Chapter 2 - Renunciation through Love

There are two paths, the one leads to worldliness and the other to the realization of Divinity. Those who travel on the path of the world, seek, the pleasures of phenomenal life, become attached to the objects of senses, and cling to earthly existence. Their whole heart and soul are centred upon themselves and they only care for those objects which are related to them, either directly or indirectly. Being guided by selfish motives, they work for results, and so enjoy or suffer according to the nature of those works. In fact, they are bound by desires and passions, are slaves of anger, hatred, and jealousy, and their love of petty self is extremely strong. The senses of I, me, mine predominate in all the actions of their lives. They devote most of their time and energy to enrich themselves at others’ expense, seeking earthly prosperity, and thinking that success in business is the highest aim and object of their lives. They do not hesitate to tell lie, to commit various wicked deeds, and to injure the fellow members of the society, in order to serve their selfish motive or purpose. They are also blind to the moral and spiritual laws of the universal. Actuated by the love of petty self, they accumulate wealth, desire and powers, and long for position, name and fame in the society. There is no end of their ambition; they are rather mad for their worldly treasures. The men and women of the world think today that they have gained this and tomorrow they will accomplish that. They think that they are the rulers and masters of men, and also the masters of the society. They believe that everybody of the society should bow down before their name, wealth, power, and social rank. And so they struggle hard to fulfil their ambitious desires, their minds are restless with worry and anxiety, they do not see far enough and they do not realize the true nature of their souls. They have no conception of things which lie beyond the reach of the senses and cannot be perceived by sense powers. In fact, the minds of the followers on the path of worldliness (samsara) are covered with the veil of ignorance. They do not see things as they are in reality, and so they mistake the body for the soul and the soul for the body, matter for spirit and spirit for matter. Thus the travellers on the path of worldliness are seldom happy, rather they are always discontented. Being subject to the law of karma, they are born again and again, and continue to reap the results of their acts, performed during their earthly career.

The other path which leads to the realization of Divinity, runs in the opposite direction. Travellers on this path are very few. Their tendencies are really different. Because they do not care for things which attract the mind of ordinary men and women of the world, and they realize the emptiness in the pleasures of the world. Their soul long for undisturbed peace and true happiness. They desire to get away from the people and also from the society. The senses of I, me, mine seem to be a source of bondage and unhappiness to them. Realizing the limitations of those sense object, they try to forget even their personality in the actions of daily run of life. They are ever ready to deny this senses of I, me, mine and to perform works not to enrich themselves at other’s expense, but for the benefit of others. They cultivate disinterested love for humanity at large, and they sacrifice the attitude of self-love on the altar of the love for humanity or the love of God. In fact, they are the followers of the path of self-denial, self-abnegation, and self-renunciation. From the standpoint of the worldly pleasures, it appears to be dry like a road in the desert; neither pleasant, nor attractive, nor interesting. But those who have courage and strength enough to venture to follow this apparently barren path of renunciation, reach the goal of life and enter into the eternal abode of eternal peace, happiness, and freedom. They alone realize Divinity and immortal life of Blessedness, who can renounce the temptations and attractions of the worldly pleasure that drags the ordinary mortals into the abyss of worldliness, misery, unrest, and ignorance. They are the godly men among mortals, who entirely abnegating their own rights and even sacrificing their own lives, do good to others. They are the ideals of the society as well as of nations. They are considered as the leaders of mankind. And by the strength of self-renunciation they make the whole world bow down to them.

Absolute self-abnegation is the sign of greatness and self-mastery. Whosoever can renounce the attachment to the world and self-love in whatsoever degree he will show by his acts to that extent the strength, power and glory of the divine nature of his soul. If a man who does not believe in God and does not live a moral or virtuous life, can renounce everything for the good of others, and can sacrifice or even risk his life for some good cause. He is also honoured by his fellow men and also by men of the world.

In truth, self-abnegation is at the basis of all ethics, and is the foundation of all religions, the highest ideal of religion can be reached by that individual alone who has renounced everything; who has cut off all ties of worldliness (samsara) and who has denied the senses of I, me and mine, by harmonizing his individual will with the universal will. Have you not seen that an atheist, when he reads the great renunciation of Buddha, described by Sir Edwin Arnold in his Light of Asia, stands in awe and reverence for Buddha, and admires his greatness and spiritual strength? Think of the balance of an oriental monarch, with its splendours, luxuries, comforts, pleasures, enjoyments and amusements which formed the constant attendants of the Prince Siddhartha who was the heir to his father’s throne. Think of his most beautiful wife whose character was like that of the ideal wife and whose heart and soul were devoted to him. Having renounced such a faithful wife and a child and everything, Buddha went into the forest like a beggar with a begging bowl in his hand, and followed the path which ultimately led his restless and unhappy soul to the abode of Nirvana, the cessation of sorrow, suffering, attachment, and unhappiness. By following that path, Buddha attained to perfect realization of the unchangeable Truth and everlasting peace and also emancipation from the ties of worldliness and became the Saviour of mankind. He conquered all temptations personified as Mara, by the strength of his love for humanity. Buddha did not preach God, but his whole religion was founded upon the one idea of self-abengation and absolute renunciation of self-love and attachment to the world.

