What is Detachment? Is it Misunderstood?

Narayanjot Kaur · #1 (**permalink**) 09-Feb-2008, 10:44 AM

What is detachment? Are there misunderstandings of its meaning within the panth? Can there be different meanings? How do we recognize detachment within ourselves?

ਵਡੈ ਭਾਗਿ ਸਤਸੰਗਤਿ ਪਾਈ ਹਰਿ ਪਾਇਆ ਸਹਜਿ ਅਨੰਦੁ ॥੨॥
vaddai bhaag sathasangath paaee har paaeiaa sehaj anandh ||2||
By great good fortune, I found the Sat Sangat, the True Congregation; I have found the Lord, with intuitive ease and ecstasy. ||2||

ਸੋ ਸਾਧੂ ਬੈਰਾਗੀ ਸੋਈ ਹਿਰਦੈ ਨਾਮੁ ਵਸਾਏ ॥
so saadhhoo bairaagee soee hiradhai naam vasaaeae ||
That person is a Holy Saadhu, and a renouncer of the world, whose heart is filled with the Naam.

ਅੰਤਰਿ ਲਾਗਿ ਨ ਤਾਮਸੁ ਮੂਲੇ ਵਿਚਹੁ ਆਪੁ ਗਵਾਏ ॥
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/gurmat-vichaar/19818-what-is-detachment-is-it-misunderstood.html
anthar laag n thaamas moolae vichahu aap gavaaeae ||
His inner being is not touched by anger or dark energies at all; he has lost his selfishness and conceit.

ਨਾਮੁ ਨਿਧਾਨੁ ਸਤਗੁਰੂ ਦਿਖਾਲਿਆ ਹਰਿ ਰਸੁ ਪੀਆ ਅਘਾਏ ॥੩॥
naam nidhhaan sathaguroo dhikhaaliaa har ras peeaa aghaaeae ||3||
The True Guru has revealed to him the Treasure of the Naam, the Name of the Lord; he drinks in the Sublime Essence of the Lord, and is satisfied. ||3||

ਜਿਨਿ ਕਿਨੈ ਪਾਇਆ ਸਾਧਸੰਗਤੀ ਪੂਰੈ ਭਾਗਿ ਬੈਰਾਗਿ ॥
jin kinai paaeiaa saadhhasangathee poorai bhaag bairaag ||
Whoever has found it, has done so in the Saadh Sangat, the Company of the Holy. Through perfect good fortune, such balanced detachment is attained.

ਮਨਮੁਖ ਫਿਰਹਿ ਨ ਜਾਣਹਿ ਸਤਗੁਰੁ ਹਉਮੈ ਅੰਦਰਿ ਲਾਗਿ ॥
manamukh firehi n jaanehi sathagur houmai andhar laag ||
The self-willed manmukhs wander around lost, but they do not know the True Guru. They are inwardly attached to egotism.

ਨਾਨਕ ਸਬਦਿ ਰਤੇ ਹਰਿ ਨਾਮਿ ਰੰਗਾਏ ਬਿਨੁ ਭੈ ਕੇਹੀ ਲਾਗਿ ॥੪॥੮॥੪੧॥
naanak sabadh rathae har naam rangaaeae bin bhai kaehee laag ||4||8||41||
O Nanak, those who are attuned to the Shabad are dyed in the Color of the Lord's Name. Without the Fear of God, how can they retain this Color? ||4||8||41||

Sriraag
Guru Amar Das Devji
Ang 29

Here is vichaar of Guru Amar Das speaking about detachment: Through the Sikh leads a family life, his mind does not get involved in worldly matters. He does not renounce the world, but rather its worldliness and mammon. Guru Amardas describes the life of the Gurmukh (God-orientated person) in the following words:

"the Guru-orientated becomes desireless and attain to supreme bliss. In house-hold, they remain unattached and imbibe affection for the Lord. Sorrow and separation cling not to them and they remain happy in the Lord's Will. Nanak says, they ever remain imbued with their God and He blends them with Himself" (p.1249).

