If it were merely a matter of walking away from the troubled world into a monastery or hermitage or retreat to escape the difficulties of material existence, then that would be easy.
However it's a lot harder than that.
After all, what is the use of turning away from the material existence to a path of renunciation, when one may still harbor the taste for material sense gratification?
Then a life lived in retreat would not be sustainable and the desires in the heart my remain and linger, only to resurface at a later time.
The harder path is the one where we stay the course, so to speak. Where we act throughout our allotment of time in years here in this human body.
After all, while we're still in this body we may be immersed in the world of illusion and distress, however we also have the opportunity of this rare valuable human form of life to really make a perfection of our existence, or at least help as many others around us on the way as we can while we're about it.
After all, everyone is suffering the slings and arrows of this material energy - and their own minds - what to speak of others around them imposing difficulties of some sort.
While still in this material world we have the chance to use our skills in uplifting the consciousness of those around us by empowering them to also fulfill their best, namely to attain liberation at the end of this lifetime without the need to return.
This is the real treasure that can be shared amongst all the struggling souls just like ourselves in this material world. Real redunciation is not merely retiring from the material world to a hermitage, but rather it is to know to whom all this material energy belongs. And to know how to engage it in the service of its original owner.
By knowing that all energy is coming from a source greater than ourselves, we realize that we are merely stewards for a higher cause as we take our brief life span here for a while.
And knowing how to remain detached while allowing the energy to be channeled, not for our egoes but for a higher purpose, we can in this way engage with the material energy while still being detached from a desire to be the owner of that material energy (or to steal Sita away from Rama).
By channeling the energy in service for a cause higher than the ego, one can ultimately become untouched by fear or greed.
Nowadays it is easy to live a life far from the city in a quiet natural surrounding, while at the same time being connected via the internet to the Global Village.
Thus, from any remote isolated hermitage, one can still engage with the world and with the material energy in such a way that can be of service to humanity and to the timeless masters.
Bhagavad Gita ch3:4
न कर्मणामनारम्भान्नैष्कर्म्य पुरुषोऽश्नुते ।
न च सन्न्यसनादेव सिद्धिं समधिगच्छति ॥ ४
na karmaṇām anārambhān
naiṣkarmyaṁ puruṣo 'śnute
na ca sannyasanād eva
siddhiṁ samadhigacchati
SYNONYMS
na—without; karmaṇām—of the prescribed duties; anārambhāt—non-performance; naiṣkarmyam—freedom from reaction; puruṣah—man; aśnute—achieve; na—nor; ca—also; sannyasanāt—by renunciation; eva—simply; siddhim—success; samadhigacchati—attain.
TRANSLATION
Not by merely abstaining from work can one achieve freedom from reaction, nor by renunciation alone can one attain perfection.
PURPORT
The renounced order of life can be accepted upon being purified by the discharge of the prescribed form of duties which are laid down just to purify the heart of materialistic men. Without purification, one cannot attain success by abruptly adopting the fourth order of life (sannyāsa). According to the empirical philosophers, simply by adopting sannyāsa, or retiring from fruitive activities, one at once becomes as good as Nārāyaṇa. But Lord Kṛṣṇa does not approve this principle. Without purification of heart, sannyāsa is simply a disturbance to the social order. On the other hand, if someone takes to the transcendental service of the Lord, even without discharging his prescribed duties, whatever he may be able to advance in the cause is accepted by the Lord (buddhi-yoga). Svalpam apy asya dharmasya trāyate mahato bhayāt. Even a slight performance of such a principle enables one to overcome great difficulties.
Reference: Bhagavad Gita As It Is,translation and commentary by Swami A. C. Bhaktivedanta, original MacMillan 1972 edition
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