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of the soul by exaggerating material wealth! We measure Mahavira's renunciation by the wealth of the empire he abandoned. If he had nothing, we would not be able to call him a renouncer. How can one be a renouncer, if he has nothing? That even a beggar can be a renunciate is impossible in our way of thinking.
Renunciation has nothing to do with how much one has renounced, but with the spirit of renunciation. Suppose A has one cent and that is his total wealth, while B has ten million dollars. A renounces his one cent, and B renounces five million dollars of his fortune. According to you, B is a bigger renouncer, because you think in terms of one cent and five million dollars. But no, those who know say that A is the real renouncer because he gave up everything he had whereas B has not really renounced at all; he renounced only half of what he had. But still we need that single cent for the purpose of our calculations about renunciation. If one who possesses nothing says he has renounced, we will not accept his statement. We will say, "You had nothing, so what have you renounced?"
Renunciation has no relation to what you had, it is an existential state of being. But how to measure that state? Money is our only standard measure, so renunciation is also measured by what one had. It is curious that we measure renunciation and indulgence in the same monetary terms. Money is our measure. Money is our only refuge! As long as money is our refuge, Rama cannot be our refuge. From what state of mind will arise: "Rama is the only refuge"? This only arises when the illusion of money disappears, when one discovers that money is worthless and that nothing is gained through gaining any amount of it.
Wealth is in conflict with Rama. It is a fight. Wealth is a device to avoid surrender. Wealth means, "I have the power myself, why should I surrender? Why should I go to anyone else's refuge, let people come to my refuge." Wealth is an arrangement for calling others to your refuge. This is why Jesus emphasizes so much that "those who are not poor cannot come to me."
Jesus says, "A camel may pass through the eye of a needle but the rich will not be able to
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