Conversations
Renunciation Is a Specific Tradition, Not a Synonym for Spiritual Seriousness
Religious terms carry histories that should not be flattened into metaphors. Sannyāsa, within Hindu traditions, refers to renunciation as a religious way of life oriented toward liberation. Its forms and interpretations differ across traditions.
That specificity matters when comparing it with a modern practice. Finding one approach useful does not show that another path has been completed, replaced, or made obsolete.
Spiritual seriousness also takes more than one form. Practice can be located in renunciation, household life, work, service, relationship, or disciplined action.
The useful question is what a particular path asks someone to relinquish, retain, cultivate, or take responsibility for. Each deserves to be understood on its own terms.