Monday, March 29, 2010

Detachment

It had always been a paradox. Once you are attached, is it really possible to detach? Reams and reams of paper has been used on this subject from time immemorial. People listen to Gurus, lectures on Bhagavdgeeta and so many authoritative masters with great skills of lecturing. But does it really help in the long run? I doubt. When the vanity wears out, the mind returns to its position, worrying about my children living away in foreign countries, worrying about the deteriorating health of my aged dear and near relatives so on and so forth. Mind has a fixed mould, only straying away temporarily including Patanjali's Yoga Sutra - a temporary straying tool!

Why does the mind feel secure and safe in its mould? I think the basics of understanding attachments and the realities of detachments lie in this nature of the mind. That reminds me of a composition in Kannada by a Sant called Purandaradasa belonging to the Bhakti cult. The rough English translation is: "Swim and survive in the ocean of life with relationships like that of the fruit and seed of cashew...." Yes, cashew is one of very few fruit species with seed attached from outside on the surface. The Dasa says if all attachments are maintained in this way, life becomes easier to live, for, without attachments life becomes isolated which is seldom easy

Eesabeku, iddu jaisabeku..(Kannada) - Swim, be in it and win over life....

No comments:

Post a Comment