Andy will facilitate Monday night.
The concept of non-attachment is a core tenet of Buddhism and always an interesting concept to explore. Be it non-attachment to views, in particular ideas and constructs you might feel most ownership of, or to material objects that you might take particular comfort or meaning from is difficult and hard to grasp. Attachment to family, friends, colleagues and pets are also obviously some of the strongest attachments within our lives.
I would guess that all of us are deeply attached to all of the above - people, ideas and things. For example if I lose some meaningful possession, I literally will turn the house upside down for days looking for this item and will either not relax until I either find it or reconcile to the fact that it is gone forever and feel upset.
This reminds me of a story told by Joseph Godstein where he holds out beautiful glass in front of the audience. “The best way to relate to this cup,” he tells those in front of him, “is as if it’s already broken. Because when we relate to it as if it’s already broken—we use it, we care for it, we wash it—we do all the things in proper relationship to it. But there’s no attachment, because we see that it’s already broken and lost”.
I think at some point along the path we all recognize that if we try and attach true permanence to things, then those things start to own us. The reality, again that we already know is that everything ends. Every start has an ending.
Tonight in the sangha I would like to invite you to think about attachment and ask yourself :
What are you attached to?
What are the things that control and currently own you?
What might I try to detach from?
I look forward to our sharing time together this week.
Andy