Shundo David Haye – Zen Priest

‘We usually move through life using our reptilian brains, which rely on quick thinking and impulsivity. Our reptilian brains exist in the primal world of habit. A habit gets formed at some point in our lives, and the tendency is that we continue with that habit forevermore. The longer you live, the more habits you have. Most of our habits arise out of one of the three poisons—greed, hatred, and delusion—which means they are continuously leading us into suffering. 

Renunciation acts as an interference to this habitual way of living. It creates a gap, so we can see the presence of choice. This choice, which exists in every moment, is the difference between suffering and nonsuffering. The more we see choice as a real option, the more we can choose nonsuffering over suffering. Renunciation is how we see the existence of choice; it’s what gives us the time to choose nonsuffering.

When I first came into the practice, I created a ceremony for myself to become a Buddhist. I didn’t have a sangha; it was just me and my intention to be a good Buddhist. As part of my ceremony, I vowed to do the least amount of harm possible, to be as kind as I could, and to live with restraint.

At the time, I thought doing the least amount of harm and being kind would be the most difficult things for me to do, mostly because I was very self-centered, arrogant, and overly reactive. It turned out, though, that the vow to live with restraint made the other two vows much easier to live. Ultimately, renunciation is about renouncing the ego, the small self. While renunciation can be about renouncing worldly pleasures, I equated “living with restraint” to not always getting my way.’ (from Lion’s Roar)