Buddha said:

“Cut out the love of self like an autumn lotus, with thy hand, cherish the root of peace”.

Because, from self-love comes grief and fear, and he who is free from self-love, knows neither grief nor fear.

Buddha taught:

“Follow the path of virtue and do not follow that of the world; the virtuous rests in bliss in this world and in the next”.

“Look upon the world as you would on a bubble; look upon it as you would on a mirage; the king of death does not see him who thus looks down upon the world”.

Again the same renunciation of self-love and attachment to the pleasures and comforts of the earthly life is the ideal of the worshippers of God. It was the keynote of the religion which was preached by Jesus the Christ. Jesus was a true lover of God. He himself renounced everything he had. He possessed nothing; he had neither family nor wife and children. He renounced his parents and brothers. He wandered from place to place, helping mankind by fulfilling their spiritual needs, as Buddha and his disciples did before the time of Jesus, and as the Sannyasins have been doing in India from ancient times. Buddha was a Karma Yogi, while Jesus was a Bhakti Yogin. A Karma Yogi renounced self-love for doing good to humanity for the love of humanity, while a bhakta who is a lover of God, sacrifices everything for the love of God. He denies the senses of I, me, mine, and holds those of thou, thee, thine instead, and crushing his individual selfish, will say from the very bottom of his soul: “Thy will be done, and not mine”. It is a fact that true bhakta’s renunciation comes through selfless love. Again in true love, there is neither I, nor me, nor mine. Wherever there is the expression of true love, there is to be found the effacement of the self as well as the denial of the love for petty self. The soul that is enchanted by the magic power of the Divine Love, forgets its own individuality, runs after the Beloved one, and eventually becomes one with him through divine communion. This has been beautifully expressed by the Sufi poet Jalaluddin. A lover knocked at the door of the beloved and the answer came who is there? The answer came from within “It is I, and in this house there is no room for thee and me”. The lover went away and spent a year in the forest in prayer, fast, etc. and returned and again knocked at the door of his friend. Now, as soon as he knocked at the door, the voice came: “Who is there?” At that time he said: “It is thou”. Then at once the door was opened. So self-renunciation is the sign of true love. Even in the ordinary life of the worldly people, wherever we see the expression of genuine love, there is also the manifestation of self-abnegation. When anyone falls in love with another, both the lover and the beloved are so attracted to each other that they sacrifice all other duties, all other ideas and all other pleasures upon that altar of love. A true lover unconsciously renounces his duties towards his parents, relatives, friends, and society for the time being. He finds no pleasure in eating and drinking and in performing the works of his daily life, when he is separated from his beloved. His whole heart and soul are absorbed in the beloved. He always looks inattentive, and whatever work he undertakes, he performs it automatically. Three-fourths of his mind goes after the beloved and with the, remaining one-fourth he sustains his life for the sake of serving his beloved. Where are his duties gone? Where are his pleasures gone? Then they have all disappeared. Do they please him any more? No. Then he forgets everything. Time and space do not exist in his relation. He thinks of nothing, speaks of nothing, and dreams of nothing, other than his beloved one. No duty can bind a true lover. No threat or command of relatives or friends can distract his attention from the object of love. Then he is free, i.e. he is free from all duties and wordly cares and anxieties. Then his mind is concentrated. His soul is peaceful and happy. The renunciation or sacrifice which we find in the character of a true lover, is true renunciation. He does not renounce or sacrifice anything by making any special effort, but his tremendous feeling of all engrossing love floods every comer of his heart, leaving no room for other feelings and ideas. The flood of true love swallows up all selfish desires; and, consequently, a true lover unconciously renounces everything. Therefore this kind of reunciation [renunciation] through love is sweet and pleasant. But the reunciation [renunciation] which requires special effort, is unpleasant, dry and desirable. If the object of such true love be God himself instead of an ordinary selfish mortal and if the same extreme feeling of love be directed towards God, what will be the result? It will be Divine Love. It will make the lover free from all bondage of duty and social or family relations. The soul of the lover will commune constantly with the beloved Lord of the universe, and, eventually, will become one with Him.

