Renunciation, as practiced at Ananda Monasteries, is mostly an inner practice which focuses on what we give, rather than what we give up. Ultimately, “Renunciation means nothing less than the gift to God of oneself.”
From Affirmations for Self-Healing,
by Swami Kriyananda
Renunciation means turning one’s back on non-essentials, that we may give our whole attention to the Lord. We might think of renunciation as an investment, which initially may seem a loss, but in time becomes multiplied to many times its original worth. The least gift that we give to God will return to us, in divine blessings, a thousandfold. Renunciation means nothing less than the gift to God of oneself.
Renunciation is of the heart. It isn’t what you wear, or the outward rules you follow. When you renounce all for God, you hold that renunciation as a precious secret between you and Him. All your desires, all your ambitions, then, are for Him alone.
Affirmation
I spurn the tempting magic of this world, with its rainbow bubbles, ever ready to burst. See where I fly: high above the tall mountains. I am free! I am free!
Prayer
Lord, help me to see that in no outward experience will I ever find fulfillment. All that my heart has ever sought awaits me in Thee.
