The Distinction Between Genuine and Counterfeit Renunciation of Worldly Existence

World-weariness towards worldly dharmas is divided into superficial conscious world-weariness and deep-seated world-weariness arising from the mental faculty. Superficial world-weariness is merely the conscious mind finding the world boring and meaningless, but it is only talk—talk is talk, action is action; it is not genuine. One will not take real action; greed remains as greedy as ever, and nothing changes. This is false world-weariness. However, when true world-weariness arises in the heart, it directly manifests in actions. One no longer seeks many ways to gain worldly benefits but instead tries to avoid worldly affairs and people, believing less is better than more. One no longer clings to the world. This is the deep-seated world-weariness arising from the mental faculty, a mind connected with liberation. Reaching this level is not easy; it is the wholesome root cultivated over many lifetimes. Beginners absolutely cannot possess such mental conduct.

How can one attain deep-seated world-weariness of the mental faculty? First, one needs to cultivate meditative concentration (dhyāna). Within meditative concentration, one contemplates the five aggregates as suffering, emptiness, impermanence, and non-self. Only after initially realizing impermanence, suffering, emptiness, and non-self can one still not give rise to world-weariness towards the worldly. One needs to continue contemplating deeply until after attaining the first dhyāna and eradicating the affliction of craving. Only then does world-weariness towards the worldly arise. One no longer wishes to drift aimlessly through life and death in the world, wasting time. One develops a mind seeking liberation and renunciation. Therefore, the mind of renunciation and world-weariness are inseparable from deep meditative concentration and wisdom. If one does not cultivate meditative concentration, there is only verbal world-weariness; in reality, one is very attached and craves deeply, not weary at all. Words contradict the heart; the heart and words are not aligned.