The disciple does actions but they are done without the ego or the self and as such, these "detached" actions brings no reactions:

"He alone is above actions who reflects over the Guru's hymns. Within his mind is the divine knowledge and thereby he effaces his ego" (p.128).

The Teachings of Guru Amardas Ji - His Teaching and Philosophy

Sherab · #2 (**permalink**) 09-Feb-2008, 10:49 AM

akaaaaaaaaaaaaal!

Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=19818
thank you for this post

Narayanjot Kaur · #3 (**permalink**) 09-Feb-2008, 10:58 AM

Sikhs do not mean the same thing as Buddhists do they, Sherab ji? I am interested to see where this goes. Thank you for your interest.

Sherab · #4 (**permalink**) 09-Feb-2008, 11:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aad0002

Sikhs do not mean the same thing as Buddhists do they, Sherab ji? I am interested to see where this goes. Thank you for your interest.

Actually, they do. Outer silence is a way to gain inner silence as one reflects on nature of one smind, as clear peace and light, ever present, like the blue sky.

Narayanjot Kaur · #5 (**permalink**) 09-Feb-2008, 11:05 AM

You think? I hope there is a good discussion.

Archived_Member1 · #6 (**permalink**) 09-Feb-2008, 12:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sherab

Actually, they do. Outer silence is a way to gain inner silence as one reflects on nature of one smind, as clear peace and light, ever present, like the blue sky.

but wouldn't buddhists regard attachment to God as a distraction? as i understand it, they meditate on nothing, they seek oblivion, perfect nothingness. sikhs meditate on God (naam/shabad/etc) and seek to become one with God. buddhists don't even believe God exists.

note: i'm only familiar with the Thai/Theravada tradition of buddhism, so this may not apply to other schools.

Sherab · #7 (**permalink**) 09-Feb-2008, 17:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jasleen_kaur

but wouldn't buddhists regard attachment to God as a distraction? as i understand it, they meditate on nothing, they seek oblivion, perfect nothingness. sikhs meditate on God (naam/shabad/etc) and seek to become one with God. buddhists don't even believe God exists.

note: i'm only familiar with the Thai/Theravada tradition of buddhism, so this may not apply to other schools.

No, detachment from the outer world, detachment from the inner, elads to emditation on the dharmakaya, that is opresent everywhere - uit is at the very heart of everything, they very core. (think of dependent origin, the very first of this sunyata)

The transition from buddhism (vajrayana) and sikhi was VERY easy, with some minor doffernces due to this accord, since god is formless.

As for God existing, in Buddhism, he does not exist. Instead there is the laways present-in every person Dharmakaya, that is above words, and only obscured by the root of all karma - ignorance. The traditional metaphor used in Bon (indigineous religion of tibet) and buddha dharma, is that nature of onesmind is like a sunny blue sky that right now is just covered up by very thick black clouds, and meditation, and ritual is the way to cause a "wind" to blow away the clouds, and once a cloud has moved, we might get a "glimpse" of the blue sky (just for habit to blow it back), as the dark clouds have hovered over our heads over endless lifetimes.

Astroboy · #8 (**permalink**) 09-Feb-2008, 17:50 PM

Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=19818
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=19818

AmbarDhara · #9 (**permalink**) 09-Feb-2008, 17:53 PM

Nanak Bani Nirankaar Paarbrahm Parmesar

Waho Waho Bani Nirankaar Hai Tis Jevad Avar Na Koi

Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji

ANG 1

SATGURU PRASAAD

ਚੁਪੈ ਚੁਪ ਨ ਹੋਵਈ ਜੇ ਲਾਇ ਰਹਾ ਲਿਵ ਤਾਰ ॥
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=19818

chupai chup n hovee jae laae rehaa liv thaar ||
By remaining silent, inner silence is not obtained, even by remaining lovingly absorbed deep within.

Gurbani eis jag meh chaanan

Gurbani alakh lakhiayaa

Gurbani Gavo Bhaee

charan kamal parabh kay nit Dhi-aava-o