One Sanyasi, a very great Gaudiya Vaishnava was telling me, “That real opulence is renunciation. That is the highest opulence for a devotee.” He said “when you see a King with a crown and you see a Sanyasi with a danda, which is more opulent? The Sanyasi. This is real opulence. This is real beauty in the eyes of one who is transcendental in vision.” So, of course this does not necessarily mean that we should all become Sanyasis. But we have to have our standards properly focused in life. We have to know that Bhakti, love is the real standard of success and material sense gratification is the standard of degradation. Whether you are a King living in the wealthiest conditions like Maharajas Yudhistir, Maharaj Priyavrata, Maharaj Rishabhadev, they were glorious Kings but they were not attached. They were attached to God. They were accepting those facilities only in their service to the Lord. You don't have to give away these things. But we have to give away our worldly attachment for sense gratification knowing that it is the most stumbling block and obstacle for our advancement in devotional service.
