The Bhagavad Gita teaches non-attachment, a primary path and requirement of spiritual growth. In addition, Jesus teaches similar context referring to an individual who obeyed the commandments, yet, strongly attached to material objects (Matthew 19:16-30). The lessons the Bhagavad Gita and Jesus taught concerning non-attachment are identical within the context; the teachings are within a different culture and time era.
Within this world, taking time to observe others—the way they relate to material possessions—can serve as a learning experience for anyone. Considering that humans can get bent out of shape quickly if they lose, break, or have material possession stolen; should ignite the deep thinking person to question, what creates strong attachments to something made of wood, metal, stone, or plastic?
Similar Scriptural Teachings:
The scriptures of the Bhagavad Gita, Moses, The Buddha, and Jesus teach detachment generates a spiritual lifestyle of growth. Surrendering all emotional relationships, materialism, and even family is required to attain a spiritual lifestyle of detachment. This path is required for the person that is seeking truth and enlightenment and who desires to walk the narrow road. Questions that need to be ask: What is the deeper meaning of the scriptures concerning detachment or non-attachment? What are the results to having an emotional attachment?
The first subject to look at is idolatry. Idolatry will serve as a roadblock to attaining the ultimate goal—religion is the strongest form of Idolatry in the world. Once a person has detached from religion, then a person can focus on deeper context of detachment and live a spiritual lifestyle of non-attachment.
The Bhagavad Gita teaches to surrender all material attachments; the successful person will become rooted in firm wisdom. A person’s karma melts away, the duties, or action, of a person should be in the spirit of sacrifice, and that is an act of devotion. This is a central characteristic that innumerable people fail to comprehend—the context of detachment and sacrifice. In the world today employment is a burden for the populace, the scriptures instruct that all activities are to be a sacrifice; thus, we make it an offering to the Divine. The non-attached person will live in the moment and experience joy in each moment. The person that practices detachment will observe everything as subjective.
Our Subjective Higher Self
Predominantly, duality is subjective to the inner spirit—defining as, our “True Self” that is formless. If someone is connected with his or her Higher Self (spirit) then that person can subdue this world and subject all attachments. Jesus clearly taught this in addition with the Bhagavad Gita. Our actions turn into a sacrifice due to our non-attachment, and subjecting the duality of this world. Therefore, this breaks the bonds of Karma. The person that gets bent out of shape because someone might scratch his or her car is a person that is emotionally attached. Thus, the heart is involved. The heart can become deeply involved in materialism that it can cause intense suffering within the human. The inner heart that is attached to material possessions and those possessions becomes lost, stolen, and even dead; the inner heart can end up devastated. As a result, grief, sorrow, misery, affliction, hurtfulness, regret, disappointment, depression, and that defines as heartache.
The Depths of Detachment
At Matthew chapter 10:37, Jesus is pointing to the detachment of even family. The deepest type of natural attachment for humans is their family. Jesus is talking about what it takes to become one of his chosen. Many are called, few are chosen – the teaching of Jesus. The Bhagavad Gita teaches the same concept, just a different writing style and a different vocabulary, which was written according to the culture of that era. The majority cannot detach from family and that is understandable. Therefore, when a family member dies a person ends up grief stricken, deeply hurt from the loss. Dealing with the loss of attachments that was deep rooted causes misery. Consequently, the person experiences karma from their attachments. The truly wise person does not grieve for the living or the dead. The person that is seeking the ultimate goal will be granted with the wisdom to detach emotionally from family. Love will have compassion for others and share in their grief, although at the same time not having any attachment toward the grieved, dead person, and death itself. The person rooted in wisdom knows that the person (spirit) cannot die.
Christianity avoids these uncompromising and honest scriptures of Matthew, because of their attachments. For the person that has a precise focus on the ultimate goal, this person will not only rid the emotional burden of the heart regarding attachments that person will also work at detaching from the results of our own actions; a deeper level of non-attachment. Non-attachment from the results of our own actions – the person has to be indifferent to success and failure. This deeper level transcends the ego, because, not being concerned about results, transcends the doer-ship of the ego and gives the doer-ship to the Almighty Divine Source.
A person that is attached to religion, their first step living a life in non-attachment is ridding yourself of the religion, physically, emotionally, materially: Moses taught to circumcise the heart.
Comments
2 responses to “The Spiritual Lifestyle of Detachment verses Attachments”
Yes, that is the point. Very well said. The Bhagavad Gita points to transcending sense-objects and even our own emotional senses. Although even transcending duality, a person will still be motivated by love to help their fellow man.
I find peace when I am able to transcend the concept of opposites such as love/hate, excitement/boredom, interest/disinterest. Being able to live in the world with that sort of detachment is a wonderful feeling. The opposites are always there but you are no longer affected by them.
Many people believe that when they reach a stage of enlightenment, everything negative just drops away. It will always be there. This is life, but how you react is a different matter.