5. Renunciation

Q5. Do we have to renounce everything in order to realize God?

A5. "Renunciation" is the most misunderstood concept in the Vedic Spiritual philosophy.

Short Answer: No.

Renounce "Action" : No
Renounce (ignore) the "Goal" : No
Renounce the "Fruit" of Action : Yes

Long Answer:

A. "Action" is given great importance. Krishna asked Arjun to act on the battlefield - and not be timid, not be dejected, not give up. And not only Action - but "active" action. Contrary to popular belief, Gandhiji's nonviolence movement (Satyagraha) was NOT a passive action, but a very active action indeed. It required an iron will and great courage. It was a super active action of the "mind" (not "body").

B. Action without knowing what we want to achieve (Goal) is not productive. It does not yield results. Hence, keeping the Goal in mind is paramount, so one can take not only "active" action, but also the "right" action.

C. But, once the Action is on its way - one should not worry about what "fruit" it yields. One should detach oneself from the results. Hence, it does not make one grieve if fruits are not to one's liking, or one is not too exhilarated if fruits are wonderful. (Evenness of Mind).

This is one of the attributes of "Sthitapragna" - as described in Gita Chapter II.

Now we know what Gandhiji meant when he summed up Gita in 3 words : Renounce and Enjoy!