What Is Detachment? Is It Misunderstood?

[spnadmin]

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 ॥
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

:idea: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]

akaaaaaaaaaaaaal!

thank you for this post

 

[spnadmin]

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]

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.

 

[spnadmin]

You think? I hope there is a good discussion.

 

[Archived_Member1]

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]

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]

[URL="http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.anandasacramento.org/images/Flowers,%2520etc/lotus.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.anandasacramento.org/&h=270&w=325&sz=11&hl=en&start=267&um=1&tbnid=Qv0VRitDn1XirM:&tbnh=98&tbnw=118&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dpics%2Bof%2Blotus%2Bflowers%26start%3D260%26ndsp%3D20%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26rlz%3D1T4GGLR_enMY221MY221%26sa%3DN"]

 

[AmbarDhara]

Nanak Bani Nirankaar Paarbrahm Parmesar


Waho Waho Bani Nirankaar Hai Tis Jevad Avar Na Koi


SGGS JI

ANG 1​

SATGURU PRASAAD​

ਚੁਪੈ ਚੁਪ ਨ ਹੋਵਈ ਜੇ ਲਾਇ ਰਹਾ ਲਿਵ ਤਾਰ ॥


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​

 

[Sherab]

Exactly!

[URL="http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.anandasacramento.org/images/Flowers,%2520etc/lotus.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.anandasacramento.org/&h=270&w=325&sz=11&hl=en&start=267&um=1&tbnid=Qv0VRitDn1XirM:&tbnh=98&tbnw=118&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dpics%2Bof%2Blotus%2Bflowers%26start%3D260%26ndsp%3D20%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26rlz%3D1T4GGLR_enMY221MY221%26sa%3DN"]

 

[AmbarDhara]

Nanak Bani Nirankaar Paarbrahm Parmesar
Waho Waho Bani Nirankaar Hai Tis Jevad Avar Na Koi
SGGS JI



SATGURU PRASAAD


ਸਰਬ ਜੋਤਿ ਰੂਪੁ ਤੇਰਾ ਦੇਖਿਆ ਸਗਲ ਭਵਨ ਤੇਰੀ ਮਾਇਆ ॥

sarab joth roop thaeraa dhaekhiaa sagal bhavan thaeree maaeiaa ||
Among all lights, I behold Your Form; all the worlds are Your Maya.


ਰਾਰੈ ਰੂਪਿ ਨਿਰਾਲਮੁ ਬੈਠਾ ਨਦਰਿ ਕਰੇ ਵਿਚਿ ਛਾਇਆ ॥੩॥
raarai roop niraalam baithaa nadhar karae vich shhaaeiaa ||3||
Among the tumults and forms, He sits in serene detachment; He bestows His Glance of Grace upon those who are engrossed in the illusion. ||3||


Gurbani eis jag meh chaanan
Gurbani alakh lakhiayaa
Gurbani Gavo Bhaee
charan kamal parabh kay nit Dhi-aava-o​

 

[drkhalsa]

Word detachment might have many diffrent meaning with sutle differences according to conciousness level of the one disscusing it .Nothing is wrong its just the relative point of view


Here's my take on this:

Detachment in my understanding is not the ACT but the OBSERVATION

Because whether Budhist or Sikhs the very thing we try to detach is already detached but the duality in us doesn't let us see it.

It just happen for you when you observe it or other words appreciate

So in my opinion nothin need to be done in sense of renouncing something Physical or intellectual .

Thanks

Jatinder Singh

 

[spnadmin]

Witnessing Consciousness?

ਰਾਗੁ ਸੂਹੀ ਮਹਲਾ ੩ ਘਰੁ ੩ ॥
raag soohee mehalaa 3 ghar 3 ||
Raag Soohee, Third Mehl, Third House:


ਭਗਤ ਜਨਾ ਕੀ ਹਰਿ ਜੀਉ ਰਾਖੈ ਜੁਗਿ ਜੁਗਿ ਰਖਦਾ ਆਇਆ ਰਾਮ ॥
bhagath janaa kee har jeeo raakhai jug jug rakhadhaa aaeiaa raam ||
The Dear Lord protects His humble devotees; throughout the ages, He has protected them.

ਸੋ ਭਗਤੁ ਜੋ ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਹੋਵੈ ਹਉਮੈ ਸਬਦਿ ਜਲਾਇਆ ਰਾਮ ॥
so bhagath jo guramukh hovai houmai sabadh jalaaeiaa raam ||
Those devotees who become Gurmukh burn away their ego, through the Word of the Shabad.


ਹਉਮੈ ਸਬਦਿ ਜਲਾਇਆ ਮੇਰੇ ਹਰਿ ਭਾਇਆ ਜਿਸ ਦੀ ਸਾਚੀ ਬਾਣੀ ॥
houmai sabadh jalaaeiaa maerae har bhaaeiaa jis dhee saachee baanee ||
Those who burn away their ego through the Shabad, become pleasing to my Lord; their speech becomes True.


