Significance of Giving up

Giving up, as understood across various philosophical and religious traditions, embodies the act of renouncing attachments and desires for spiritual growth and enlightenment. In Buddhism, it facilitates understanding and enables letting go. Hinduism portrays it as a surrender of strength, while Jainism encourages the renunciation of both internal and external attachments. Vaishnavism discusses dedication to the Lord and the relinquishment of worldly pleasures, whereas other traditions emphasize abandoning ego, false identities, and transient desires to achieve higher spiritual states.

Synonyms: Surrendering, Relinquishing, Abandoning, Yielding

In Dutch: Opgeven; In Finnish: Luovuttaminen; In Spanish: Darse por vencido; In German: Aufgabe; In French: Abandonner; In Swedish: Att ge upp; In Malay: Berputus asa

The below excerpts are indicatory and do represent direct quotations or translations. It is your responsibility to fact check each reference.

Buddhist concept of 'Giving up'

Buddhism Books

In Buddhism, "Giving up" involves relinquishing desires and attachments to achieve enlightenment, fostering spiritual growth, and encouraging the abandonment of inappropriate behaviors and beliefs for personal and communal development.

Significance in Theravada (major branch of Buddhism):
Theravada Books

(1) The act of relinquishing or discarding a particular belief or viewpoint.[1] (2) The act of relinquishing or abandoning a particular belief or view.[2]

(1) The act of relinquishing inappropriate behavior as encouraged by the community of nuns.[3]

(1) This describes the act of ceasing a specific behavior, and the failure to do so, despite admonishment, is a key factor in certain offenses.[4]

(1) Giving up refers to the act of relinquishing or abandoning something, in this context, it refers to abandoning desires and attachments in the pursuit of enlightenment.[5]

Theravada is a major branch of Buddhism having the the Pali canon (tipitaka) as their canonical literature, which includes the vinaya-pitaka (monastic rules), the sutta-pitaka (Buddhist sermons) and the abhidhamma-pitaka (philosophy and psychology).

Significance in Buddhism (general):

(1) This is a way to reach understanding, and is a part of the practice, and is a way to let go, and is spiritual growth.[6]

Hindu concept of 'Giving up'

Hinduism Books

In Hinduism, "Giving up" encompasses relinquishing possessions, worldly pleasures, and attachments, including egoism and false identities, ultimately aiming for spiritual transformation and devotion to the Supreme, highlighting significant emotional sacrifices and paths to liberation.

Significance in Vaishnavism (Vaishava dharma):
Vaishnavism Books

(1) The act of relinquishing or abandoning something, in this context specifically referring to life itself.[7] (2) The act of relinquishing worldly attachments or pleasures, emphasized in Shiva's transformation.[8] (3) The act of relinquishing or laying aside, as seen when the boys set down their ropes.[9] (4) The act of relinquishing or letting go of attachment or desires.[10] (5) The act of abandoning or relinquishing something, in this context referring to the individuals on the verge of giving up their lives.[11]

(1) The text indicates that the shikha and brahmana thread must be given up to gain Krishna, indicating a process of relinquishment.[12] (2) Any devotee who gives up the association of his friends for the Supreme Being's sake purchases Him, highlighting the devotion's transformative impact.[13] (3) The devotees can never give up the service of the lotus feet of the Lord, who is very affectionate to His devotees, and are always connected.[14] (4) The act of relinquishing or forgoing something, in this case referring to the loss of one's shikha and brahmana thread.[15] (5) The act of relinquishing or abandoning something, in this context referring to the abandonment of religious symbols like the shikha and brahmana thread.[16]

(1) When the soul gives up his other identities, the false forms generated by Maya, and becomes established in his pure, constitutional identity, that is mukti, which signifies a transformation.[17] (2) Abandoning or renouncing; highlights the choice to leave behind the exalted realm for other experiences.[18] (3) The act of releasing or surrendering distress and lamentation, as advised in the text, emphasizing a focus on worship.[19] (4) the act of renouncing the false ego to attain self-satisfaction.[20]

(1) The act of relinquishing or letting go of something, particularly in the context of ceasing to chase after transient material desires.[21] (2) The act of relinquishing or abandoning something of great value, highlighting a significant emotional sacrifice.[22]

Vaishnava or vaishnavism (vaishnavism) represents a tradition of Hinduism worshipping Vishnu as the supreme Lord. Similar to the Shaktism and Shaivism traditions, Vaishnavism also developed as an individual movement, famous for its exposition of the dashavatara (‘ten avatars of Vishnu’).

