Aptavani-2
299
needs reprimanding? It is those who have abandoned their wives
and children without understanding anything and have become
egotistical about their penance and renunciation. They leave
behind three people at home and collect a hundred and eight
here; this is why ‘we’ have to speak so sternly.
The Lord has said renunciation is to live in a palace and
yet have no infatuation or attraction for that palace. If a person’s
pocket is picked and he does not even remember the loss, then
he is free from it and hence has renounced it. If renunciation
were not defined as ‘renunciation of infatuation or obsession for
anything’, then no one living the worldly life would attain
absolute liberation. The Lord has said that it is not possible to
renounce things because there are infinite things in the world, so
how can anyone succeed at renouncing things? And besides is
anything likely to go away simply through rejection? No it will
not. But by merely renouncing your infatuation and inner
attraction for infinite things that exist, it is the same as renouncing
them.
When a person practices renunciation, he does it only
through his ego. Absence of inner attraction for renunciation
(tyaga) or acquisition (grahan) is true renunciation according to
the Lord. Renunciation that occurs naturally is true renunciation.
Agitation in renunciation
No matter what the extent of external renunciation one
undergoes, if there is any trace of agitation (vishamta) in that
renunciation, then one cannot see his own mistakes, but he will
be able to see the mistakes where there is equanimity (samata).
An ascetic goes asking for food and if he happens to see a small
piece of a potato in his bowl, he would become very upset.
Then how can he see his mistake? There must be equanimity in
renunciation.
Questioner : What is meant by agitation in renunciation?