detaching from the good
a seed of thought entered my mind as i walked to school this morning (the pouring rain is immensely thought-provoking): it is hard enough to get one to detach from one's woes, true. when hard times befall us, we know we must focus hard on detaching, on gaining perspective, on distancing ourselves from want. but really, it is much harder to detach from positive stimuli - from sources of excitement, of emotional highs. perhaps the process itself is an equivalent one, but to first realize that we must put ourselves through that process is a harder leap to make, is it not? in thinking about detachment, it is important to think about negative and positive stimuli on equal footing. as kipling says in his phenomenally inspiring "if":
If you can meet with triumph and disaster
And treat those two imposters just the same;
....
4 comments:
This reminds me of something I read in the Bhagavad Gita: "Having made yourself alike in pain and pleasure, profit and loss, victory and defeat, engage in this great battle and you will be freed from sin." Chpt. 2:38
And, indeed, it is so much harder to detach from the positive stimuli!
there's also a meditation in TNH's "The Blooming Lotus" (book on guided meditation exercises) about looking deeply and letting go (exercise 14) that guides us through letting go of our attachments to attractive bodies, sex, possessions, car, home, material security, wealth, fame, greed...
e.g.,
Contemplating the attractive body of a man, I breathe in.
Seeing the impermanent nature of that body, I breathe out.
...
Contemplating running after possessions, I breathe in.
Seeing the impermanent nature of possessions, I breathe out.
gosh, that's amazing bb! thank you so much for sharing... i will look for this when i go to the buddhist studies store today.
I just reread a quote from The Hidden Words this morning that reminded me of this post.
O Son of Man!
Should prosperity befall thee, rejoice not, and should abasement come upon then, grieve not, for both shall pass away and be no more.
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