The ascetic with the matted locks, the man with the shaven head, he who has
pulled out his hair, the man of the kaashaya robe, they have eyes but fail to see. All
these are disguises to cheat the world and fill the belly.
Renouncing is not a matter of external
show. It is a victory that has to be won in the mind. But what is it that we see in the
world? We see the shaven head or the long matted hair and such other outward signs. If the
desires burning in the heart are not quenched, these external forms mean nothing. The show
of renunciation is quite often a means to fill the belly. 'Why this vain show? Give it
up', says Sri Sankara. |
