Buddha talk about that we must let go of all our attachments like, happiness, sadness, greed, jealosy, wanting and so on.
What is your thought of the importance of letting go of everything?
Attachments in human life.
Re: Attachments in human life.
It's a gradual process of letting go, a gradual training. You let go, first, of gross afflictions, unethical behavior, wrong views, and addiction to sensual pleasures. Then you work on the subtle levels of suffering. But in the beginning you need desire to practice the Noble Eightfold Path and to enjoy the happiness that comes from right concentration. Then, after you've rooted out all the defilements and fetters, you let go completely.
It's like climbing a ladder. You let go of the lower rungs but hold onto the higher ones, upwards until you reach the top and then you don't need the ladder anymore.
It's like climbing a ladder. You let go of the lower rungs but hold onto the higher ones, upwards until you reach the top and then you don't need the ladder anymore.
"Just as a large banyan tree, on level ground where four roads meet, is a haven for the birds all around, even so a lay person of conviction is a haven for many people: monks, nuns, male lay followers, & female lay followers." —AN 5.38
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Re: Attachments in human life.
If you take that to the extreme, you might even let go of your clothes, like the Digambara Jain monks do.
Middle Way is best.
"Monks, these two extremes ought not to be practiced by one who has gone forth from the household life. (What are the two?) There is addiction to indulgence of sense-pleasures, which is low, coarse, the way of ordinary people, unworthy, and unprofitable; and there is addiction to self-mortification, which is painful, unworthy, and unprofitable.
"Avoiding both these extremes, the Tathagata (The Perfect One) has realized the Middle Path; . . .
SN 56.11
Re: Attachments in human life.
Releasing attachment is necessary because the path goes in the opposite direction to the current of samsara; every attachment that is let go of means more energy available to the path and the practitioner begins to feel the results as the path is a dynamic which becomes activated. But experience of true release can only come gradually due to the magnitude of the task, and it is a matter of transference of feelings from sensuality to those ‘not of the flesh’:
“Even though a disciple of the noble ones has clearly seen as it has come to be with right discernment that sensuality is of much stress, much despair, & greater drawbacks, still—if he has not attained a rapture & pleasure apart from sensuality, apart from unskillful qualities, or something more peaceful than that—he can be tempted by sensuality. But when he has clearly seen as it has come to be with right discernment that sensuality is of much stress, much despair, & greater drawbacks, and he has attained a rapture & pleasure apart from sensuality, apart from unskillful qualities, or something more peaceful than that, he cannot be tempted by sensuality.” — MN 14
“Even though a disciple of the noble ones has clearly seen as it has come to be with right discernment that sensuality is of much stress, much despair, & greater drawbacks, still—if he has not attained a rapture & pleasure apart from sensuality, apart from unskillful qualities, or something more peaceful than that—he can be tempted by sensuality. But when he has clearly seen as it has come to be with right discernment that sensuality is of much stress, much despair, & greater drawbacks, and he has attained a rapture & pleasure apart from sensuality, apart from unskillful qualities, or something more peaceful than that, he cannot be tempted by sensuality.” — MN 14
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Re: Attachments in human life.
Letting go is difficult at a glance. But budda darma shows us the way to do it gradually. Arya ashtanga marga ( noble eight fold path ) is this only way. It includes all pre requisites to build letting go with dana ( by giving) sila ( by developing virtue) and bhavana ( by developing mindfulness) .
Re: Attachments in human life.
It is important because when a person dies, they have no choice but to let go of everything. If there is still attachment, they will be reborn again.
For example, people are born with physical form and mind. In the beginning these things are born, in the middle they change and in the end they are extinguished. This is ordinary; this is their nature. We can not do much to alter these facts. We train our minds as we can and when the time comes we have to let go of it all.
—Ajahn Chah
Re: Attachments in human life.
Gotta be real careful not to flip over into aversion.
ye dhammā hetuppabhavā tesaṁ hetuṁ tathāgato āha,
tesaṃca yo nirodho - evaṁvādī mahāsamaṇo.
Of those phenomena which arise from causes:
Those causes have been taught by the Tathāgata,
And their cessation too - thus proclaims the Great Ascetic.
tesaṃca yo nirodho - evaṁvādī mahāsamaṇo.
Of those phenomena which arise from causes:
Those causes have been taught by the Tathāgata,
And their cessation too - thus proclaims the Great Ascetic.