The feeling of detachment helps control our senses and cleanses us
They do and unfortunately, all of us have plenty of them. I, myself, am attached to my body, family and business to name just a few. Surprised? Not really. What is this attachment? It is defined as affection, fondness or sympathy for someone or something. This word is also defined as a feeling of love and need for another person. This definition gives a clue about what attachment should be. How is the word love defined? It is a sincere interest in the well-being and happiness of another person. Love evokes action, whereas attachment may not. For example, I love my wife. This forces me to think about how best to help her. On the other hand, I am attached to my body. I am always afraid of it, and not doing much about it.
Yes, attachments mostly derail us only. Not surprisingly, Lord Krishna has warned about the harm done by attachment in multiple verses of the Bhagavad-Geeta. Sample these, “Those, who are attached to lustful enjoyments and material opulences their intelligence is fickle.” “Attachment for sense objects causes lust to manifest. Lust in turn results in anger upon non-fulfilment.” And we know what anger can do to us.
How do attachments derail us? These examples will highlight how attachments hurt and hurt badly. The first example is of a politician, who was respected for his moral standards. He enjoyed power for a long time, but things change, as does everything in this material world. He was no longer so popular anymore. So, what did he do? He took help from a highly corrupt party, whom he never tired of criticising, to stay in power. And the result is ill fame, which is worse than death. The second example is of a famous billionaire, who gets hold of lots of cash once partition takes place with his brother. He went ahead and invested in films. These failed at the box office, and he was branded a failure. What did he get by being attached to fame? Some ‘akirti’.
The third example is that of ego. One person known to me prides himself as one who never takes favours from anyone; he is severely attached to this notion. What he has effectively done is to block any help from anyone even from God, because God uses some medium to extend help. And he suffers a lot despite being a good person.
The fourth example is of a famous TV artist, who became quite well known by doing roles of a morally upright person. And what did she do? Started an affair with a married person, and she became attached to him. And what ultimately happened? That person left her when she forced him to choose between her and his family; she committed suicide.
How do you stop yourself from getting seriously harmed by attachments? The Geeta has the answers.
The first requirement is to be aware that attachments will be there as long as we are in material bodies. They can be controlled, but not eliminated. Just as our senses will always be attracted to sense objects, we will have attachments also. How do you control your senses from harming yourself? You make proper use of sense objects by disciplining your senses. Such disciplining becomes more difficult in good times when desires for a sense of enjoyment become very strong. In the case of attachments, God’s help is essential. I have benefited greatly from this instruction of the Lord. I have set higher goals in life like being useful to others. I also try to be satisfied with whatever comes of its own accord, after having done what I could do. Higher goals have helped me to get over my ‘ahankar’ to a great extent; I have realised that I am not the ‘karta’ in the real sense; only God is. This feeling of detachment is also helping me to control my senses. My attachments have been reduced to an appreciable extent.
(The writer is a spiritual teacher, views are personal)
