According to Buddhist psychology, most of our
troubles stem from attachment to things that we mistakenly see as permanent.
Pleasures and pains are part of one’s life. It is
said that pleasures if shared, are doubled while pains shared are reduced.
To create an identity, an attachment is
necessary. Right from the birth of the
child, the first attachment is with the mother. Stronger the identity, the
better and more secured is the attachment.
Attachment is, therefore, a process which goes on
deepening with the passage of time in everyone’s life. They become an extension
of our life rather meaningful and give us sense of purpose.
It is wrong to say that one gets attached voluntarily
out of his own free choice. This is not so as it requires a prolonged and
realized association like if you stay at a particular place, you are attached
to that place. Even if you go on singing
the same song frequently, you will get attached to it. Attachment is a natural
process and happens on its own with the people, places, culture, tradition,
concepts, religion, language or profession. We become conditioned to our
likings.
We can be attached to any sort of things, to work,
to gossip, to money, to success but attached to pleasures is one of the
strongest attachments. Attachment to
people is the source of one of the greatest joys in life.
Attachment to ideas and viewpoints is what has
changed the world and it depends on the nature of ideas.
Gandhi was attached to the idea of non-violence
while Hitler was attached to the idea of a pure race.
Attachment to the idea of democracy by the
political and social reformers of that time has brought India’s independence. It, however, depends as to how much value we
give to the idea.
Frankly speaking, the aloofness, indifference,
lack of involvement is detachment from worldly affairs but not a destroyer of
attachment. It does not eradicate attachment but it temporarily puts it on
hold. In our everyday lives, we are attached to the number of ideas and most of
which are not aware which need to be unearthed and examined to know which one
is worth keeping and which ones have outlived their usefulness? If something
does not affect us we are not attached to it. But unchecked attachment can be a
source of great misery. Since attachment leads to jealousy, thus less attached
you are, the more peaceful you are.Sign up here with your email