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Detachment is the second valuable virtue that Vidya imparts. Empty a pot of the water that filled it; the sky that one could see within the pot as image or shadow also gets lost along with the water. But the genuine sky enters the pot. So too, when that which is not-Atma is discarded, the Atma remains and liberation is attained. But what has to be discarded is not objective impediment, the renunciation has to be subjective. Many people interpret thyaga (renunciation) to mean either giving away as charity money and land or performing Yajna or Yaga or other ceremonies, named sacrifices or giving up hearth and home, wife and children and proceeding to the forest. But thyaga does not mean such gestures of weak-mindedness. These are not as difficult as they are supposed to be. If so minded, one can go through these acts easily and give up what the acts prescribe. The real renunciation is the giving up of desire. This is the real of a person's existence, the purpose of all his efforts. The giving up of desire involves the giving up of lust, anger, greed, hatred etc. The fundamental renunciation should be that of desire. The other feelings and emotions are its attendant reactions. We say "Kodanda Pani" (He who has in his hand the Kodanda bow); but the word implies that he has in his hand the arrow also. The bow implies the arrow too. In the same manner, desire implies the presence of lust, anger, greed etc. These latter are veritable gateways to Hell. Envy is the bolt thereof, pride is the key. Unlock and lift the bolt - you can go in. Anger will pollute the wisdom earned by man. Unbridled desire will foul
all his actions; greed will destroy his devotion and dedication. Desire,
Anger and Greed will undermine the Karma, Jnana and Bhakthi of man and
make him a boor. But the root cause of anger is Kama and Kama is the consequence
of Ajnana (ignorance). So, what has to be got rid of is this basic ignorance. |