Shunning or Renouncing the World

by Venerable Sheng Yen

Usually beginners in Buddhism must have a sense of weariness and renunciation in order to appreciate the importance and need to practice Buddhadharma. They are weary of vexations and pains coming from contradictions and frictions  within their own mind and body, as well from their relations with people and the environment. However, if they can transform their mind, they would no longer be weary of feelings associated with these phenomena, and when there’s nothing  to be weary about, they would have nothing to renounce. Therefore, having a sense of weariness and renunciation is their first step in studying and practising Buddhism; it is to recognise suffering and wanting to renounce or transcend it.

Generally, people think that wearying of relationships and wanting to renounce them and the world means negating the value and meaning of human beings. Actually it is just the opposite, as one who is world-weary would want to elevate  the meaning and value of being human. It is like a tradesman who leaves home to earn money to support his family, or a child who leaves home to pursue an education, gain the knowledge and skills to embark on a career, to have a family,  and to benefit self and others. Therefore, the weariness and renunciation associated with Buddhism is the first step onto the path of studying Buddhism, but it is not the ultimate goal. 

Wanting to shun the world is different from renouncing  it. A person who shuns the world does not want to fulfil their obligations and face the reality of life; they would prefer to run away from their debts, and be far away from their living environment. People like this are like escaped prisoners, as  their minds are full of fear, uneasiness, and insecurity; they will always be burdened with the stress of having no place in this world. This is completely different from renouncing the world of vexations by studying and practising the correct  Buddhadharma. If one wearies of one’s vexations and renounces them, one can then gradually depart from these vexations. The more one departs from vexations, the more one feels liberated and at ease; the more one is at ease, the more  vexations will lighten. Eventually, one will attain complete liberation, and when one has attained liberation, there would not be any issue of weariness or renunciation. 

One does not solve their problems by shunning them. Shunning indicates  one is aware of their sufferings but is afraid to face them; instead, they choose to run away from them. On the other hand, having a sense of weariness and renunciation means that one knows about one’s sufferings and seeks to alleviate them, thus practising Buddhadharma to be free from them. Instead of shunning problems, one tries to work through them. Shunning problems not only ignores the law of cause and effect, it is also not condoned in Buddhadharma.  To have a sense of weariness and renunciation does not necessarily imply leaving this world; rather, the important thing is for it to lead one to cultivate a thorough understanding of worldly phenomena through the guiding principles of  Buddhadharma and its methods of practice. 

Nagarjuna’s Root Verses on The Middle Way (Sanskrit Mulamadhyamakakarika) says: “Whatever is produced by causes and conditions, I say they are empty.” In the beginning, one has a sense  of weariness and renunciation; in the end, one realises that all phenomena are empty and illusory. As such, one will no longer have vexations or attachments, and thus no longer needs to be weary of and to renounce anything. However, just  having an intellectual understanding of this will not necessarily enable one to transcend suffering. Therefore, one may temporarily leave the secular environment and focus on practising and observing the three learnings of precepts,  samadhi, and wisdom. That way, it would be easier to reach the goal of transcending suffering. 

Therefore, people with the most superior karmic capacity can attain sudden enlightenment once they come into contact with the Dharma;  afterwards as a monastic or lay practitioner, they may continue to help others in this secular world. People of average karmic capacity would find it most effective to leave the secular world and be a monastic. However, being a monastic is a  very challenging thing, not achievable except by the bravest. First of all, most people do not have a sense of weariness and renunciation; and second, while some people do have a sense of weariness and renunciation, they are not able to  actually attain renunciation.