Attachments hold us back

[AiR]

Those who are on the spiritual path often wonder why they can’t progress towards liberation, enlightenment, Moksh, Nirvana. The reason that they are not able to go forward on the path is because of attachments. They are attached to either certain things or people. It is these attachments that hold them back from walking that path, which takes them to the top of the mountain. They wish to go to the top of the mountain, they even want to go to the top of the mountain, but unfortunately, they are attached. And because they are attached they are held back. They are tied back due to their own attachments. They think it is the attachments that are holding them back, but actually it is not the attachments that are holding them, they are holding onto the attachments. Now the question is – do they have the courage to leave those attachments? We are so preoccupied with society, the world, with what people will say, that we forget about the most important thing - our own life. What is the purpose of our life? Why are we born? Why are we here? What will happen at the end of the journey? These questions are more relevant than what and who we are attached to. Of course, when we are attached to something, it becomes very difficult to let go. Sometimes it’s a child that we are attached to and we spend our entire life for the goodness of that child. But what happens at the end? If that child is not ours, that child lives its own life and we are left nowhere. Anything can hold you back; any attachment can hold you back. If there is anything that’s more important than your own life, if you truly value your life, then you will let go off attachments and walk that journey of liberation, of Nirvana. But first, one must acknowledge that it is attachments that hold us back.

AiR

[Bill Wiltrack]

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Could you give me an example? A real life example that you have used within your life where you have let-go of something and you have gained spiritual insight?



What is spiritual insight for you?



What is your legal name & where do you live?



Does fear hold us/you back from detachment?


Why do you have authority upon this subject?






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[Jaded Sage]

You had one nice insight: it is not what we are attached to, it is that we are attached. That means we ourselves are the problem, and we ourselves, and nothing but ourselves, hold the solution. Because of my somewhat authoritative experience in this area, this suggests to me that nothing liberates except understanding.

[Dalek Prime]

You had one nice insight: it is not what we are attached to, it is that we are attached. That means we ourselves are the problem, and we ourselves, and nothing but ourselves, hold the solution. Because of my somewhat authoritative experience in this area, this suggests to me that nothing liberates except understanding.

Well, we are attached to existence by default, but it is understanding that we can let go of our attachment to existence, on our end, that is liberating.

[Skip]

Nothing so liberated him in life as the leaving of it.
or
Give me liberty; give me death!
or
I AM THE LIBERATOR

I like those bumper stickers.

[HexHammer]

This thread is pure nonsense and babble. OP doesn't know shit about very basic Scientific understanding of intelligences, neurons, etc, in short ..glaringly ignorant and not very bright.

[Jaded Sage]

You had one nice insight: it is not what we are attached to, it is that we are attached. That means we ourselves are the problem, and we ourselves, and nothing but ourselves, hold the solution. Because of my somewhat authoritative experience in this area, this suggests to me that nothing liberates except understanding.

Well, we are attached to existence by default, but it is understanding that we can let go of our attachment to existence, on our end, that is liberating.

I make no assumptions. Yes, I suppose there is something liberating in knowing the power is in our own hands, but that isn't what I mean. I mean that it is new understanding that results in liberations. A single piece of information can change the way we view the world, and therefore the way we experience the world. I'm having trouble coming up with the right example, because mine tend to involve what can be sensitive issues for other people, which are also very complicated.

Once I was infatuated with a girl. She led me on, and it frustrated me. Then I learned something about her, and I understood why she did it. It no longer bothered me, and in fact, once I realized she was just playing hard to get, I very much enjoyed the whole thing.

My experience changed because I had a better understanding. Now, because I understood this one thing (and others), my entire experience of many things has changed, and improved drastically. I am no longer bothered by most things. For instance, little things, like honest mistakes, and instances of bad luck, even many great instances of bad luck, do not bother me at all, and I am working on liberating myself from even greater things than is wise to disclose.

Once I understood *that* there was no reason why little things should bother me (exactly *why* little things shouldn't bother me is what might vary from person to person) the little things stopped bothering me. Here is what might be too advanced too soon: even when some do bother me, it doesn't bother me that they bother me, and so I am unbothered by them. I actually find enjoyment in some of them. Little annoyances and inconveniences bring me real, deep, fun, because it feels good to experience them.

