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Renunciation
What do you think of when you think of
the word “renunciation?” Do you think of
giving up things you like and enjoy? Do you
think of self-denial? I believe that is most
persons’ reaction to the concept of renunciation.
For most people the idea of renunciation
is a negative concept and something
they would rather avoid.
Yet Buddhism has a long history of renunciation,
after all the Buddha lived as an
ascetic for six long years during his spiritual
search. Moreover, in today’s world Buddhist
monastics are considered renunciates.
While renunciation often has the implication
of giving up, it also involves keeping.
We keep precepts; we commit ourselves to
attaining enlightenment. We preserve key
aspects of the precious monastic tradition
that has played a major role in passing the
Buddha’s teachings from one generation
to the next for over 2,500 years. However,
monastics are expected to give up quite a
few things. They take a vow of poverty, of
chastity, and obedience. So does that mean if
you practice renunciation it is an all or nothing
proposition?
I don’t think so. I see renunciation not as a
static thing – but rather as a continuum that
stretches from one extreme to the other. For
lay people, such as us, I don’t believe that
renunciation means having to give up all material
possessions or give up our happiness,
but rather to give up suffering and its causes
and to cultivate genuine satisfaction and joy.
Renunciation is really about finding lasting
happiness.
Sometimes I hear people say, “You are
Buddhist so what are doing with a computer?
What are doing living in a nice house?”
Sometimes I think they have us confused
with the Amish! I think the confusion comes
from the fact that we do acknowledge that
happiness is not found in material things. But
does that mean we must reject all material
things completely? I don’t think so. Because,
I don’t believe having nice things is the problem,
but rather it is our relationship to them
meditations
By Chuck Stanford, Lama Changchup Kunchok Dorje
The founder of the Rime Center, Lama Chuck Stanford was ordained in 1998 as
Lama Changchup Kunchok Dorje. Lama Chuck writes a monthly column on
Buddhism for the faith section of the Kansas City Star and is the Buddhist
member of the Kansas City Interfaith Council. In addition he is a
volunteer chaplain at Lansing Correctional Facility and regularly
visits Buddhist inmate groups at five area prisons.
“Renunciation is really about finding
lasting happiness.”
that is the problem. If we falsely believe that
genuine happiness can be found in material
possessions, then we are going to experience
suffering, as the Buddha taught. As
laypeople all we have to give up is suffering
and its causes.
Yet so many times we won’t let go of our
gasping, our clinging. It reminds me of the
special way they used to catch wild monkeys
in South India. Actually they let the monkeys
catch themselves. What they do is cut
a small hole in a coconut, just large enough
for a monkey to put its hand in. Next, you fix
the coconut to a tree, and fill it with a sweet.
The monkey smells the sweet, squeezes its
hand into the coconut, grabs the sweet and
he finds that his fist does not fit back through
the hole. Now the trick is, the last thing
the monkey will think of is to let go of the
sweet; and it holds itself prisoner. Even as
men approach to capture the monkey and
it screams in terror – it refuses to let go of
the sweet. All of this is due to the monkey’s
refusal to give up the thing of its desire. This
is an extreme example of how clinging and
grasping results in suffering.
But don’t we do a similar thing with our
own ego clinging? Don’t we often cling to
it so tightly that we refuse to let go of it?
Thorough spiritual practice we can learn to
give up ego clinging and the afflictive emotions.
We can learn to practice the virtues of
loving-kindness, generosity and patience.
So, it is really up to us. Are we going to
renounce the things that keep us stuck in suffering?
Or, like the monkey, are we going to
grasp and cling to the things that continue to
cause us suffering? The choice is completely
up to us. Through spiritual practice we can
begin to let go of clinging and grasping. One
liberated person can reach so many others, so
clearly the path to peace is dependent upon
the inner transformation of each of us.
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Joining a Rime Committee is an excellent way
to contribute to the sangha and to become
more involved with the Rime Center. If you
are interested in becoming involved and
serving on a committee, please contact the
following chairs or come to a meeting:
Facilities Committee
Meets upstairs: 9:30am 4th Sunday of the month
Chris McCready buckethat@hotmail.com
Programming Committee
Meets: 9:30am 2nd Sunday of the month
Marisa Stanley risastanley@gmail.com
Gift Shop Committee
Meets: 9:30am 3rd Sunday of the month
Chaplain Mary Stanford
marystanford2000@yahoo.com
Finance Committee
Meets: 12:15pm 2nd Sunday of the month
Bill Golden, treasurer mochefbill@sbcglobal.net
Membership Committee
Meets: 9:30am 1st Sunday of the month
Chris Mikel chrispmikel@gmail.com
and Melanie Mikel melaniemikel@gmail.com
Dharma Sunday School Committee
Meets: 9:30am 4th Sunday of the month
Anne Holmes stoneholmes@gmail.com
Library Committee
Meets: 9:30am 1st Sunday of the month, in library
Andy Chapman deftrocket@gmail.com
Prison Outreach
Chuck Stanford lama108@aol.com
Rime Board Officers
Chuck Stanford, executive director
Gabriele Otto, board chair
Mary Stanford, vice chair
Bill Golden, treasurer
Teri Brody, secretary
Board Members
Bernie Evans, Matt Rice, Marisa Stanley,
Toni Wills
Special Thanks
To Paul Kotz and Tangent Press for donating all
of the printing for our newsletter.
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Permission
Articles may be reprinted or reproduced with
permission. Please contact Lama Chuck Stanford.
Financial Aid Available
Workshops and classes, as with all Dharma teachings,
are available to everyone regardless of ability
to pay. Discounts, a limited number of scholarships
and work/study programs are available to those in
need. However, scholarship forms must be submitted
one week prior to the start of the teachings for
review by our scholarship committee. Call the Rime
Center at 816-471-7073 for details.
2 The Rime Jewel Newsletter — © 2009 Rime Buddhist Center Spring 2009