ATTACHMENT

The atheist view

Forgetfulness of True Identity with the Unity of Existence is the source of attachment
All attachment leads to a psychological state of sorrow because that which we are attached to eventually changes

THE PROBLEM

"Not realizing identity with the Totality of Existence."

The Totality and Mystery of Existence gets attached to the body/brain phenomenon.

In this ignorant state of mind, the Totality of Existence is deluded by the experiences of the individual mind into believing that its deepest identity is the body/mind phenomenon of the individual.

Existence gets attached to the experiences of the individual body and brain.

This attachment to the temporary experience of the little individual "me" becomes overwhelming, and, due to the ignorance of the Totality of Existence, Existence forgets its greater self.

Existence forgets that "I, Existence, am having a human experience."

Existence forgets that its ultimate identity is Totality, Unity, and Mystery.

Existence experiences, via the life of the individual, intense anguish and sorrow (suffering) that is the product of ignorance and the resulting attachment.

THE SOLUTION

"Realizing identity with the Totality of Existence."

The body/brain experience is a mysterious phenomenon that has arisen out of the endless possibilities of the mystery of Existence - simply let it be, let it function, experience the individual yet do not be attached to it.

All various phenomena, including habitable planets, species, and individuals arise from the totality, unity, and mystery of existence - the Real Self.

Cosmic probabilities indicate almost infinite multiverses of experience and also almost infinite arrangements of our universe.

The universe and possible multiverses are in a state of endless possibilities and arrangements that flow in a continuum.

You, I, and today are one of those possibilities.

So, there is really no need to be attached to any phenomena.

Life is experience without the need for painful attachments.

Be as one with the Ocean of Existence, experience the changes, and acknowledge the ultimate mystery of it All.

All the variety in Life - all the universes, creatures, events, and circumstances - is a playful experiment of the nature of a dream. The experiencer of It All is the Eternal and Infinite Universal Being.

Non-attachment is thus realization of identity with the Eternal and Infinite Universal Being which is the source of All Creation. With this realization, one becomes naturally detached from identification with the dreamlike appearances of variety.

At the level of a human being, we realize that "Life gives and taketh away again." We realize that all things arise from and return to the Universal Mystery and that there is no point in being attached to these experiences. We stop clinging and allow ourselves to live in the Eternal Mystery of Life.

The problem of ignorance, egoism, and attachment is clearly explained in the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali: Book Two - Sadhana Pada.

SUTRA II: 3

AVIDYASMITA RAGA DVESABHINIVESAH KLESAH

Avidya = transcendent ignorance; asmita = egoism; raga = attachment; dvesha = hatred; abhinivesah = clinging to bodily life; klesah = obstacles.

Ignorance, egoism, attachment, hatred, and clinging to bodily life are the five obstacles .

Here are the five obstacles (klesas) that will now be explained one by one in the following sutras. The order is also significant.

Because of transcedent ignorance (avidya) of our true identity with Existence the painful state of egoism arises.

Because of ego tism ( this painful state of separation from Existence), there is attachment (addiction and possessiveness) to the experiences of variety (people, places, experiences, and things) for the egotist's selfish pleasure.

Because sometimes the things we are attached to do not come or are taken away, fear, anger, and hatred for those who got in our way arises. All viceful states of mind arise from the egotistical desire to possess things.

Because we are attached to things and afraid of death, there is clinging to life in the body.

THE SOLUTION?

Transcendent Realization and experience (of the variety that is life) without the possessive attachment of egoism.

