> “What the development of true renunciation implies is that we no longer rely on sensory pleasures
for our ultimate happiness; we see the futility of expecting deep satisfaction from such limited,
transitory phenomena. It is important to understand this point clearly.
Renunciation is not the same as giving up pleasure or denying ourselves happiness. It
means giving up our unreal expectations about ordinary pleasures. These expectations
themselves are what turn pleasure into pain. It cannot be said too often that there is
nothing wrong with pleasure. It is our grasping, exaggerating, distorting, and polluting
attitude toward pleasure that must be abandoned.”
