很有趣的是，东方和西方的灵性修习中，伟大的弃绝者经常去山洞中做祈祷和崇拜。这是精神世界的简单与弃绝——这里面的简单是绝对的自然，是神给予的自然。没有必要为了住处去付房租和工作。实际上，古老的经典说，“山中有那么多山洞（可以住），那么努力去建的房子有什么用呢？你有两只手臂可以枕在头上，枕头有什么用呢？有那么多的树皮可以穿，为什么还要为各种衣服去挣扎？”
It's interesting how in both Eastern and Western spirituality great renounced persons would often perform their prayer and worship in the caves of the mountains. It is in the spirit of simplicity and renunciation-- simplicity in that it's completely natural, it is provided by God Himself. There is no need to pay any rent or to work for accommodation. In fact, the ancient scriptures say, "What is the use of so much effort to build houses when there are so many caves in the mountains? What is the use of pillows when you have two arms to put your head on? Why struggle for all kinds of clothes when there's bark of trees you could wear?"
如果我们在积累物质财富和资产上找寻幸福，那这就是一个欲望与沮丧的循环，无休无止。我们让自己的生活过得越简单，就越自然地变得有神意识。这个想法是，当生活变得非常外在，努力去获取世俗之物时，它会分散我们追求灵性的注意力。
If we look for happiness in accumulating material wealth or property, then it's an endless cycle of aspiration and frustration. The more we make our life simple, the more it becomes natural to be God conscious. The idea is, when life becomes very extraneous with efforts for obtaining mundane things, it distracts our attention away from our spiritual pursuits.
所以，当伟大的圣贤来到这些山洞中，将自己与激情和愚昧形态分隔开，使自己远离贪婪的激情世界。这种状况下，会让他们全心全意地祈祷、唱诵主的圣名，研习经典。
So, when great saints and sages would come to these caves, it would be to disassociate themselves from the modes of passion and ignorance, to detach themselves from the passionate world of greed and lust, and in that situation to be able to completely put their full attention into prayer and the chanting of the Holy Names and the study of scriptures.