Will this make us feel discouraged, depressed, or repressed? No, it will not. Why not? Because beyond renunciation there is still bodhicitta and emptiness. We may enjoy these things, but conceptually we must constantly remind ourselves: we cannot cling to them, nor should we create karma for their sake. For example, eating meat may feel pleasant. But if you reflect that this meat is the result of many beings’ suffering—and that we will eventually pay a heavy price for that suffering—gradually, you may stop eating it.
Does this mean we should all stop wearing nice clothes and deliberately wear shabby ones? If you are a monastic, that may be appropriate—monastics traditionally wear patchwork robes (paṃsukūla). But for us, such extremes are not necessary. We may wear nice things. However, at the very least, we should cultivate a sense of letting go of attachment to them. As we continue to reinforce this perspective, our attachment will gradually weaken. What once seemed as valuable as “sixty thousand dollars” becomes “three hundred dollars.” And then genuine renunciation naturally arises.
We must genuinely feel that things which now bring happiness may ultimately become causes of suffering. But this is absolutely not despair. Rather, it is a sence of release—a loosening from attachment. What does this “loosening” feel like? Suppose this villa is beautiful and comfortable, and I become attached to it. Then I begin to contemplate: even if it truly belongs to me, it will eventually age and decay. I will have to pay a great price to maintain it. I may use it—but I need not cling to it.
Gradually, you will begin to notice a transformation in your mental continuum (citta-saṃtāna): although you are still using it, you have already preemptively resolved the suffering that might arise when you lose it. When the day comes that it truly leaves you, you will think, “Oh, I already contemplated this long ago.” With sustained practice over time , eventually you will even be able to relinquish your body in the same way you relinquish the house. That is why we must contemplate in this manner and continue the practice over time.
We must remember: generating the attitude of “be ready to let go”is not born of despair. On the contrary, it is precisely to prevent future despair. If we do not train in this way when things truly leave us, we will certainly fall into despair. That is why so many people in the world choose suicide. And if a Buddhist also chooses suicide, at the very least it shows that even this foundational practice has not been cultivated well. A true practitioner seeking liberation can calmly face even the collapse of the heavens, thinking: “It was always destined to decay.”
—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.
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