Maybe renunciation does not sound so exciting to us. Maybe we would prefer to sneak around without engaging renunciation, and just be hit on the head with some wild, immediate experience of realization.
While it’s quite natural to think this way, this attitude – that there is something wonderful to be lost if we renounce – is actually rooted in a misunderstanding that brings us a lot of pain. We really believe that there is some kind of outer excitement, experience, treasure – some kind of outer wealth that we should turn to for security. So it is crucial to approach renunciation with the strength we can develop from considering His Holiness the 17th Gyalwa Karmapa Trinley Thaye Dorje’s teachings on inner wealth.
We generally do not want to renounce because we mistakenly believe that when we start to work on this inside job, it will not be as brilliant and colorful as our current dualistic, conditioned existence.
Nothing could be further from the truth.