In the human form, we can experience seven types of attachment:

Center		Attachment / Dependence
1	Base/Root	Possessions. Physical Body. Greed. People.
2	Second	Sensual pleasures. Sex. Romantic Relationships. Lust.
3	Third	Power. Achievements. Skills. Name and Fame. Pride. Anger. Impatience. Intolerance. Frustration.
4	Heart	Hatred. Grief. Sorrow and sadness. Love mixed with conditions and attachments.
5	Fifth	Communication. Expression.
6	Sixth	Cerebral processes. Intellect. Memory. Imagination. Creativity. Thoughtforms Beliefs, Opinion, View. Paradigm Dogma
7	Seventh	Attachment to the whole experience of variety, multiplicity, and diversity because of forgetfulness of the mystery of Existence that is the Source of All Variety. Dogmatic spiritual follower. The dogmatic preacher. The tyrannical spiritual teacher.

CHAKRA	TAMASIC ATTACHMENT (DEPRESSED AVERSION)	SATTVIC NON-ATTACHMENT (BALANCE / HARMONY)	RAJASIC ATTACHMENT (MANIC DESIRE)
FIRST (BASE)	Self imposed poverty. Fear and insecurity of not meeting basic material needs. Denial of physical and survival needs.	To have. To be grounded.	Greed for wealth and material possessions beyond needs. Hoarding. Ungrounded.
SECOND	Martyrdom. Frigidity. Sexual fears.	To procreate. To enjoy balanced sensual and sexual pleasure and experience.	Lust and addiction for sex and pleasure.
THIRD	Sloth. Laziness. Shame. Jealousy. Envy. Incompetence. Inability to do. Lacking endurance and determination. Frustration.	To do. To achieve. To have the power to do.	Need for achievement power, fame and status. Hyper-competitive personality. One-upmanship. The need to prove themselves. Hyper-ambitious. Hyper-active. Anger.
FOURTH	Aloof. Uncaring. Difficulty loving. Cold/unfeeling. Psychopathic. Hatred. Grief.	To feel. To love. To respect. To empathize. To have compassion. To consider others.	Inappropriate love. Loves the wrong people or shows love at the wrong times. Conditional love. Cares for others but often neglects themselves. Gushing and inappropriate.
FIFTH	Difficulty with self expression and assertion. Masked self. Dustbin for other peoples problems. Communication problems.	To communicate. To express.	Wants to be heard. Monologues. Does not listen. Obsessed with own self expression. Uses others as an audience.
SIXTH	Thinking and learning difficulty. Problems with confused thinking. Denial of thinking capabilities.	To think. To imagine.	Thinks too much. Overly intellectual. Intellectual superiority syndrome. Cannot stop thinking.
SEVENTH	Denies the collective and transcendent aspects of life. Believes that the science of "knowing" is the ultimate peak of human development. Denies Mystery.	Transcendence of variety. End of subject/object duality. Absolute Unity.	The evangelical preacher The missionary The dogmatic follower Ungrounded mystic

LIFE IS AN EXPERIENCE - Not a possession.

"Existence is currently having a human experience."

Everything about life is 100% pure experience. Experience without attachment. The experience of the individual is temporary and passing. Even the experience of attachment is still a passing experience. No person can ultimately possess life - that is impossible. We can, however, experience the relative world and temporarily be a cooperative custodian of experiences - objects, events, qualities, and people.

Once some form of transcendence has been realized, then there is natural non-attachment to the relative experiences of all multiplicity and variety. One does not have to force a state of non-attachment and one is not in denial about any of the natural experiences of variety and multiplicity. The state of non-attachment naturally occurs when one switches identity from the body/mind/world-activities and instead identifies with the Existence to whom all the variety is appearing to.

Centered in the unity of Existence
Unafraid of the illusion of life and death
Knowing that all multiplicity
Is an expression of The Eternal Existence

It is this change in perspective from "identification with the life and experiences of the individual" to identification with "The Mystery of Existence", that allows an individual to relate to the variety as pure, passing, and changing experiences and their is no need to be attached to them.

Human life can be experienced for what they are - characters on the world stage. Experienced, observed, witnessed without attachment to any of the variety and multiplicity.

That which is created (born) is an expression – a wave – of qualities and aspects that have Existence as their Source.

