35. Renunciation

Whatsoever a man has renounced,
from the sorrow born of that he has freed himself.

The greatest gladness in the world comes after renunciation.
Let men desiring that rapture  renounce early in life.

The five senses must be subdued,
and every desire simultaneously surrendered.

The ascetic's austerity permits not a single possession,
for possessions draw him back into delusion.

What are life's petty attachments to the man who seeks severance
from future births, when even his body is a burden?

One who slays the conceit that clamors "I" and "mine"
will reach a realm above the celestials' world.

If one clings to his attachments, refusing to let go,
sorrows will not let go their grip on him.

Those who perfectly renounce attain the highest peak;
the rest remain ensnared in delusion's net.

Birth ceases when all attachments are severed;
until then, one only sees life's impermanence.

Attach yourself to Him who is free from all attachments.
Bind yourself to that bond so all other bonds may be broken.