Love and Renunciation
Sri Sri:
Only one who has renounced can truly love. To the degree you have renounced, to that degree you have the ability to love. Often people think those who renounce cannot love, and those who love cannot renounce. This is because so-called renunciates do not seem to be in love, and so-called lovers are very possessive and are in need.
True love is non-possessive and brings freedom, and renunciation is nothing but freedom. Only in freedom can love fully blossom. When in love, you say, "I want nothing for me." Renunciation is, "I don't want anything. I am free."
In love, there is no other need. Renunciation is having no need. Love and renunciation, although appearing to be opposites, are two sides of the same coin.
Guruji responded -- You renounce the attachment, the possessiveness. Renunciation doesn't diminish love; it enhances it. Only renunciation can sustain love and joy. Without renunciation, love turns into misery, possessiveness, jealousy and anger. Renunciation brings contentment and contentment sustains love. Without renunciation one gets discontented, frustrated, sad, fearful, suspicious and analytical. And the whole soap opera begins. And this is what we find in society, don't we? The so-called renunciates have run away from life frustrated and disappointed. Real renunciation is born out of knowledge and wisdom, knowledge of life in the background of time and space and in the context of this magnanimous universe.
ஆதி சங்கரர் அவருடைய குருவிடம் கேட்டார்,
ஹே குரோ ! ஸர்வ ஸமதா பாவ: கதம் சக்யதெ மானவானாம்!
குருநாதர் ஒரே பதத்தில் பதிலளித்தார்: "ஸன்யாஸாத்".
அறிவுப்பூர்வமான ஸன்யாஸத்தினால்தான் ஒருவர் எல்லோரையும் ஒன்றாகப் பார்க்க முடியும். ஸன்யாஸம் இல்லாமல் எல்லோரையும் ஒன்றாகப் பார்க்க முடியாது. வேத பூர்வம் முழுக்க முழுக்க வேற்றுமையை வலியுறுத்துகிறது.
வ்யஹாரம் என்று இருந்தால், வேற்றுமையைத் தவிர்க்க முடியாது. அது வாஸ்தவம்தான். பாரமார்த்திக த்ருஷ்டியாகிய கண்ணாடியைப் போட்டால் எல்லாம் ஒன்றுதான். வ்யவஹாரிக த்ருஷ்டியாகிய கண்ணாடியைப் போட்டால் எல்லாம் வேறு வேறுதான்.
வேற்றுமையை விட்டுவிடு. வேற்றுமையினால்தான் துக்கமே வருகிறது. ஒரு பொருளைத் தவிர வேறு ஒன்றும் கிடையாது. அதுவோ ஸச்சிதாநந்த ஸ்வரூபம். கோவிந்தம் பஜ. பகவானை ஸ்தோத்ரம் பண்ணி, வேதாந்தம் படித்து இந்த ஞானத்தைப் பெறுவாயாக.
வேத நெறி – November 2010 Issue.
பஜ கோவிந்தம் - பூஜ்ய ஸ்ரீ ஓங்காராநந்த மஹாஸ்வாமிகள்
The vision of Vedanta goes by the name – sama dhrushti, paramarthika dhrushti – equanimity in vision. A jnani who has the equanimity in vision also possesses universal love. A jnani resolves all differences with the vision of vedanta. The same jnani recognises and appreciates the differences while using worldly vision – vyavaharika dhrushti.
A jnani obtains this pararthika dhrushti through a systematic and lengthy study of vedanta under a competent live guru.
This jnani renounces all the doership and becomes a jnana karma sannyasi, having understood that atma is neither a doer or an enjoyer. This renunciation, equanimity of vision, universal love, paramarthika dhrushti and seeing everything in the universe as the non-dual atma are the lakshanas of a sthitha prajna – a jnani who is established in the knowledge of one’s own real nature which is atma.
The jnani is a sarva-sankalpa-sannyasi,sankalpa referring to the notion that ‘I am the doer, karta, I am the enjoyer, bhokta.’ Free of these notions of doership and enjoyership, the person does not think that this is to be done or gained by me so that I will be like this or that or I will liberate the whole world, I will save the world - which is the greatest fantasy of them all. Such grandiose ideas are simply erroneous notions about oneself, none of which the sarva-sankalpa-sannyasi has. (Bhagavad Gita Home Study – Swami Dayananda)
Additional Note: Tara asked -- Does this mean the lover renounces his beloved?
These kind of questions arise due to a poor understanding of the highest principles of vedanta. A traditional approach to sarva- sankalpa– sannyasa is that the person also undertakes karma sannyasa – become a sannyasi. A sannyasi does not have any relationship with anybody.