The same love, when directed towards man, becomes earthly, but when directed towards God, is divine. As for example, a river running down from a high mountain, flows rapidly with tremendous force and breaking down all barriers covers the valley with an active current of water. Suppose the river was running towards the west, where there is a great desert like Sahara, but being guided as it were by some unseen hand it suddenly changes its course and flowing towards the east falls into the ocean and becomes one with it. If it continued to run westward instead of falling into the ocean, it would have disappeared in the vast expanse of dry sand. Similarly when the stream of love flows in the heart with great force, it breaks down all the barriers of duties, pleasures, amusements, and selfish desires which it finds in its way, but if it flows towards an object of the world, which is dry like a desert, it will gradually disappear. If, on the other hand, its course be suddenly changed towards the eternal ocean of Divine Love, then there will be a happy union which will last till eternity. This breaking down of all barriers of duties, pleasures, and desires is meant by the word ‘renunciation’. It is an unfortunate word for the western minds, their tender hearts are easily frightened at the sound of renunciation. But if it is properly understood, it is not so fearful. Those who know what true love is, will understand how renunciation comes through love. It is nothing but the negative side and the positive side of the same feeling of love. Without renunciation there cannot be love, and without genuine love there cannot be true renunciation. He is not a true lover whose whole heart and soul are not centred upon the beloved. He is not a true lover whose whole energy and all actions of life are not directed towards the one object of love. The object of love must also be the one centre of attraction, where all the diverging rays of self-love must converge and upon which the scattered energy of the mind of the lover will be focussed. Then it is true love, otherwise it is a passion. When such madness of intense love manifests itself for the beloved one, do you know what become of the objects of love? Then they disappear. If we look at those minor objects, what shall we say: we shall say that the lover has forsaken or renounced all those things for his beloved. But if we look towards his beloved one, we shall say that he has extreme or intense love for that one object and his heart and soul are devoted to his one object of true love and such being the condition, we may say true love and renunciation go hand in hand; one cannot exist without the other.

In fact, they are like the two sides, obverse and reverse of a coin. If the beloved of such a true lover be transfigured into the supreme spirit, what will be the result. He will realize God and attain to perfect peace and happiness and become one with the divine Being. He will reach perfection, the prime goal of our earthly existence. Because God alone is the most proper object of our love. Our souls can find no rest and no peace, by loving anything outside of God. He alone can satisfy the craving of true love; he alone can fulfil the desires of our hearts. By coming in touch with him alone, our souls realize the supreme felicity.

