What is renunciation? It is a state of mind that combines two aspirations: first, a strong longing to break free from samsara, and second, a sincere desire to attain liberation. Put simply, it is the resolve: “I must practice! I must attain liberation!” Practice and liberation become the absolute priorities in one’s life, while all other concerns take a secondary place. This is what it means to arouse genuine renunciation.
Renunciation is not the attitude held by some modern people who think, “ I will just push off my practice until retirement,” or, “After I have fallen in love, earned enough money, and fulfilled my worldly ambitions, I will spare some free time for spiritual practice.” That is not renunciation; it is merely treating the Dharma as a form of consumption. For such a person to attain accomplishment would be as impossible as a black crow turning white. The fundamental mindset required for the path is lacking.
Why is it that pith instructions often seem ineffective for most people, even after they have received them? Because they lack the most basic renunciation.
Among Chinese Mahāyāna lay practitioners, the spirit of renunciation is often particularly weak. The reason is that they fail to recognize both the suffering inherent in samsara and the sublime beauty of liberation. Some have not engaged sufficiently in study and contemplation, nor have they accumulated enough life experience to develop a deep sense of suffering. Others have suffered excessively—for example, those afflicted with cancer may endure tremendous pain, yet no longer possess the physical or mental capacity for practice. Still others are advanced in age; they can no longer read, engage in study and contemplation, or sustain meditation, and even concentrating the mind becomes difficult. Such situations are equally problematic.
Young people face a different challenge: they often have no inclination toward practice at all. In youth, the blood circulates vigorously, the heart beats strongly, and the muscles are filled with all kinds of hormones. The mind is naturally drawn toward worldly desires and ambitions, making it difficult to settle down and practice. Under such circumstances, genuine renunciation is hard to generate.
Yet renunciation remains the foundation of all spiritual practice and, ultimately, of liberation itself.
—Excerpted and compiled from The Relationship Between Buddhist Theory and Practice
This article is a preliminary translation draft and has not yet been reviewed or proofread by the speaker.
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