Gradually drop identification with the "me" - that psychological complex of egoism and attachment - and allow your mind to comprehend and be at one with Existence - the Source and Substance of all various phenomena. It is this little psychological structure of egoism and attachment that painfully separates the individual from the universal. Once this attachment has been disbanded (dissolved, dropped) then there is the realization and experience of that Existence is everything.

Non-attachment is also realizing that the life of the Universe (and all creatures who are born and live in it) is a constantly changing environment where nothing stays the same. It is a movement of constant change and no person can cling to any part of it. The clinging (the attachment) causes terrible emotional pain and anguish because "how can we hold a river in our fist?" - you can't, it's not possible.

The mental disease of attachment is, in the light of the Unity and Mystery of Existence, completely unnecessary and very pain bearing for one and all. Non-attachment is not denial, it is realizing that life is a passing, flowing experience that cannot by clung to. It also greatly helps to realize that all life is created and animated by forces of the mystery of Existence. Those that realize this learn how to observe the changes without attachment. In fact, those that embrace change find the changing movements to be, at the least, interesting.

Non-attachment is not irresponsibility or indifference as we are all part of the same life-phenomenon (Existence).

The mind-state of attachment is the source of all neurotic (irrational) suffering and is produced by the mechanics of ignorance (of Existence) and the resulting egotism. Also, don't get attached to suffering! Life flows by it's own potency and all things pass.

Heavy and selfish attachment to any aspect of "the diversity" will only blind us to our essential unity with Existence. That is the main problem with attachment.

CHAKRA	TAMASIC ATTACHMENT (DEPRESSED AVERSION)	SATTVIC NON-ATTACHMENT (BALANCE / HARMONY)	RAJASIC ATTACHMENT (MANIC DESIRE)
FIRST (BASE)	Self imposed poverty. Fear and insecurity of not meeting basic material needs. Denial of physical and survival needs.	To have. To be grounded.	Greed for wealth and material possessions beyond needs. Hoarding. Ungrounded.
SECOND	Martyrdom. Frigidity. Sexual fears.	To procreate. To enjoy balanced sensual and sexual pleasure and experience.	Lust and addiction for sex and pleasure.
THIRD	Sloth. Laziness. Shame. Jealousy. Envy. Incompetence. Inability to do. Lacking endurance and determination. Frustration.	To do. To achieve. To have the power to do.	Need for achievement power, fame and status. Hyper-competitive personality. One-upmanship. The need to prove themselves. Hyper-ambitious. Hyper-active. Anger.
FOURTH	Aloof. Uncaring. Difficulty loving. Cold/unfeeling. Psychopathic. Hatred. Grief.	To feel To love To respect To empathize To have compassion. To consider others.	Inappropriate love. Loves the wrong people or shows love at the wrong times. Conditional love. Cares for others but often neglects themselves. Gushing and inappropriate.
FIFTH	Difficulty with self expression and assertion. Masked self. Dustbin for other peoples problems. Communication problems.	To express.	Wants to be heard. Monologues. Does not listen. Obsessed with own self expression. Uses others as an audience.
SIXTH	Thinking and learning difficulty. Problems with confused thinking. Denial of cognitive capabilities.	To think. To imagine.	Thinks too much. Overly intellectual. Intellectual superiority syndrome. Cannot stop thinking. Has trouble taming the imagination. Finds it difficult to control cognitive activity.
SEVENTH	Denies the transcendent and mystery aspects of life. Believes that the science of "knowing" is the ultimate peak of human development. Denies the Mystery of Life.	Transcendence of variety. Realizatio n of the mystery of Existence End of subject/object duality. Absolute Unity with Existence	The evangelical preacher. The missionary. The dogmatic follower.

ATTACHMENT

THE PROBLEM

AVIDYASMITA RAGA DVESABHINIVESAH KLESAH

THE SOLUTION?

LIFE IS AN EXPERIENCE - Not a possession.

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