What we actually have is merely the concept of renunciation—what may be called conceptual renunciation. If we stay too long at the level of concepts without giving rise to genuine renunciation, then gradually the thought that studying Buddhism is useless will arise.
What does it mean to “feel that studying Buddhism is useless”? It means that a person knows many concepts, yet still experiences great suffering; Studying Buddhism seems to have done nothing to counteract their afflictions. The truth is, although you may have studied, the teachings, these principles have not yet been actualized or fully saturated with your mental continuum.
Many of us who study Buddhism are still filled with sorrow, pain, and anxiety. If you look deep into yourself, down to the very bone, you will find that most of it comes down to a lack of renunciation. Many blame their Guru for not giving pith instructions or methods, but in truth the Guru has already given everything. All the pith instructions and methods are full laid out in Luminous Wisdom, in The Words of My Perfect Teacher, and in A Guide to the Bodhisattva Way of Life. They are all there.
We must take these concepts and teachings, contemplating and habituating to them over and over again, habituating ourselves to them repeatedly. Only then can genuine, non-conceptual renunciation be accomplished. When genuine renunciation finally arises, the aspiration for liberation will become the dominant force within your mental continuum, and everything else will pale in comparison.
In fact, we can observe ourselves. Suppose I lose 300 yuan. If that is the only loss, I will feel really troubled and distressed: “Oh no—300 yuan! I accidentally lost it today.” But if suddenly someone tells you, “You had a wallet，with 6,000 yuan inside, and it’s gone!” then those 300 yuan instantly become a trivial matter. Immediately, you start obsessing over the 6,000 yuan: “Forget the 300 yuan—just don’t lose 6,000 yuan”
This is because 6,000 yuan is far greater than 300 yuan, and your mind clings much more strongly to the 6,000 yuan. When our aspiration for liberation is so great that liberation itself becomes the “6,000”, then all the other worries becomes merely the “300” and we naturally let them go. But that’s not the case right now. Right now, all kinds of aspirations and attachments in our daily lives are the 6,000, while liberation is only 300. When the 6,000 appears, the 300 is naturally abandoned. Observe yourself, isn’t this exactly how we are? In fact, very often, this is precisely the case.
—Excerpted and adapted from Conceptual Renunciation and Genuine Renunciation
This article is a preliminary translation draft and has not yet been reviewed or proofread by the speaker.
