Renunciates

Renunciates are individuals who have chosen to renounce ordinary social life and material possessions in pursuit of spiritual aims. They typically withdraw from family, wealth, and public roles, adopting ascetic disciplines and seeking enlightenment, salvation, or closeness to the divine. The term is used across several religious traditions—most notably Hinduism, Jainism, and Buddhism—as well as in secular or contemporary renunciant communities.

Etymology and scope: The word renunciate derives from Latin renunciare, meaning to renounce. In religious contexts, renunciation is usually formalized through vows or initiation. Renunciants may live as forest-dwelling hermits, wander as mendicants, or reside in monasteries or ashrams, depending on tradition and personal vocation.

Practices: Common features include vows of celibacy, non-violence, propertylessness or detachment from possessions, and reliance on alms. They typically engage in meditation or prayer, scriptural study, and austerities. Clothing is often simple and symbolic of renunciation, such as saffron robes in some Hindu and Buddhist communities.

By tradition: In Hinduism, renunciation is associated with the Sannyasa stage of life, with sannyasis and sannyasinis pursuing spiritual goals beyond household life. In Jainism, renunciants (monks and nuns) undertake diksha and follow strict vows balancing non-violence and other ethical disciplines. In Buddhism, renunciants are bhikkhus and bhikkhunis who ordain to live according to the Vinaya and the Monastic code.

Modern context: Today, renunciates may belong to formal monastic orders, institute forest monasteries, or practice itinerant renunciation. Views on renunciation vary by culture and tradition, but the path is generally understood as a deliberate departure from conventional life to pursue spiritual aims, discipline, and detachment.