Here is what might certainly be too advanced too soon: long ago, I learned that no one is happy, not even the rich, beautiful, popular, well-laid, well-everything (that is why it is too advanced: if I say, 'money doesn't buy happiness,' you stop listening, and if I say, 'sex isn't everything,' you think I never get any, and if I say, 'being one of the cool kids amounts to less than nothing,' you think there's no way I know what I'm talking about). Like the legend of Prince Siddhartha leaving his castle and seeing three forms of suffering: sickness, old age, and death, I saw these three forms of success—and here are three pieces of information that changed my experience—and I saw real instances, first hand, in person, of them being absolutely useless in providing happiness. Though it appears these things bring happiness, they simply do not. I learned from this, and a most so-obvious-everyone-has-forgotten-it insight came to me: one cannot let anything be the measure of what happiness is except what one alone feels; all else is a distraction, and distorts your examination. I also concluded that no one knows the recipe for happiness. Therefore I sought my own recipe and judged it based on my feelings alone. Since then, ignoring the opinions of others, and listening to my own experience, neverminding what they think brings happiness, but noticing only what makes me happy, I have achieved much happiness through much liberation, and continue to do so. The tragedy is, you cannot simply listen to what I have to say. You have to gain a new understanding for yourself. I can provide you with the reasoning, but you have to see it for yourself, I can tell you the stories, but you have to witness the truth of them yourself, I can lead you to water but you have to drink. The door to the other side is marked "NEW UNDERSTANDING." You have to knock, and you have to be the one to walk through it.

[AiR]

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Could you give me an example? A real life example that you have used within your life where you have let-go of something and you have gained spiritual insight?



What is spiritual insight for you?



What is your legal name & where do you live?



Does fear hold us/you back from detachment?


Why do you have authority upon this subject?






.

I was very attached to my business. I was passionate and obsessed with making money; million after million, running India’s largest departmental store - Kids Kemp and then Kemp Fort, a 3,00,000 sq ft store, which has now transformed into a Mall. I was so attached to my money, to my fame, my success, my family, my people and it looked like it would be impossible to let go. There was also a fear of loss of name, prestige, success that prevented me from taking any bold step, until one day, as if by magic, on an overnight decision, I decided to shut down the store and chose to go on a path of making a difference, rather than just making money. And then my life was transformed.

Unfortunately, my answer has to be very long because my process of metamorphosis was first through a transformation from making money to making a difference and thereafter, from making a difference to the path of self- realization, when the questions on my search led me to believe that I am not this body, I am something else. And I realize today that we come into this body and leave this body, but we start thinking we are the body and the biggest attachment of our life is the body itself and until we give up the ownership of this body, until we give up the ego, the belief that we are the body, we can never get detached and never tread on the path of self –realization and God realization.

AiR was originally named Ravi V. Melwani and he transformed to RVM when he stopped making money to make a difference. Finally, he metamorphosed into AiR – Atman in RVM or the soul in RVM - Ravi V. Melwani. He lives in Bangalore and as he is traveling overseas, he has received your questions and answered them while on his travels.

Unfortunately, more than fear that holds us back, it is this myth of the world that holds us back through distractions by the mind and the attraction of the senses. Our mind plays tricks on us and does not let us focus on the fact that we are the divine soul, spirit, atman. Therefore, silent meditation on the truth of who we are is the only way for us to go within, to discover our true self. Once you do that, you don’t need any more answers to any more questions because you will realize yourself. Therefore, realization is the process of opening your real eyes. Realization is not discovering something outside. It is realizing the truth within and when you realize the truth within, then you don’t need to ask for answers. The answers will come, but the only one thing one needs to detach themselves from is their own body to realize that they are the divine spirit.

Regarding his authority on the subject – AiR spent 25 years on the first peak of life, the peak of achievement and success, achieving goal after goal and making millions. Then he stopped making millions – and lived the tale of ‘The Monk who sold his Ferrari’ and for eight years, led a life of fulfillment and contentment, focusing on humanitarian, inspirational and spiritual work, traveling the world and seeing every country that he possibly could. Thereafter, he started probing : What is the purpose of life? Who is he? Where did he come from? And he went on a search for spiritual answers. He doesn’t believe that he has an authority, but he only strives to share his learning with others, either to help them or for them to make inferences, so that they too can move on the path of self- realization and God realization.

AiR

[Bill Wiltrack]

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Egos are insidious.


Good luck to you...





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