Running Head: REFLECTIVE PAPER: RENUNCIATION
Reflective Paper: Renunciation
Ken McDonald
PSYB 214 A
March 2, 2008
Reflective Paper: Renunciation
Pema Chodron begins her essay on renunciation in this way: "Renunciation does not have to be regarded as negative. I was taught that it has to do with letting go of holding back. What one is renouncing is closing down and shutting off from life. You could say that renunciation is the same thing as opening to the teachings of the present moment" (Chodron,1991, p. 51). As I see it there are two actions that work hand in hand in renunciation, one is the mental and spiritual act of abandoning firm and hard concepts or ideas of life, and the other is the opening up to new ideas, new feelings and new teachings. So, there is a conscious awareness of leaving or closing and welcoming or opening.
When I contemplate closing or shutting the door of hardness and stubbornness, I can't help but think of the cocoon. Living in the......
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Approximate Word Count: 700
Approximate Pages: 3 (260 words per double-spaced page) |