In our summer internship last week, we all shared reflections around this question: How would you define 'renunciation' and 'simplicity'? What is the relationship between the two?

I was reminded of a story my grandpa told me:

One time there was a Brahmin who had a disciple. For some reason the Brahmin had to leave town for some time and he told his disciple: "Remember what I have taught you - live simply and remember to do your duties." The disciple agreed and the Brahmin left.

Some time later the disciple went to go get his laundry and saw that it was full of holes. "Those pesky rats ate my clothes!" He thought. "Now what will I wear?"

Pondering the situation, he thought "if only I had a cat, it could catch the rats and I wouldn't have this problem." So he went and found a cat and brought it back to his house.

The next day he realized he could not get enough alms from begging to support himself and the cat - the milk was too expensive! "If only I had a cow," he thought. Somehow or another, he managed to procure a cow (I forgot this bit).

But to feed the cow he needed lots of grass! This process continued for some time.

A year later the Brahmin came back. He came to the same spot he had lived with his disciple and rubbed his eyes in shock. For there was a huge house and many servants running about!

The Brahmin went into the house and said "who is the master of this house? Where is the disciple of mine that used to live here?"

The master of the house came out to greet the Brahmin and upon seeing him the Brahmin said "disciple? Is that you?"

"Yes, my master." Please forgive me - for the rats I needed a cat, and for the cat I needed a cow, and for the cow I needed a household.

Simplicity - harder than it looks. Every solution is itself a problem.

I think simplicity is approaching every situation as it is. Without adding anything or subtracting anything from it. In the physical dimension, I think this means bringing into my life only what my life asks for, without adding anything extra or leaving out anything necessary. This logic also also applies to my mind - seeing a situation as it is without adding any perception I can't have or leaving out any in information which is right in front of me.

As for renunciation, I think that's the quality of being able to follow my interests and true wants while letting go of the outcomes.