SACRIFICE Versus RENUNCIATION— Our choice, what we want?

Sacrifice classically encompasses giving up something valued for a more significant cause or purpose, often with the wisdom of duty or commitment.

Renunciation, on the other hand, is a journey of self-discovery and personal evolution. It’s a voluntary act of letting go or abandoning something, often to pursue spiritual or personal growth. Unlike sacrifice, renunciation is not driven by a sense of obligation but by a desire for inner transformation.

Sacrifice is perceived as external, while Renunciation tends to be more internal or personal.

It is not very hard to sacrifice everything for someone—the challenge is to find someone who will respect your sacrifice.

An act accomplished for personal gains, needs, and self-gratification cannot be considered a sacrifice.

Every year, thousands of young boys undergo a strict physical examination to gain entry into the Armed Forces and Police. Do they all have the motive of serving the nation? Are they ready to sacrifice their lives at the border? NO. They look forward to dreaming of a life with opportunities, facilities, power, and position.

On the first day of medical school, the Professor attuned the first-year students to the fact that most of them had opted to be doctors not to serve humanity but to make a decent living. A sacrifice for the cause of personal gain.

Thousands of hard-core patriots sacrificed their lives during the freedom struggle in India. Their motive was selfless, driven by the desire for a better tomorrow for their fellowmen. Their acts of sacrifice inspire us and remind us of the power of selflessness.

“If you don’t sacrifice for what you want, what you want becomes a sacrifice.”

Do spouses sacrifice their lives, abilities and energy for each other in a marriage? – NO. It is an understanding of mutual giving and receiving. It’s a farce if someone claims to have sacrificed their golden years in marriage – If something was given, then a lot was received, too. How can it be a sacrifice?

A mother’s love is unexplainable and unfathomable. It is a relationship where nothing is concocted, pretended, or expected. It is a cause of deep devotion, sacrifice, and pain. It has no boundaries or constraints—it is enduring, as nothing can destroy it or take that love away. A mother will sacrifice everything for her children and can do so limitlessly.

Love becomes ‘true love’ when the lovers sacrifice everything in the relationship and expect mutual respect. There is no show-off or public display; love is understood and displayed in silent syllables. Love requires sacrificing one’s identity to become ONE with the partner, thus amalgamating every emotion and sentiment into one.

“There is a thin line between Sacrifice and Renunciation.”

Renunciation, on the other hand, is a profound journey of self-discovery and personal evolution. It arises from insight and perception, leading to self-abidance and eventually to ‘Moksha’. The transformative power of renunciation is enlightening and inspires us to explore our own potential for personal growth.

Gurus, Sadhus, and Saints have declared themselves to belong to God and have achieved renunciation. There is transcendence in renunciation; there is nothing you give up. The mind is supposed to be free of worldly and emotional burdens. If a person decides to give up everything and tries to renunciate — he will fail because no matter what you try to give up – it will rule your mind.

Renunciation doesn’t mean being enclosed in a cell or temple, wearing saffron, chanting mantras, giving away worldly affairs, residing in ‘Kutiyaas’ on rugged mountain peaks, or dipping in the freezingly cold Ganges water each morning.

There is no hullaballoo in Renunciation—it is a natural process of the mind that occurs imperceptibly without anyone noticing it. Renunciation is a feeling of self-awareness and release that may ensue even when one does a gentle deed to help someone or gives selfless charity.

Small actions in our day-to-day lives give a taste of renunciation—when a mother feeds her baby, when a baby sleeps on the bare chest of her father, when an aspiring student gets the news of cracking a problematic competition, when a person finds solace in the warm hug of his beloved, and when a doctor saves the life of his patient, etcetera.

When a person is overwhelmed by something way above and far beyond himself, Devotion seeps in, and the person achieves renunciation for that particular moment or lifetime. This universal experience of renunciation connects us all in a larger spiritual journey.

Someone has rightly said that we should never judge the lives of others by their deeds or misdeeds because each one has pain and suffering that only he understands—he is dealing with his miseries and trying to achieve renunciation.

“Let us sacrifice our today so that our children can have a better tomorrow.” A P J ABDUL KALAM.

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