benefits of renunciation..

Discussion of ordination, the Vinaya and monastic life. How and where to ordain? Bhikkhuni ordination etc.
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jungblood
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benefits of renunciation..

Post by jungblood »

hello all!

I'm a lay practitioner, but one of the things that really attracted me the Theravada school is its more explicit focus on renunciation... the antithesis of the futile consumerism I practised for many years... these last months I've been working on simplifying my life; letting go of many of the burdensome possessions that were so important to me before... I'd really like to pose a question to those of my fellow travellers here on the forum who have gone 'all the way' and renounced worldly matters and (most of) their possessions to pursue the monastic life. I have two questions:

* What have been the benefits of breaking these attachments, both to possessions and to other sense cravings?
* What were the hardest things to let go of for you?

Thanks friends... I look forward to hearing about your experience...

Many bows,
Lucas :anjali:
'Renunciation' http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/auth ... bl036.html
'Trading candy for gold': http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/auth ... candy.html

'The more we really know the Dhamma, the more we can let go. Those who know a little can let go of a little; those who know a lot can let go of a lot.' - Ajaan Lee
Chi
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Re: benefits of renunciation..

Post by Chi »

Hi Jungblood.

It's wonderful to hear you are simplifying your life and letting go. It's so freeing.

Giving up possessions makes us light. Less thoughts in the mind about I, me, and mine. Possessions are easy to give up. But sense desire is totally another story.

Sweets and passion/pornography have been very hard for me. Even after spending significant time in retreat, the mind just doesn't know what to do without these things. It's quite sad at times, because I've seen the consequences of these things on the mind and body, but it's so deeply conditioned.

Being in retreat, in silence and solitude, is the best way to sever attachment to sense pleasures, in my opinion.

Be Happy!
Chi
Do Good, Avoid Evil, Purify the Mind.
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melancholy
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Re: benefits of renunciation..

Post by melancholy »

jungblood wrote: ...
* What have been the benefits of breaking these attachments, both to possessions and to other sense cravings?
* What were the hardest things to let go of for you?
...
* free like a bird... light like a feather. less dhukka in all possible ways due to need no effort to search and gather them, then protect or maintain them. more happiness less burning.

* cricket :) and then my father.
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Mkoll
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Re: benefits of renunciation..

Post by Mkoll »

I'm no monastic but here are two cents from my own experience.

The benefit is: less stress. The more you have, the more you have to worrry about. The more you have to worry about, the more you have worrying thoughts about what you have. The more you have worrying thoughts about what you have, the more stress you experience. And please note, that "the more you have" is not just material things but mental things that you take as me, mine, myself. The simile of the fire-stick is clear: one must relinquish sensuality in both body and mind to attain Awakening.
"Then these three similes — spontaneous, never before heard — appeared to me. Suppose there were a wet, sappy piece of timber lying in the water, and a man were to come along with an upper fire-stick, thinking, 'I'll light a fire. I'll produce heat.' Now what do you think? Would he be able to light a fire and produce heat by rubbing the upper fire-stick in the wet, sappy timber lying in the water?"

"No, Master Gotama. Why is that? Because the timber is wet & sappy, and besides it is lying in the water. Eventually the man would reap only his share of weariness & disappointment."

"So it is with any brahman or contemplative who does not live withdrawn from sensuality in body & mind, and whose desire, infatuation, urge, thirst, & fever for sensuality is not relinquished & stilled within him: Whether or not he feels painful, racking, piercing feelings due to his striving [for Awakening], he is incapable of knowledge, vision, & unexcelled self-awakening. This was the first simile — spontaneous, never before heard — that appeared to me.

"Then a second simile — spontaneous, never before heard — appeared to me. Suppose there were a wet, sappy piece of timber lying on land far from water, and a man were to come along with an upper fire-stick, thinking, 'I'll light a fire. I'll produce heat.' Now what do you think? Would he be able to light a fire and produce heat by rubbing the upper fire-stick in the wet, sappy timber lying on land far from water?"

"No, Master Gotama. Why is that? Because the timber is wet & sappy, even though it is lying on land far from water. Eventually the man would reap only his share of weariness & disappointment."

"So it is with any brahman or contemplative who lives withdrawn from sensuality in body only, but whose desire, infatuation, urge, thirst, & fever for sensuality is not relinquished & stilled within him: Whether or not he feels painful, racking, piercing feelings due to his striving, he is incapable of knowledge, vision, & unexcelled self-awakening. This was the second simile — spontaneous, never before heard — that appeared to me.

"Then a third simile — spontaneous, never before heard — appeared to me. Suppose there were a dry, sapless piece of timber lying on land far from water, and a man were to come along with an upper fire-stick, thinking, 'I'll light a fire. I'll produce heat.' Now what do you think? Would he be able to light a fire and produce heat by rubbing the upper fire-stick in the dry, sapless timber lying on land?"

"Yes, Master Gotama. Why is that? Because the timber is dry & sapless, and besides it is lying on land far from water."

"So it is with any brahman or contemplative who lives withdrawn from sensuality in body & mind, and whose desire, infatuation, urge, thirst, & fever for sensuality is relinquished & stilled within him: Whether or not he feels painful, racking, piercing feelings due to his striving, he is capable of knowledge, vision, & unexcelled self-awakening. This was the third simile — spontaneous, never before heard — that appeared to me.
-MN 36
Namo tassa bhagavato arahato samma sambuddhassa
Namo tassa bhagavato arahato samma sambuddhassa
Namo tassa bhagavato arahato samma sambuddhassa
mahat
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Re: benefits of renunciation..

Post by mahat »

jungblood wrote:hello all!

I'm a lay practitioner, but one of the things that really attracted me the Theravada school is its more explicit focus on renunciation... the antithesis of the futile consumerism I practised for many years... these last months I've been working on simplifying my life; letting go of many of the burdensome possessions that were so important to me before... I'd really like to pose a question to those of my fellow travellers here on the forum who have gone 'all the way' and renounced worldly matters and (most of) their possessions to pursue the monastic life. I have two questions:

* What have been the benefits of breaking these attachments, both to possessions and to other sense cravings?
* What were the hardest things to let go of for you?

Thanks friends... I look forward to hearing about your experience...

Many bows,
Lucas :anjali:
Wonderful! I have experienced many benefits of breaking these attachments - excellent health, more energy, the ability to sit in meditation…calm my mind when things are going crazy.

It's our way of exerting control over ourselves. No one can take that away from us.
SarathW
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Re: benefits of renunciation..

Post by SarathW »

Your question
* What were the hardest things to let go of for you?
My answer.
The thought "I,me and myself"
or understanding anatta and eliminate ignorance.
:)
“As the lamp consumes oil, the path realises Nibbana”
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