Aptavani-2
303
True renunciant
A true renunciant is one who maintains: ‘may the miseries
of worldly people be mine and my happiness be theirs.’ If a
person is unhappy himself, how can he make others happy? One
will have peace if he maintains this much dharma (relative
religion).
This world is at your disposal for enjoyment, but do not
hurt anyone in the process. The one who wants to renounce
should do so without hurting anyone. If a person wants to
renounce his family, he must ensure that first he has the blessings
from his wife. But instead men coerce their wives into giving
them the permission. A person can only renounce if everyone
around him is happy with his decision to do so.
The Lord has said that a true renunciant is he whose mere
sight pleases others; he who evokes feelings of praise in those
who look upon him; he who incites people to prostrate before
him. He who makes people’s worries disappears and calms their
hearts.
The Self has never, even for a moment becomes the non-
self and neither has it desired any thing of the non-self. The Self
has nothing to renounce, no chants to sing or no penance to
suffer. The renunciant has an illusion about renouncing for the Soul
and the family man has an illusion about the soul’s worldly life.
Gnani’s Agnas verily are penance and religion
There is no need to expend anything on the path of
liberation; no need to renounce anything, no penance to
perform, nothing needs to be done. You simply need to meet a
Gnani Purush and His agnas then become your penance and
your religion. After meeting the Gnani Purush, you will encounter
a new kind of penance; internal penance. Internal penance will
lead to moksha and external penance will beget the worldly life.
If someone insults you, you should perform internal pratikraman