People think that a person who is walking on a spiritual path or the one who has found his liberation should not possess wealth. But sannyasa and jnana are not about not possessing anything; it is about non-attachment towards one’s possessions, one’s knowledge, one’s experiences, fruits of one’s actions and one’s self concept or the personal story. Non-attachment doesn’t mean non-involvement. In fact, it is easy to involve when you are not attached.
Non-attachment is beautiful because it frees you from worry and fear. One can live in this world just like everyone else but not touched by it in any way. This has been compared to how water never sticks to the lotus leaf even though it is always inside water.
Ramakrishna Paramahamsa used another metaphor. A boat can be in the water but the water should not be in the boat; or else it will drown. The same way, you can be in this worldly life but not let the worldly things enter your mind as the objects of attachment.
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