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THE PATH OF RENUNCIATION A man of the world died and his soul winged its way to heaven; a hermit died and his soul went down to purgatory.
Even the eyes of the gods were misty with tears at this apparent injustice: Someone, curious to know the reason for this, asked a sage for an explanation.
The wise man said, “The man of the world, though he lived in the midst of materialistic surroundings, sought the company of those who had renounced the world, whereas the hermit, though he had apparently adopted the life of renunciation, was longing at heart to be with the worldly. Thus, at heart, the man of the world was a hermit, while the hermit was a man of the world. Only the path of heartfelt renunciation leads to heaven.”:
