The Tension Between "Renunciation" and "Life in the World" Within Hinduism
             In the Hindu tradition the world is considered an illusion, or at least not representing the true nature of ultimate reality. Desire (kama) is the cause of the creation of the world. The One was bored and divided himself in to the many; the unmanifest became manifest. "In the beginning this world was just a single body (atman) shaped like a man...He found no pleasure at all; so one finds no pleasure when one is alone. He wanted to have a companion...So he split (pat) his body into two, giving rise to husband (pati) and wife (patni)...He copulated with her, and from their union human beings were born (Upanishads, p.13-14)." Perhaps the One was not separated. The entire world is an illusion caused by desire. The world is an unknown, created in order to know the self. You are suppose to learn from this world but you are suppose to identify with Brahman, identification with Parusha rather than Prakti.
             Renunciation in the Hindu tradition results from this premise that this world is an illusion. The world is viewed as something that must be given up in order to know the true nature of ultimate reality. Through renunciation one can escape the endless cycle of death and rebirth, which is seen as the human predicament. Followers of renunciation believe that all life is suffering and that knowledge of Brahman is the way out of this cycle. This is achieved by renunciation of the world by the suppression of desires.
             The opposing view to renunciation is life in the world. This view also believes that the world is an illusion but believes that the illusion is a gift of the gods. The world is not inherently bad, or misleading. It is not seen as simply covering your true nature, but that it allows you to discover it. The world is maintained by a healthy desire for life in it. The manifest world is an amazing gift that a...