ਸਚੀ ਭਗਤਿ ਕਰਹਿ ਦਿਨੁ ਰਾਤੀ ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਆਖਿ ਵਖਾਣੀ ॥
sachee bhagath karehi dhin raathee guramukh aakh vakhaanee ||
They perform the Lord's true devotional service, day and night, as the Guru has instructed them.

ਭਗਤਾ ਕੀ ਚਾਲ ਸਚੀ ਅਤਿ ਨਿਰਮਲ ਨਾਮੁ ਸਚਾ ਮਨਿ ਭਾਇਆ ॥
bhagathaa kee chaal sachee ath niramal naam sachaa man bhaaeiaa ||
The devotees' lifestyle is true, and absolutely pure; the True Name is pleasing to their minds.


ਨਾਨਕ ਭਗਤ ਸੋਹਹਿ ਦਰਿ ਸਾਚੈ ਜਿਨੀ ਸਚੋ ਸਚੁ ਕਮਾਇਆ ॥੧॥
naanak bhagath sohehi dhar saachai jinee sacho sach kamaaeiaa ||1||
O Nanak, the those devotees, who practice Truth, and only Truth, look beauteous in the Court of the True Lord. ||1||


ਹਰਿ ਭਗਤਾ ਕੀ ਜਾਤਿ ਪਤਿ ਹੈ ਭਗਤ ਹਰਿ ਕੈ ਨਾਮਿ ਸਮਾਣੇ ਰਾਮ ॥
har bhagathaa kee jaath path hai bhagath har kai naam samaanae raam ||
The Lord is the social class and honor of His devotees; the Lord's devotees merge in the Naam, the Name of the Lord.


ਹਰਿ ਭਗਤਿ ਕਰਹਿ ਵਿਚਹੁ ਆਪੁ ਗਵਾਵਹਿ ਜਿਨ ਗੁਣ ਅਵਗਣ ਪਛਾਣੇ ਰਾਮ ॥
har bhagath karehi vichahu aap gavaavehi jin gun avagan pashhaanae raam ||
They worship the Lord in devotion, and eradicate self-conceit from within themselves; they understand merits and demerits.

ਗੁਣ ਅਉਗਣ ਪਛਾਣੈ ਹਰਿ ਨਾਮੁ ਵਖਾਣੈ ਭੈ ਭਗਤਿ ਮੀਠੀ ਲਾਗੀ ॥
gun aougan pashhaanai har naam vakhaanai bhai bhagath meethee laagee ||
They understand merits and demerits, and chant the Lord's Name; devotional worship is sweet to them.


ਅਨਦਿਨੁ ਭਗਤਿ ਕਰਹਿ ਦਿਨੁ ਰਾਤੀ ਘਰ ਹੀ ਮਹਿ ਬੈਰਾਗੀ ॥
anadhin bhagath karehi dhin raathee ghar hee mehi bairaagee ||
Night and day, they perform devotional worship, day and night, and in the home of the self, they remain detached.


ਭਗਤੀ ਰਾਤੇ ਸਦਾ ਮਨੁ ਨਿਰਮਲੁ ਹਰਿ ਜੀਉ ਵੇਖਹਿ ਸਦਾ ਨਾਲੇ ॥
bhagathee raathae sadhaa man niramal har jeeo vaekhehi sadhaa naalae ||
Imbued with devotion, their minds remain forever immaculate and pure; they see their Dear Lord always with them.


ਨਾਨਕ ਸੇ ਭਗਤ ਹਰਿ ਕੈ ਦਰਿ ਸਾਚੇ ਅਨਦਿਨੁ ਨਾਮੁ ਸਮ੍ਹ੍ਹਾਲੇ ॥੨॥
naanak sae bhagath har kai dhar saachae anadhin naam samhaalae ||2||
O Nanak, those devotees are True in the Court of the Lord; night and day, they dwell upon the Naam. ||2||


ਮਨਮੁਖ ਭਗਤਿ ਕਰਹਿ ਬਿਨੁ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਵਿਣੁ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਭਗਤਿ ਨ ਹੋਈ ਰਾਮ ॥
manamukh bhagath karehi bin sathigur vin sathigur bhagath n hoee raam ||
The self-willed manmukhs practice devotional rituals without the True Guru, but without the True Guru, there is no devotion.

ਹਉਮੈ ਮਾਇਆ ਰੋਗਿ ਵਿਆਪੇ ਮਰਿ ਜਨਮਹਿ ਦੁਖੁ ਹੋਈ ਰਾਮ ॥
houmai maaeiaa rog viaapae mar janamehi dhukh hoee raam ||
They are afflicted with the diseases of egotism and Maya, and they suffer the pains of death and rebirth.

