If we are too rigid in our resolve and our commitment to renunciation and determination, the energy starts building up, and we tend to break. W e want to look at what's going on with making these resolutions. But if we're too rigid, it's not going to work. So opportunities like this retreat and places like this monastery are not merely committed to renunciation. T he principle of devotion is a different quality altogether.
Devotion is a manifestation of the heart that's trusting.
When we live with a heart of trust, we can feel the devotional spirit. That's a very different feeling from the spirit of renunciation, which is much more assertive. It's like the resilience of an organism, the natural intelligence of a tree or plant. The fibre of the honeysuckle is tough and woody, not very pretty, but without the fragrance it wouldn't be honeysuckle. So the fragrance of the holy life or the fragrance of our spiritual life is like the devotional aspect.