At the outset, one could imagine that peace of mind doesn't have much of a place in life anymore. Everywhere I look, there are people walking, talking, dancing, spending the evening with friends, going out for a beer, catching up, gymming, hitting yoga classes, doing zumba, taking time off, crunching at work, grabbing breakfast, getting coffee with the girls, and stuff, and more stuff. It's always funny to hear someone say something along the lines of "oh I have to do that, that's where I get some peace of mind", or "oh I can't make it today, need some time for myself and a book." But it's there, as elusive as it may sound, most people have their refuge -- the place they go to just let go, and forget, mostly, I guess.
But the thing with this peace of mind business -- it's a grand irony. We get attached to these essential refuges or these things (or worse, people) who are supposed to be our grand getaway from the mad rush of real life. And the thing with attachment, the thing that really bites, is that it always, always disappoints. Everybody and everything will, at some point, disappoint you. That's not even cynicism, that's pure reality with a good dose of old-fashioned irony thrown in for measure.
People will act up, love will vacillate, families will throw tantrums. Gyms will close, friends will leave, the walkways of your haunts will be swallowed up for development. The trees you love will be cut down, your dog will die (GAHHHHHHHH). At some point, your anchors will all bob loosely in the water and leave you floating in distress, with no aim, and worse, angry with change and the fact that you lost out on the one thing that kept you together.
So, what to do? Geez, I don't know. I stick by my belief that the only way to rid ourselves of this vicious cycle is exactly as the Buddha preached -- remove yourself from attachment; find a place within yourself where you can retreat to, where this peace of mind is neutral to external shocks. Basically, find inner peace. Peace that doesn't rely on unpredictable props.
.jpg)
But, alas and stuff. This, as I have found out the hard way, is difficult. Most of us need something to hang on -- probably why we most of us still far away from reaching any stage of enlightenment. So, while I think this is an excellent strategy, and pat myself on the back for realizing this, the next time I want some peace of mind I will still be heading to my bed, surrounded by my loving family, and curling up with a good book.
But the thing with this peace of mind business -- it's a grand irony. We get attached to these essential refuges or these things (or worse, people) who are supposed to be our grand getaway from the mad rush of real life. And the thing with attachment, the thing that really bites, is that it always, always disappoints. Everybody and everything will, at some point, disappoint you. That's not even cynicism, that's pure reality with a good dose of old-fashioned irony thrown in for measure.
People will act up, love will vacillate, families will throw tantrums. Gyms will close, friends will leave, the walkways of your haunts will be swallowed up for development. The trees you love will be cut down, your dog will die (GAHHHHHHHH). At some point, your anchors will all bob loosely in the water and leave you floating in distress, with no aim, and worse, angry with change and the fact that you lost out on the one thing that kept you together.
So, what to do? Geez, I don't know. I stick by my belief that the only way to rid ourselves of this vicious cycle is exactly as the Buddha preached -- remove yourself from attachment; find a place within yourself where you can retreat to, where this peace of mind is neutral to external shocks. Basically, find inner peace. Peace that doesn't rely on unpredictable props.
But, alas and stuff. This, as I have found out the hard way, is difficult. Most of us need something to hang on -- probably why we most of us still far away from reaching any stage of enlightenment. So, while I think this is an excellent strategy, and pat myself on the back for realizing this, the next time I want some peace of mind I will still be heading to my bed, surrounded by my loving family, and curling up with a good book.
So very true.. But, there is a downside to being without attachment.. Having NOTHING to hold on to, makes it hard to just exist.. So, a possible strategy is to cultivate the ability to find and change between things that will allow you peace of mind temporarily so that you don't get attached long term, but at the same time aren't completely detached either.. Basically, again as the Buddha said, "Live entirely in the moment", accepting that what you need to do to get by right now, isn't something you are dependent on, but rather can benefit from and not get attached to. I've found that there is a profound difference between attachment and engaging momentarily..
ReplyDeleteGreat point. Engaging momentarily is a fantastic concept. But I feel that human nature is such that, yes, we live for the moment, but -- and especially if something affects us positively -- we tend to start grasping.
ReplyDelete