Attachment and Repulsion
We continue our journey through the Five Afflictions of Mind, which cause our greatest suffering as defined by the great Rishi Patanjali. Here we discuss Affliction Three or Attachment, and Affliction Four, Rejection and Repulsion.
Attachment and Repulsion: The Bipolar Manifestations of The Mind
by Shuddhaanandaa Brahmachari
Transforming Worldly Attachments
Attachment, according to Patanjali, is the third affliction of the mind. Attachment to certain people, situations, outcomes, and objects is external. However, we also have inner attachments to certain thoughts, concepts, philosophies, and ideologies.
Invariably the depth of worldly attraction and attachment takes deep root in the subconscious layers of the mind. Each of us develops our own preferences and priorities, which, when violated, can lead to an immediate sharp emotional reaction.
Attachment conditions our mind, gripping it tightly, making it difficult to get away from its clutch. We cling to concepts and ideas that become a condition or film in our minds. This thick coating never allows the mind to see its natural brilliance without contamination or coloration.
Our ego is the foundation of attachment. When we feed our attachments, we multiply them without knowing it. That which we desire causes things to happen. The universe, however, has its own sublime teaching methods. Whatever we are attached to, that is the place from which the blows of our life will come.
We are all enrolled in the university of life. Whether we realize it or not, we are constantly being groomed and taught every moment. The instant we get caught up in worldly attachments, that clinging immediately results in a miserable state of mind. It is a negative force akin to gravity, instantly attracting blows from outside. Then we have our lesson.
Material attachment, however, is a stepping-stone to higher levels of consciousness; it prepares the ground for a higher life, the life of the divine attachment. Suppose we have not realized the futility, fragility, and pain involved in materialistic attachments. In that case, we do not graduate to the higher realms of unconditional divine love. Nevertheless, it alone paves the way for true freedom from all forms of bondage and agony.
Rejection and Repulsion
According to Patanjali, the fourth affliction of the mind is the opposite of attachment: rejection and repulsion. If we are attached to something, we are inevitably going to receive a blow concerning it. We object to and are repulsed by all that is counter to that to which we have become identified and attached.
Attraction and repulsion are bipolar manifestations of the mind. We all swing between the two extremes of these manifestations of the mind like a pendulum. We can go through the book of our own lives to see this truth. The source of our greatest happiness is the source of our deepest insecurity and unhappiness.
When the mind is allowed to play of its own accord between these fields, we are not really conscious. Without proper training to manage the mind, anything that happens can rob the mind of its stable state of equanimity. If we allow the intensifying energies of the mind in attachment and the lower, debasing energies of the mind to play freely, havoc rules.
We must practice living in a universal consciousness rather than an ego consciousness. We need to practice living in a state of love and compassion rather than mere attachment to the physical or superficial, never nurturing hatred towards others.
Practicing detachment: offering all outcomes to the divine
How do we gain release from the stubborn grip of attachment? We begin with a keen awareness of the anxiety and misery it causes, not only to ourselves but to those we love, robbing us of peace of mind. Then we begin to understand the importance of letting go. The instant we realize we are in an attachment to a certain outcome, we let go of our demand that life fit our limited expectations.
Each attachment and expectation is a seed that we sow to reap future unhappiness. There is such beauty in this divine design! At certain times, sometimes in short intervals, we will be given shock treatments to help us understand that it is not good to expect.
If life does not meet our expectations, we may try too hard to fix it; if we force the situation, things only get worse. At that point, the best thing is to distance ourselves a little, to witness the whole situation with a deep sense of trust in the universal design. We let go, without muddling, and let time, the healer, settle it.
After all, we are only seeking happiness and peace. Yet, we create miseries with our expectations. Fortunately, we all are in the meditation class of the universe. Mother Nature teaches us. Eventually, we learn. When we expect nothing and offer ourselves and all outcomes to God, we are flooded with peace and joy.
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About the Author
Bodhi (Shuddhaanandaa Brahmachari, India) is a globally acclaimed spiritual teacher with 40 years of meditation experience, author, and visionary social advocate; he founded Lokenath Divine Life Mission serving thousands of poverty-stricken individuals. Received Lifetime Achievement Award, House of Lords, UK, 2015. Author: Living with My Himalayan Master. YouTube Channel: Bodhi Shuddhaanandaa. www.courseinmindfulness.com
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