Detachment
It is
not for nothing that the samurai have chosen for their truest symbol the
fragile cherry blossom.
Like a petal dropping in the morning sunlight and floating serenely to earth,
so must the fearless detach himself from life, silent and inwardly unmoved.
(Eugen Herrigel)
Being detached
'Detachment' is often equated with being cold, logical, distant
and aloof.
It suggests a solitary condition of separateness.
In tao
and zen, the word has a very different connotation: it is about being in the
moment and allowing the moment to pass without regret, opinion,
judgement, meaning, idea or opinion.
Being aloof or distant is simply a poise and often reflects indifference, a
lack of compassion for other
beings.
Detachment means 'not-clinging'.
Passion
Immersing yourself in the passions of the moment is fine providing we do not
walk away pining for what has been.
Detachment is a
state of being whereby the situation is
treated for what it was; a fleeting event in the overall happening of
your life.
If you ate a nice meal, you do not compare it to a previous
one or wonder what the next one will be like.
Each moment is unique and individual.
Reality
Detachment is the outcome of
letting go.
Life involves perpetual change.
Seeking to hold it still or shape it to suit your expectations is
completely unrealistic and this will cause you pain.
If you are stubborn and seek to hold onto what has passed, you are clinging
to a memory.
Memories are not real.
Attachment
'Attachment' is what happens when we seek to perpetuate pleasure; it is the
need to possess a never-ending condition of satisfaction.
Life cannot just be
pleasure
- it contains a variety of situations that we
construe as being good or bad according to whether or not they satisfy us.
Yin and yang necessitates balance.
Page created 11 December 2000