It reminds me of the life of a great Hindu sage who flourished in India some five centuries ago. His name was Vilvamangala. His parents were high caste rich Hindus, and he was their only son. Vilvamangala inherited his parental property. He was the wealthiest man in the city. The city was situated on the bank of a river. On the other side of the river, there was a small village at a little distance. In that village lived a young girl of extra-ordinary beauty and of a marvellous character. She was not like an ordinary country girl. She was very intelligent, well-educated and extremely spiritual. Her charming appearance, fair complexion and sweet voice attracted the attention of one and all. Notwithstanding all these qualities she could study human character very quickly. Vilvamangala used to go to that village and, in course of time, he fell in love with her. At last their mutual love became so strong that Vilvamangala used to go to see her every day. Once on a time there was a grand ceremony in Vilvamangala’s house and several people were invited and sumptuously fed. He was so busy in receiving and entertaining his guests he could not find opportunity to get out of his house. But his mind became restless and impatient. He began to think of his beloved one, and pictured to himself in various ways what she was doing. At mid-night when he was about to retire, it suddenly came across his mind that his beloved one was thinking intensely of him and waiting for his arrival. No sooner this idea came into his imagination, a sudden impulse arose in him and he was determined to go to see her, he jumped up, and went out stealthily through the back door. As he came out, he found that it was pouring with heavy torrents of rain and the sky was covered with heavy cloud, for which the night was awefully [awfully] dark. There was no light in the streets except occasional flashes of lightning. Slowly he walked through the streets and went along the riverside with the help of those flashes. He looked for boats to cross the river and not a single boat was in the river. He was at a loss to decide what he should do. His whole attention was so engrossed with one idea of crossing the river that he could not think of returning home. He was determined to cross the river. He thought that his beloved one must have made certain arrangements for his crossing the river. As he was thinking thus, he discovered by the help of a sudden flash of lightening a log of wood which was floating near the shore. Immediately he jumped into the river and caught hold of it with great effort. Blind as he was with love, he thought that, that log of wood was sent by his beloved. Having crossed the river, he went to the village, and knocked at the gate of the garden house. She was fast asleep. Nobody opened the door. The garden or her house was protected on all sides by high strong walls. He wanted to climb up the wall, if he could get some support. As he was searching here and there for a support, he found a rope hanging down from the top of the wall. He thought that his beloved hanged that rope across the wall for him. So Vilvamangala got hold of that rope, and jumped over the wall. This sudden noise of his fall woke up the sleeping girl. As she woke up, she heard the voice of her lover. She lighted a candle, and oppened [opened] the door. Vilvamangala was so excited that he fainted at the sight of his beloved. She was frightened to see her lover in that state. But she could not stand near him on account of the putrid odour which was emitting from his body. After a while when he recovered from his faint, she asked how he crossed the river, and jumped over the high wall in that dead of night. Then he answered: “Why, you kept a log of wood for me on the other side of the river, with the help of that log I have crossed the river, and by the help of that rope which you kept hanging down across the wall, I have jumped over the wall”? She said: “I did not keep a log of wood in the river, neither did I hang any rope across the wall”. Then she told her maid-servant to look at the rope and also the log of wood. So the maid-servant went with a lantern to inspect, when she found it was not a rope, but the tail of big cobra. She was extremely horrified. The cobra was entering a hole near the top of the wall. It is a curious fact that when a snake has entered half way into a hole, if anybody pulls it by the tail, it will not come out easily. Then she went to the river to see the log of wood. She found it was not a log of wood, but it was a decomposed deadbody. She came back and told her mistress what she saw. When she came to know that it was not a rope, but the tail of a cobra and it was not a log of wood, but a putrefied corpse, she was stupified, and struck with amazement and horror. Then after a while she began to reprimand him severely on account of his adventure. She appreciated his extreme love for her. She thought that this kind of love is very rare in this world, but if he (Vilvamangala) could direct this intense love towards God, he would surely be a great Yogi. Thus thinking she said to him: “If you love God in this manner as you love me, you would have found God at this very moment. You have renounced everything for me. You are ready to sacrifice your life for me. But if you love me. please do one thing for my sake. A great Yogi lives near the outskirts of this village. He is my spiritual teacher. I go to him occasionally and follow his advice. Tomorrow you come with me to that Yogi and act according to his instructions”. Vilvamangala heard attentively everything, and then answered: “I can do anything for your sake. I shall do whatever you will tell me to do”. So next morning they went to the Yogi. The Yogi accepted him as his disciple, realizing the current of love that was flowing in his soul. He followed the teachings of the Yogi. At last following the instructions of the Yogi, Vilvamangala succeeded in realizing God through extreme love, and became a great Yogi. He obtained true happiness. Thousands came from different quarters to see him. The same love, when directed towards a worldly object, becomes mere human love which gradually disappears and ends in great sufferings, but when directed towards God, becomes divine and brings eternal peace. Eventually Vilvamangala succeeded in turning the course of the mighty stream of love that was flowing in his soul towards Krishna, the incarnation of love. His soul communed with Krishna, and, in a short time, he became the shining example of renunciation through love. As in ordinary worldly life renunciation and love go hand in hand, so also in religious life. If anybody loves any other body unconsciously, he renounces and sacrifices those things which prevents his progress.

Now, from this instance, we come to know that more we advance towards the north pole, the more the south pole remains behind. Similarly if we march on towards our highest idea, the lower ideals will fall behind, or, in other words, we will have to give up our lower ideals unconsciously. This natural renunciation or giving up our lower ideal, when we get higher ones, is the soul of our progress. So progress is impossible without renunciation. And it is the law of nature. If evolution means a progress from lower to higher, then the reaching to a higher stage is impossible without forsaking the lower one. Or you may put it in another form that when the lower one evolves and merges into higher one, the lower stage vanishes for ever. Childhood vanishes, when youth appears. Similarly lower duties, pleasures and ideals merge with higher duty, higher happiness and higher ideal. This is the highest renunciation. All of us are bound to renounce lower objects sooner or later. Those who have got hold of the higher ideal, will reach it sooner. But those whose ideal is lower, will remain in that low stage, until higher ideal comes. Therefore, analyze your thoughts, and see what is the highest ideal of your life. If it be worldly pleasure, go and enjoy, and if it be higher, try your best to find it in this life. Ignorant and deluded people think that worldly pleasure is the highest ideal of life and, consequently, they become frightened, when they hear of renunciation. If you want eternal bliss, march on towards the highest ideal, and renunciation will come by itself. Sri Krishna said to Arjuna: “Giving up all lower ideals, fix thy mind in me which is the highest goal, and concentrate all thoughts in me. Then thou shalt live undoubtedly in me both here and hereafter”.