89. Have it to renounce it!🔗

There was once a merchant who used to sell puffed rice. He was a big miser. Once he was selling puffed rice during a temple festival in his village. Many bairagi sadhus and wandering mendicants came to the festival; many of them went to him for alms. He did not give even a handful of puffed rice to anyone and chased them all away. Even the temple priest asked him for a handful of puffed rice for the temple deity, but the miserly merchant was not ready to give him anything! Suddenly there was a strong wind. The puffed rice that the merchant was selling was lifted into the air and started getting scattered here and there. Now this guy couldn't do anything! So his great renunciation and devotion and spirituality was suddenly awakened, and he looked at the puffed rice (which was already scattered everywhere) and started chanting, 'Narayanaarpanamastu! Narayanaarpanamastu! I offer all this to Narayana, to the Lord!'

Renouncing because you don't have anything left to renounce is not renunciation! Renouncing because you don't have any other choice is not renunciation. You must first have to renounce. First have it, then you can offer it to the Lord!