Gita 18.07 Renunciation done in illusion can’t take us out of illusion

Transcript

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thank you Bhagavad Gita 18.7 And the conception underlying renunciation.
Renunciation is meant to bring us out of illusion. But renunciation done in illusion can’t bring us out of illusion. How does renunciation bring us out of illusion? Illusion means we think that this world is an enjoyable place and there are many enjoyable objects in the world.
Once we get those objects then we will be able to enjoy life. This notion is an illusion. Of course, there are some objects which can give some pleasure.
There are some relationships which can give us some fulfillment. But beyond it the common underlying fact is that this world is a place of distress. And to the extent we recognize this to that extent we can focus on growing spiritually by gaining proper self-understanding.
Understanding that we are souls who do not belong to this world. We are innately pleasure-seeking whereas the world is innately distress-giving. How is the world innately distress-giving? Because everything is temporary.
So, even if there are some things which give pleasure even if we get to those things still eventually we will lose them. And thus we will end up with distress. So this fundamental mismatch or contradiction between our being innately pleasure-seeking and the world being innately distress-giving.
This can be reconciled only when we understand that we don’t belong to the world. That the world is material whereas we ourselves are spiritual and we belong to a spiritual arena of reality. And to get to that spiritual arena we need to systematically practice spirituality.
We need to slowly and steadily practice a process of spiritual growth which will take our consciousness from its present level of material entanglement to a more enlightened and refined level of spiritual elevation. This redirection can’t happen if we simply out of frustration with material things give them up. Renunciation is meant for fostering, furthering spiritual growth, spiritual realization.
The essence of renunciation therefore is not just giving up the material but is of living in the spiritual, not just letting go of the material. For most people letting go of the material is what they consider as renunciation. In the next verse Krishna will say of naiva tyaga phalam labhed that if one gives up the material simply because this is so troublesome, let me just give it up.
Then it won’t lead to spiritual elevation because spiritual elevation requires that we become determinately redirected in our consciousness from matter to spirit. And this requires a process to be followed. The process of yoga the Gita overuses various processes of yoga and it culminates with the recommendation of bhakti yoga.
Arjuna, I’ll speak to you the most confidential knowledge now. So when Krishna speaks thus his purpose is to guide and elevate us by providing us a process. Without a process the redirection that is the purpose of renunciation doesn’t happen.
And then if one gives up that very process say for example doing our duties responsibly as a part of karma yoga is a process. And if we do karma yoga diligently then Krishna, especially if we do the karma yoga in a mode of service to Krishna then Krishna takes the karma and he gives us the yoga. He takes the entangle, karmic consequences and because he is infinite the consequences don’t affect him.
And the yoga, we get the connection, we become connected with him more and more. So of course there are processes for renunciation. Gyan yoga, prashtang yoga require us to renounce the world and go to say a secluded place to go to a forest and go to a secluded place and sit and meditate.
Krishna talks about this in the sixth chapter, six, eleven, twelve. But even there the thrust is on following the process not just on renouncing the world. The whole sixth chapter describes elaborately the process of yoga sadhana by which one can come to the level of becoming absorbed in the Lord.
yomam pashyati sarvatra sarvam chinoi pashyati 6.30 in the Gita. So for most people and especially for Arjuna the way to spiritual elevation was through responsible engagement with detachment in his prescribed duties. And if one simply gives up those prescribed duties it is not appropriate.
It is unfitting for a person to give up their worldly responsibilities and to stay in illusion. And to think that that will take them out of illusion. By this they stay in illusion.
Because they are not understanding what exactly is the cause of illusion and what exactly is the way out of illusion. So renunciation itself is not the way out of illusion. Renunciation in terms of giving up worldly duties can be one path to the redirection of consciousness.
But if without understanding the purpose of redirection if one engages in renunciation one renounces, then that renunciation is done in illusion and only increases illusion. It doesn’t lead to freedom from illusion. That’s why Krishna considers such renunciation in the mode of ignorance.