Renunciation Through Wisdom

Renunciation Through Wisdom is a collection of essays originally written in Bengali and published by Srila Prabhupada in India during the 1940s. They were later translated into English by his disciples. In these essays Srila Prabhupada expands on themes found in the Bhagavad-gita, discussing such topics as why people are averse to God, the ultimate causes of suffering, and how the world’s troubles are extraordinarily fleeting when seen from the standpoint of eternity. Students of Srila Prabhupada will recognize the same common-sense writing style in Renunciation Through Wisdom as in his later, well-known works such as Srimad-Bhagavatam and Bhagavad-gita As It Is, as well as his expertise at distilling the essence of India's ancient Vedic wisdom into powerful, convincing, practical, and easily readable directives.

This is the second volume in the series of books published under the title ‘Self Empowering Wisdom –Through Deeper Interpretations of Mythologies, Sciences and Spiritual Texts.’ It contains 85 short articles on various spiritual and existential themes aimed at the elevation of human consciousness to a higher level. The purpose of this book is to collate the wisdom, which is increasingly revealing itself in our lives, as the consciousness of Homo Sapiens is being peeled open like the opening of a bud into a fragrant flower or the metamorphosis of the pupae into a lovely butterfly. This is an ongoing journey of human consciousness ascending through the wisdom of the ancients which was enclosed in mythological narrations, then through the deep insight of spiritual masters more explicitly expressed in sacred texts and now, in the present age, through scientific discoveries unravelling the cosmic dimension and the nature of our existence. The content of each article is to bring to light the interconnectivity so that the esoteric and mystical dimensions of mythologies and scriptures are made easy for grasping through current knowledge in the area of sciences, psychology and arts. I am sure that this book will be an empowering tool for all seekers as to the true purpose of our creation and the multiverse in which we live.

Reprint of the original, first published in 1871.

A study of how asceticism was promoted through Biblical interpretation, Reading Renunciation uses contemporary literary theory to unravel the writing strategies of the early Christian authors. Not a general discussion of early Christian teachings on celibacy and marriage, the book is a close examination, in the author's words, of how "the Fathers' axiology of abstinence informed their interpretation of Scriptural texts and incited the production of ascetic meaning." Elizabeth Clark begins with a survey of scholarship concerning early Christian asceticism that is designed to orient the nonspecialist. Section Two is organized around potentially troubling issues posed by Old Testament texts that demanded skillful handling by ascetically inclined Christian exegetes. The third section, "Reading Paul," focuses on the hermeneutical problems raised by I Corinthians 7, and the Deutero-Pauline and Pastoral Epistles. Elizabeth Clark's remarkable work will be of interest to scholars of late antiquity, religion, literary theory, and history.

For centuries, readers have turned to the Bhagavad Gita for inspiration and guidance as they chart their own spiritual paths. As profound and powerful as this classic text has been for generations of seekers, integrating its lessons into the ordinary patterns of our lives can ultimately seem beyond our reach. Now, in a fascinating series of reflections, anecdotes, stories, and exercises, Ram Dass gives us a unique and accessible road map for experiencing divinity in everyday life. In the engaging, conversational style that has made his teachings so popular for decades, Ram Dass traces our journey of consciousness as it is reflected in one of Hinduism’s most sacred texts. The Gita teaches a system of yogas, or “paths for coming to union with God.” In Paths to God, Ram Dass brings the heart of that system to light for a Western audience and translates the Gita’s principles into the manual for living the yoga of contemporary life. While being a guide to the wisdom of the Bhagavad Gita, Paths to God is also a template for expanding our definition of ourselves and allowing us to appreciate a new level of meaning in our lives.

Self realization is the key factor to transcend sorrow and sufferings. Sorrow and suffering are the products of mind which keeps weaving illusory and imaginary world at its own as it happens during the dream. Sorrow and sufferings are dissolved when one goes beyond mind through enriching consciousness, free of contents. Mind remains restless, disturbed and noisy when it is loaded with information and worldly knowledge. Non desiring and non wavering mind is required for total transformation to experience the joy and ecstasy of your divine nature. Living a self esteemed life empowers man with will, wisdom, self-confidence, inner power, purity, love, peace, joy, enthusiasm and compassion so that man strives without seeking and struggles without greed for a peaceful and harmonious living bringing order and discipline in the world, dissolving clash and conflict. This is the essence of ancient wisdom and an eternal thought which transformed man to go beyond human sorrows and sufferings. Transforming oneself is the greatest effort but most rewarding and paying. This wisdom has come to us from trustworthy and enlightened souls of the past. It had happened to them through total trust in their true being (divinity) which they experienced through testing it from within their own self and later tasted it by living life that way with total silence, joy and peace. You should also trust, test and taste.