Non- attachment 6

Let us discuss about Anasakti or non-attachment, our innate nature and how to come to it. And we shall also look into the dangers of embracing aversion to achieve the non-attachment. The greatest mistake one commits in this regard is that we embrace aversion as a means to come to non-attachment. We must remember, attachment is not as harmful as aversion is. It is because the face of the attachment is clear –cut and simple, it can easily be recognized. No one can mistake attachment for non-attachment. How can we say clinging to money is non-attachment? But the face of aversion is very deceptive, it is masked. And that is why it poses the greatest danger for one who is trying to attain to non-attachment. There is every possibility we can mistake aversion for non-attachment, and think that by rejecting men and things if one has attained to non-attachment. Aversion is a false coin; it can easily adopt the name of non-attachment. It is therefore essential to beware of aversion, which is no better than attachment. Aversion is attachment standing on its head, and to know this is to beware of it. 

Secondly, wherever we go the other will be there, because the world is the other. I also said there is only one space where the other is not, and it is the center of one’s being, our being. So let us move in that direction, which is entering into the innermost core of our being. Let us descend into the shrine of aloneness and solitude. There is no one in the solitude, not even you; it is a space of absolute silence. What does it mean? Does it mean that if I shut my eyes to the world I will enter the space of my alone-ness and solitude? Every day we close our eyes, but we are never alone. As soon as we close our eyes we begin to see the same images we had seen with open eyes. Thoughts and imaginations, dreams and daydreams surround us from all sides. The world is again with us. Although it is imaginary, it is nonetheless the same world. And unless the inner world of thoughts and dreams goes, we cannot be free from the other, we cannot be alone. 

This inner world of thoughts and dreams and images can be dropped, it is difficult not impossible. It is there because we want it to be there and it exists with our full cooperation and it will disappear the moment we withdraw our cooperation.

It is because we relish and enjoy our world of thoughts and images- we find it pleasurable - that it is alive and flourishing. Not just our enjoyment of it even the aversion to it helps to keep it going. I repeat: not only our addiction to this world, our aversion is equally responsible. not only we think of our friends and loved ones, we also think of our adversaries and enemies whom we hate. It is ironic many a times that those we hate haunt us more than those we enjoy with or love. But when we neither identify with some thing nor condemn it, the other drops by itself. If we are neither interested in remembering something nor forgetting something, the other drops by itself. It becomes irrelevant and meaningless, and so it removes itself from the screen of mind

Dr. Dwarakanath, Director

Mitran foundation- the stress management people