And in order to be a “good Buddhist”, we need to have a basic understanding and to, you know, an understanding about the reality of suffering, and the meaning, and a true understanding of the meaning of renunciation, and that is very important as a practitioner, you know. And I think it is very important that when we engage ourselves in the Buddhist communities and the Buddhist societies, and Dharma centers or the organizations, I think it’s really important to have some sort of an acceptance that the attachment, is something you finally acknowledge, or you have recognized. But just because you have acknowledged, or recognized the very existence of the attachment, does not mean that attachment will go away any time soon.
So I think it is very important to have an acceptance that the attachment will continue to exist, whether you ignore it, whether you recognize it, whether you acknowledge it or not. It will continue to exist.
So that sort of an open mindset is very important to reach where you want to reach eventually, in the path of spirituality, the path of Dharma, you know. Being emotionally unstable is not renunciation. Being abundantly clear about what is the reality of the suffering, and what is the meaning of the renunciation, having that kind of a sense of stability in a long run, makes you reach eventually to the destination where you like to reach – to understand the meaning of joy, to understand the meaning of happiness.
Because if you try to reject the idea of the attachment, every single moment that it is about to appear or appearing or reflecting into your life, it’s little bit like cutting yourself into pieces. It will not really help you, you know? So therefore, instead of exaggerating the existence of the attachment, it is very important to analyse the very sensation of the attachment, rather than the object that is appearing from the result of the attachment, and I think that is very important to understand.
Because many of us, we of course have different material objects, some people have less, some people have more, but either way, the attachment continues to exist. And as long as the attachment continues to exist, suffering continues to exist. so therefore, in order to overcome the attachment, we need to examine the very existence of the attachment, not the object that is appearing by the result of the attachment, but the very existence of the attachment. and that is very important. And the existence of the attachment is the illusion of the mind with the lack of clarity and the lack of wisdom. When you have lack of clarity and lack of wisdom, a lack of understanding of what is true meaning of happiness, and then you have the false idea of what the happiness might mean. and then you have the illusion, attachment, the grasping sensation.
So therefore it is very important for all of us to understand that attachment is not something that you should blame, it is not something that you should exaggerate, it is not something that we should force out of our mind, it is not something that we have to be emotionally unstable or feel guilty about it. It is more to do with the understanding the very existence of the attachment, where does it come from? Due to what it appears as it is? The very sensation of the attachment, rather than object, and I think that is important to understand and to be clear. And then even that understanding in the beginning it can be very rigid, and over the time, as you continue, with your progress, that realization and that understanding, the very existence of the attachment, can become more and more, and more and more, subtle. The attachment does not “go away” just like I have mentioned. It will continue to exist, but the way it manipulates your reality and your decision, and your perception. As you continue with the practice, that impact, that illusion, and that false reality, due to the attachment, will continue to be created over the time, you know?
So therefore it is very important, to have this kind of continuation of, of this, of whatever the practice we may be doing, whether it is meditation, whether it is Shamatha, or Vipassana, or whether it is Deity practice, whether it is compassionate based visualization, you know, so it is very important to have some sort of a very subtle foundation, maintaining its own journey, and I think that is really important.
Transforming Our Ordinary Emotion to Clarity by Kyabje Kalu Rinpoche
Hawaiï Association of International Buddhists – Saturday, Feb 19, 2022
To be continued …
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