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 Toyota
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 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.
Stephen Lau
Copyright©
by Stephen Lau
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