You people think that renunciation is much easier than materialism, that hating and giving up materialism comes more easily than love, liking, and attachment to it. But this is not so. Renunciation is most difficult, to such an extent that only those prepared to risk and lose their very lives may dare venture upon it. To quote a line in Persian:
Ke ishq asan nomud avval vali aftad moshketha
That is, “Love at first seemed easy, but as time went on, innumerable difficulties arose.”
But even after everything external has been renounced, desires and ambitions have still to be given up. But if one does not succeed in achieving internal renunciation, external renunciation brings advantage nonetheless. External renunciation is good, even if desires arise in the course of it.
But to succeed in internal renunciation, satsang—the company of and residence with a sage—offers the best expedient and remedy. Doubtless they do well who, remaining in the world, observe and practice renunciation; but the case is quite different for those who renounce and then live in the company of a sage after renunciation.
– “Meher Baba’s Tiffin lectures”, p250
21-September-1926; Meherabad