Significance in Vedanta (school of philosophy):
Vedanta Books

(1) The act of relinquishing or letting go of attachments to temporary pleasures and experiences.[23] (2) The act of relinquishing or letting go of attachment to egoism and other trivial matters.[24] (3) The act of relinquishing or abandoning thoughts of the non-Self that are deemed evil and cause misery.[25]

(1) The act of surrendering or relinquishing; persisting in a state without thought leads to neither taking up nor giving up.[26]

Vedanta refers to a school of orthodox Hindu philosophy (astika), drawing its subject-matter from the Upanishads. There are a number of sub-schools of Vedanta, however all of them expound on the basic teaching of the ultimate reality (brahman) and liberation (moksha) of the individual soul (atman).

Significance in Purana and Itihasa (epic history):
Purana Books

(1) Giving up references the act of abandoning an afflicted creature in danger, which is portrayed as a bad decision with dire consequences.[27] (2) The act of renouncing worldly desires and attachments, particularly those that satisfy bodily pleasures.[28]

The Purana refers to Sanskrit literature preserving ancient India’s vast cultural history, including historical legends, religious ceremonies, various arts and sciences. The eighteen mahapuranas total over 400,000 shlokas (metrical couplets) and date to at least several centuries BCE.

Significance in Kavyashastra (science of poetry):
Kavyashastra Books

Kavyashastra refers to the ancient Indian tradition of poetry (kavya). Canonical literature (shastra) of the includes encyclopedic manuals dealing with prosody, rhetoric and various other guidelines serving to teach the poet how to compose literature.

Significance in Vyakarana (Sanskrit grammar):
Vyakarana Books

(1) The act of relinquishing an established meaning, which is deemed undesirable in the context of how words function.[29] (2) The act of relinquishing or altering one's original form or identity, which is not applicable to the objects discussed.[30]

Vyakarana refers to Sanskrit grammar and represents one of the six additional sciences (vedanga) to be studied along with the Vedas. Vyakarana concerns itself with the rules of Sanskrit grammar and linguistic analysis in order to establish the correct context of words and sentences.

Significance in Dharmashastra (religious law):
Dharmashastra Books

(1) This action refers to abandoning or ceasing to perform certain duties, particularly the Shrauta and Smarta fires, without justification.[31] (2) The act of relinquishing or forsaking one's possessions and lifestyle.[32]

Dharmashastra contains the instructions (shastra) regarding religious conduct of livelihood (dharma), ceremonies, jurisprudence (study of law) and more. It is categorized as smriti, an important and authoritative selection of books dealing with the Hindu lifestyle.

Significance in Hinduism (general):

(1) This is the action that Vritra takes, where he relinquishes the Yajus-formulas, Rik-verses, and Saman-hymns to Indra, showing a surrender of strength.[33]

Jain concept of 'Giving up'

Jainism Books

In Jainism, "Giving up" signifies the renunciation of attachments, encompassing both external factors, like possessions, and internal elements, such as desires and emotions, promoting spiritual liberation and a detachment from worldly concerns.

Significance in Jainism (general):

(1) The act of renouncing attachments to both external and internal aspects.[34]

(1) Giving up choice food is an outer austerity, which is one of the ten divisions of Yatidharma, as explained by the great muni.[35]

Jainism is an Indian religion of Dharma whose doctrine revolves around harmlessness (ahimsa) towards every living being. The two major branches (Digambara and Svetambara) of Jainism stimulate self-control (or, shramana, ‘self-reliance’) and spiritual development through a path of peace for the soul to progess to the ultimate goal.

The concept of Giving up in local and regional sources

History Books

The keyphrase "Giving up" encapsulates the need for dedication and the renunciation of worldly pleasures in pursuit of spiritual truth, reflecting a commitment to higher goals and the transformative philosophies shared by Swami in India and the West.

Significance in India history and geography:

(1) This phrase describes the act of abandoning or relinquishing something, suggesting the end of a practice or belief.[36] (2) This action involves renouncing both the conventional and scriptural practices of worship, signifying a shift in spiritual focus.[37] (3) The text mentions that the individual cannot give up the world, despite being aware of its vanities and dangers, such is the power of delusion.[38] (4) Giving up everything else is a part of the dedication needed to reach the goal, emphasizing the commitment required for spiritual advancement.[39] (5) This is the act of giving up the search for pleasure, knowing it to be pain in another form, and seek for truth, which is one of the two ways.[40]