Renunciation

One of the most important lessons Yoga teaches us is that we must learn to let go of any attachment to the outcome of our actions. If we act with full focus and integrity, and if we act with care and compassion in our hearts, we need not take pride or suffer disappointment from the results. We can still learn from our mistakes, but we need not rely on the outcome to be at peace, to keep our equanimity.

Perhaps the most powerful way we can learn to embrace this practice is from our own experience—the joy we derive from giving ourselves whole-heartedly in service to someone or some higher purpose. Many people who work in service of others find tremendous fulfillment in the act of serving, giving, or even praying for others.
-Swami Ramananda

2019-03-16T11:13:03-07:00March 16th, 2019|

Storage -Mary Oliver

When I moved from one house to another
there were many things I had no room for.
What does one do?
I rented a storage space. And filled it. Years passed.
Occasionally I went there and looked in,
but nothing happened, not a single
twinge of the heart.
As I grew older the things I cared
about grew fewer, but were more
important. So one day I undid the lock
and called the trash man. He took everything.
I felt like the little donkey when
his burden is finally lifted.
Things! Burn them, burn them!
Make a beautiful fire!
More room in your heart for love,
for the trees! For the birds who own
nothing — the reason they can fly.

2019-03-13T08:22:19-07:00March 13th, 2019|

Renunciation

“When God wants to help you in every way possible, God cuts off everything that would bind you, everything that you are attached to……You should be super happy if you don’t get everything you want, but it’s a hard truth to swallow.
Doesn’t the bible say that? A camel could go through the eye of a needle before God could enter into the heart of a rich man. What do you mean by rich man? So many entanglements, so many attachments, so much accumulation. Even if God wants to get in, there’s no room.”
-Sri Swami Satchidananda, excerpted from “The Golden Present”

2019-03-10T11:36:38-07:00March 10th, 2019|

Another Contemplation on Renunciation

Renunciation is not a negation of possessions and a withdrawal from worldly pursuits.  It is the conscious choice to create a healthy relationship to those things — one in which we are free to enjoy the world without depending on things or events to bring happiness.  We are free to enjoy life fully when we are content within ourselves instead of anxiously looking for something to make us feel good.

2019-03-06T16:18:56-08:00March 6th, 2019|
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