and manifestations of the awakening Spiritual power (Shakti) operating on
those planes, enabling the successful practiser to offer a valuable living
example to others. Finally, one may reasonably argue that, in a World that is
becoming more and more intrusive, crowded and alienated from Nature, partial
or total withdrawal from ordinary life offers a welcome relief. Indeed, in
many cases, it may already constitute a medical necessity. In the light of this, the emotional rejection of the validity
of renunciation as a legitimate Spiritual means, demonstrates the Spiritual
and psychological immaturity of its opponents. It is the opponents of
renunciation who are being negative, first because they base their rejection
on the evidently false assumption that what they perceive as being renounced,
that is, "the World", is the only or most important aspect of
reality and second, because they misinterpret or misunderstand the
renouncer's true motives and intention. Those who are irritated by the idea of renunciation should be
aware of the not irrelevant fact that their reaction may be the symptom of an
underlying psychological fixation with what they perceive as the World. What
is more alarming, however, is that this kind of psychological commitment may
inadvertently promote the cause of those who seek to suppress the freedom of
religious and Spiritual expression that constitutes the very foundation of a
free World. Needless to say, such misguided attitudes are already rampant in
many places on Earth and are scarcely in need of encouragement from
supposedly more enlightened members of the human race. Regardless of how Spiritually untutored outsiders view
renunciation, it remains an indispensable practice of great psychological,
social and Spiritual benefit to millions of people, especially in the
de-Spiritualised and addiction-promoting society of today. In practice,
however, whether or not a person should enter on the path of renunciation
will be determined by the aspirant's psychological predispositions, Spiritual
fitness and external circumstances. At any rate, in Yoga, nobody is forced to
renounce anything. Accordingly, we would like to conclude with the words of
the Enlightened Masters themselves: Neither seek nor reject, just be your
real Self. This, in the final analysis, is the true Yogic attitude. |