Action and renunciation

Renunciation has been misunderstood as giving up the good things of life to adopt a life of deprivation and misery. Hence, people shun spirituality and do not benefit from the power of renunciation. Renunciation is not giving up things you enjoy. It is moving up to far more fulfilling avenues. Action and renunciation go together. They are not mutually exclusive.

Renunciation is growth. When a caterpillar transforms into a butterfly, its erstwhile life of darkness and limitation vanishes. Similarly, you experience freedom, joy and cheer, and live a life of effortless excellence with renunciation.

Sri Ramakrishna spoke of 4 types of fish that a fisherman encounters. The wise fish never gets caught. It sees the net coming and swims away. The second gets trapped but manages to break free. The third is ensnared but struggles to get out of the net. The fourth, oblivious to the life-threatening situation, bites the net and feels all is well! The Gita speaks of 4 types of people - the bhogi, yogi, sanyasi and jnani.


The jnani is ever free, never bound by the world. The sanyasi understands the danger of worldly entanglement and manages to steer clear. The yogi is bound but endeavours to escape. The bhogi is blissfully ignorant of the risks of worldly involvement and is content with instant pleasures that his life affords.