Develop Renunciation for Spiritual progress

Renunciation is not a desire to abandon our kith and kin, friends, home, wealth, job etc., It is only to reduce and eventually stop undue attachments to worldly pleasures and that seeks liberation from the cycle of rebirth. It is included in the four-step practice of Rajayoga. One has to take up this practice after developing Viveka (discriminating faculty). That is after knowing what is good and what is bad, what is true and what is untrue and what is eternal and what is temporary. One has to leave bad, untrue, and perishable things once for all, so that he may turn towards good, truth and eternality. This is called renunciation. One has to cultivate this non-attachment for proceeding on the path of spirituality without which one cannot attain higher stages. We cannot achieve progress on the spiritual path if we are tightly tied down by the chains of attachment.


Lord Sri Krishna taught Geetha to Arjuna only when Arjuna developed this renunciation. On seeking his kith and kin before him to fight for land and for worldly riches, he became sad and developed aversion towards the benefits derived by winning the war. He came to the conclusion that the result of war is only despair. Having developed this condition, Arjuna became fit for attaining higher stages. At this stage Lord Srikrishna imparted training and took selfless work from him to control the nature. So to become a selected one by God one has to develop this condition of Renunciation.

Mahatma Sri Ramchandraji says that this Renunciation (vairagya) is not a practice by itself but it is the stage resulted by the practice of Meditation and by the support of the great spiritual Master. In this stage one may come across many worldly things/affairs, but gives no weight to them that means no object in the world attracts him.

Generally people think that one has to resort to the forests leaving his family for developing this condition of non-attachment, but such opinion is wrong. One can develop this condition without resorting to forests and leaving the family by taking up the right ways of spirituality and following the guide lines of great Masters. Having things is not bad, but having undue attachment towards them is bad. If one is blessed with wealth by God, it becomes his duty to utilize it properly. Otherwise he will be called a miser. So one can rightly earn and have so many things and should not develop undue attachment towards them. That means one should not become restless by their non-availability. At the same time one should get on with the things available smoothly. This human life is a great opportunity for us to improve both our renunciation and our compassion. We should not waste this precious life.

Once, poor ‘Sudhama’, the classmate of Lord Sri Krishna met his friend Sri Krishna to beg some wealth on the instigation of his wife to suffice his poverty. When Lord Srikrishna saw Sudhama, at first sight itself told him, “I and you are in the same condition of non-attachment”. He also says, “I am having much but you are having none, but both you and I are not longing for anything”. This is the real condition of Renunciation. Because of this real condition of renunciation, Sudhama did not become disappointed when Lord Sri Krishna sent him with empty hands. He did not also become proud and very happy when he saw abundant wealth at his home sent by Lord Sri Krishna. He felt that he is simply a trustee for that wealth. There are so many examples of saintly people who lead this kind of life. Gora, Kumbar, Tukaram and Kabir are a few among them. They lead their worldly and family lives without caring their poverty and difficulties.

After crossing this condition of renunciation under the guidance of right Master, one enters a stage where the seeker finds neither attachment nor detachment. He enjoys the balanced condition, which is a worthy one to be attained by seeker. In that condition one lives in tune with nature, having no pain or pleasure with the losses and gains of this world. He remains in an ever satisfied condition with what he gets from the Lord. That means he treats that whatever he receives whether good or bad are boons from his Lord and they are all for his evolvement only.

Courtesy: Sri. P. Subbarayudu (Preceptor) and Sri. B.E. Sampath Kumar (Abhyasi) of Sri Rama Chandraji Maharaj Seva Trust, Kadapa.