non attachment

i read this very interesting book titled "How to develop happiness in daily living".

it's a compilation of a few write ups by different people who practices buddhism. i don't subscribe to a particular religion. but i do believe there is a creator. "the beginning" is probably just one event involving the same people. and the different religions are, maybe, interpretation by men, of that same event, or maybe of different phases of the event. thereby, appearing to be different. but in fact, are the same things!

however, i do not know much about all different religions out there. so, i shall not, or rather, cannot expound futher!

but there is one particular article which caught my attention. i have heard of the concept of non attachment before. but never understood it. it was written very well in this book. and since there is no copyright, i tot i would like to share the following lines from the book.

it was written by one ajahn sumedho. it says "first, you must recognize what attachment is, and then you let go. That's when you realize non-attachment. However, if you're coming from the view that you shouldn't be attached, then that's still not it."

does being attached to things bring happiness or suffering?

not being attached does not mean you should get rid of your family members (eg. your wife). it means freeing yourself from the wrong views about yourself and your wife. then there would be love, but it is not attached. not distorting. not clinging. not grasping. the empty mind is quite capable of caring about others and loving in the pure sense of love.

parents say how much suffering there is in having children, because there's a lot of wanting. wanting them to be a certain way. this creates anguish and suffering in our minds.

the empty mind - the pure mind - is not a blank where you're not feeling or caring about anything. it's an effulgence of the mind. it's a brightness that is truly sensitive and accepting.

it's an ability to accept life as it is. when we accept life as it is, we can respond appropriately to the way we're experiencing it, rather than just reacting out of fear and aversion.


i say, interesting!! those are just excerpts from the write up. having no expectations whatsoever on other people. loving them in the purest sense. as they are? wanting a person to be like this or wanting a person to be like that normally happens when you do take the person as yours. your wife. your girlfriend. your child. your protege. your good friend. your SOMETHING! i suppose that's attachment? then when the other party doesn't turn out as expected. there is suffering?? interesting.... but if it is not going to be yours, then there is no "vested interests"... then can there be love? love of the purest sense??? but then again, there is normally love if there are vested interests.. no??


raining.... yay!!! i think i'll go love my bed for a little while. i'm sure it's pretty pure... open window. smell the rain. listen to the rhythm. crawl under the blankie. hide from the whole world. for a little while... have a good saturday ppl! :)