Vairagya – How to develop?

Those who do not develop the painless Vairagya inherent in one's self and that with great felicity and happiness are, at best, but vermin in human shape. When a bee finds that its feet are stuck in the honey, it slowly licks its feet several times and then flies away with joy. Even so, extricate yourself from the mind's sticking and clinging to this body and children-honey owing to Likes and Attraction through Vairagya (Dispassion) and meditation and fly away from this cage of flesh and bone to the Source, Brahman or Absolute.

It is very difficult to wean some children. They suck the breast even when they are three or four years old. The mother applies some neem-paste to the nipples. The child is weaned quickly. Even so, you will have to get a medicine of neem-paste for the mind to get it weaned from sensual objects. Sit in a solitary room. Think of the miseries of this earthly life, its cares, worries, anxieties, hunger, thirst, sins, temptations, passion, fighting, fears, vanity, disease, death, old age, sorrow, grief, tribulation, loss, failures, disappointments, hostility, scorpion stings, mosquito bites, etc. This will serve as an efficient neem-paste to wean the mind from birth death cycle. You must think in the above-manner daily.

Remember constantly the pains of various kinds pertaining to this mundane existence. Insight into the pain and evil of birth, old age and sickness.. Always make the mind understand clearly that there is only pain in this world. Reflect often on the instability of this world. This is the first practice for aspirants. They can thus develop Vairagya. The mind will be weaned from objects. Attraction for sense-objects will gradually vanish.

Renunciation brings liberation

Shun the earthly objects as fire or poison. Renounce all desires and cravings. This itself is Liberation (true freedom). Renunciation of desires brings about the annihilation of the mind. Annihilation of the mind brings on the destruction of Maya (Delusion), because the mind alone is Maya. Maya is enthroned in the imagination of the mind. How cunning she is! A Viveki (person with power of discrimination) knows her tricks well. She is awfully afraid of the man of renunciation and Soul Inquiry. She bows to him with folded hands.

What is true renunciation?

The mind is the all-in-all and its mastery leads to the renunciation of all. Giving up mind alone constitutes the renunciation of all. True renunciation lies in the abnegation of the mind. It consists in renouncing all desires and egoism and not world-existence. Through such a mental abnegation, you will be able to free yourself from all pain. Then will come immortality in life or enjoyment of the infinite delight of existence free from ego, founded on oneness of all in Supreme Soul or Brahman.

Reference

Mind – Its Mysteries and Control by Sri Swami Sivananda