THE EPICUREAN’S CHARGE

[Ms Tercy Lonan]

THE EPICUREAN’S CHARGE
The epicureans would always protest that the doctrine of renunciation is mainly responsible
for the degeneracy of the nation, that such a doctrine of renunciation has always brought about
deplorable weakness and inefficiency in the race which we see everywhere today. Is there any truth
in this serious charge?
On the contrary, it is attachment and indulgence that is the real cause of all degeneracy and
weakness. Indulgence in earthly objects creates attachment and makes man thoroughly selfish.
However active such aman may be, and however busily he might engage himself in the work of the
world, it becomes merely selfish alone. The average selfish individual cares a pin for the betterment
of anyone save himself. His strength and his work is to no purpose for anyone’s benefit.
The ideal of renunciation and detachment is the one factor that has kept intact the virility of
Bharatavarsha as a nation and race. Take any period in history and you will find that it is the greatest
personalities who have risen above all selfishness and ruthlessly renounced all petty attachments
that have achieved the greatest good of the country and turned the course of history. Lacking in the
spirit of renunciation people have turned selfish. You see the baneful results of this selfishness
everywhere in the form of greed, cruelty, corruption, cut-throat competition, jealousy, enmity and
on a large scale, warfare.
Renunciation broadens the vision and annihilates egoism. It is a higher sense of duty in a
spirit of selflessness with a knowledge that the Lord is ultimately the natural heir to all the fruits of
actions and sacrifices. Whereas, in the absence of renunciation, the vision of the individual is
obscured by the cloud of self-seeking and self-interest. There is no courage of conviction. The
selfish individual lacks moral courage. When the call to a noble act of self-denial or sacrifice
comes, the man imbued with the spirit of renunciation boldly responds to it. Whereas, where there is
no spirit of renunciation, the individual wavers and steps back with the suspicion of his self-interest

and the welfare of his family getting affected. Such attachment to selfish circles makes him
backboneless. That is indeed the basic ill.
It is due to the gross misunderstanding and antagonism to our spiritual heritage that a period
of sloth and degeneracy has come over us. No doubt, a great part of this unfortunate spiritual
stalemate is due to the prejudiced, unsound and selfish interpretations of our scriptures by a class of
Pundits who thrived on the innocent faith and religious fervour of our countrymen. But surely it
cannot be denied that the modern, westernised man is equally responsible for this degeneracy due to
his utter ignorance of his heritage due to his blunt, shallow and clouded vision to seek the right in a
conglomeration of opposite currents, due to his apish antagonism and his vainglorious worship of
alien ideals. There can be no real service, no real social work, no real philanthropy, no real
patriotism, no real national growth, without the true spirit of renunciation. Renunciation is strength
Supreme. Hence it is the central ideal of our race.