Friday, January 9, 2009

Ramana Maharshi on real purport of sannyasa (renunciation)



Question : What is the real purport of sannyasa (renunciation)?
Ramana Maharshi : Sannyasa is only the renunciation of the ‘I-thought’,and not the rejection of the external objects. He who has renounced (the ‘I-thought’) thus, remains the same whether he is alone or in the midst of the extensive samsara (empirical world).

Just as when the mind is concentrated on some object, it does not observe other things even though they may be proximate, so also, although the sage may perform any number of empirical acts, in reality he performs nothing, because he makes the mind rest in the Self without letting the ‘I-thought’ arise. Even as in a dream one appears to fall head downwards, while in reality one is unmoving, so also the ignorant person, i.e., the person for whom the ‘I-thought’ has not ceased, although he remains alone in constant meditation, is in fact one who performs all empirical actions.

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