ATTACHMENTS IN LIFE
We all have
attachments in life. Letting go is the readiness and willingness to let go of
all attachments in life. The following are some of the most common attachments:
Attachment
to the ego-self
Attachment to
the ego-self is the most difficult to let go of, given that conventional wisdom
focuses so much on “self,” such as the emphasis on the importance of
“self-esteem,” that we become not only “self-conscious” but also
“self-centered.”
Attachment
to material things
The mind identifies
with material possessions to create the ego-self. Many of us identify ourselves
with a certain social status when we belong to a certain social group or drive
a certain luxury car.
Thinking
questions
Why am I
driving a Mercedes?
Is it really
better than a
Attachment
to time
Many of us
think that time is precious, and wish that we had more than 24 hours a day. We
no longer have the time to appreciate the beauty of nature, because we have
become overwhelmed by our daily problems and the time needed to solve them.
Indeed, many of us are forever time-stressed.
Attachment to
time means the reluctance to live in the present moment. Unfortunately, the
present moment is the only reality in life, and the only moment during which
one can objectively validate past thoughts and future projections that
continuously filter through the subconscious mind, enticing it to form
identities—which become the components of the ego-self.
According to
the wisdom of the TAO, attachments are the sources of human pain and suffering.
“Fame or self: Which matters more?
Self or wealth: Which is more precious?
Gain or loss: Which is more painful?
He who is attached to things will suffer
much.
He who saves will suffer heavy loss.
A contented man is never disappointed.
He who knows when to stop does not find
himself in trouble.
He will stay forever safe.”
(Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching,
Chapter 44)
Attachments to
the material world are the sources of human miseries and unhappiness, because
they seldom become realities and they generate only desire and control that
ultimately create a vicious circle of miseries and unhappiness.
FREEDOM with BONDAGE shows you how you can have your "freedom" and not your "bondage" to live according to your needs and not your wants, which often become your attachments.
Stephen
Lau
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