Renunciation is not about running away from our responsibilities to take care of our families, to respect our elders, or to share love and kindness with the less fortunate. Instead, renunciation is a positive attitude that takes our spiritual commitments seriously from the depths of our hearts. The practice of renunciation is not separate from the activities of our daily life but is an attitude we can bring to them. Rather than being controlled by the contrasting feelings of liking and disliking, a person who renounces the world removes a wall that separates themselves from others. A person who practices renunciation has equal love and respect for their own families and those who might oppose them. Renunciation is a total commitment to the goal of liberation so that even in life-threatening situations, one will not undertake any act of non-virtue in the search for short-term gain. Therefore, renunciation is not about going around naked, fasting, or sleeping on the floor. Instead, renunciation is exemplified by the many monks and nuns, and laymen and laywomen practitioners who do not let their negative emotions rule their lives.

-- Zurmang Gharwang Rinpoche

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