Guru Naanak Dev
Ang 768

:hmm:Witnessing Consciousness is an essential spiritual practice to assist the mind rid of its bondage, negativity or impurity (ego or Haume). Simply put, it is uninterestedly observing everything as a totally detached observer (Saakshi Bhaav). It is being able to remain "unaffected and untouched" in any situation, not to "get infatuated by anything", to be in "continuous remembrance of the Lord". As many terms in the Gurbani indicate, it is to be in the state of "Alipat, Niraaraa or Niraalaa, Bikhiaa maahi oudaas, Anaraagaa, Niaarou, Nirjog, Niraas, Niraalam, Alep, Nirlep, ikaant, etc.", and so on. It is being in the world like the lotus flower that remains untouched in the water or the duck that swims in the water without becoming wet or the bird that flies in the sky without leaving any footprints behind, or an actor who reads his part without attachment. In nutshell, witnessing is to remain "untouched and unperturbed within, under all circumstances". The Gurbani repeatedly emphasizes remaining unaffected within, under all happenings. That is the eternal state of witnessing — living a fully Conscious Life (Gurmukh lifestyle), the state of no-Haume or no-mind.

Witnessing Consciousness

 

[Amarpal]

Dear Khalsa Ji,

As I understand, attachment is a state of mind in which the mind is trapped by the object; as a result of this the person remains stuck in it.

To me, detachment is not the opposite of attachment. It is again a state of mind wherein the person is not trapped by the object, yet the person on her/his pwn involves with this object/entity. The person is free from the constraints that the object of potential attachment imposes.

The detached person gets involved with the object own her or his own free will. This involvement commences when the person concludes that such involvement will further the cause of 'The Sat' (protecting creation and help it evolve), in small or big way. This person remains involved with the object for the time needed and then separates without even remembering, looking back or feeling any pain.

In other words the detached person involves or dissociated at will; this happens because detached persons involve themselves in tasks without any selfish interests. The person involves or separates only as a service to 'The Sat'. The memory of such a person is not affected by the pleasure or pain of involvement nor does it carry the pangs of dissociation.

To me, detachment does not mean running away from the object. It only means attending to the object in a professional way; complete the task in hand and then move further.

With love and respect for all.

Amarpal Singh

 

[spnadmin]

Dear Khalsa Ji,

As I understand, attachment is a state of mind in which the mind is trapped by the object; as a result of this the person remains stuck in it.

To me, detachment is not the opposite of attachment. It is again a state of mind wherein the person is not trapped by the object, yet the person on her/his pwn involves with this object/entity. The person is free from the constraints that the object of potential attachment imposes.

The detached person gets involved with the object own her or his own free will. This involvement commences when the person concludes that such involvement will further the cause of 'The Sat' (protecting creation and help it evolve), in small or big way. This person remains involved with the object for the time needed and then separates without even remembering, looking back or feeling any pain.

In other words the detached person involves or dissociated at will; this happens because detached persons involve themselves in tasks without any selfish interests. The person involves or separates only as a service to 'The Sat'. The memory of such a person is not affected by the pleasure or pain of involvement nor does it carry the pangs of dissociation.

To me, detachment does not mean running away from the object. It only means attending to the object in a professional way; complete the task in hand and then move further.

With love and respect for all.

Amarpal Singh

The bewitching material world (Maya) stands upon the foundation of emotional attachment and jealousy. Attached to possessiveness, mortals are led into selfishness, falsehood, corruption and doubts, resulting in confusion. This is he state of separation from our real Self (God, Soul Nature, etc.). When so confused, majority of us do not know who God is, and how to know Him. Because the doubt-ridden mind is unable to seek out the way. Consequently, in a hope to realize the Celestial Peace, many put themselves on all types of superficial silence (Chupp or Maun). In outer silence they sit alone like hermits, while, filled with false pride, their hearts are tied in knots of thunders of worldly cravings. The Gurbani (Sri Guru Granth Sahib, SGGS) roars that through such phony silence many have grown weary and are ruined! SILENCE


ਆਸਾ ਮਹਲਾ ੫ ॥
aasaa mehalaa 5 ||
Aasaa, Fifth Mehl:

ਚਰਨ ਕਮਲ ਕੀ ਆਸ ਪਿਆਰੇ ॥
charan kamal kee aas piaarae ||
I long for the Lotus Feet of my Beloved Lord.

ਜਮਕੰਕਰ ਨਸਿ ਗਏ ਵਿਚਾਰੇ ॥੧॥
jamakankar nas geae vichaarae ||1||
The wretched Messenger of Death has run away from me. ||1||

ਤੂ ਚਿਤਿ ਆਵਹਿ ਤੇਰੀ ਮਇਆ ॥
thoo chith aavehi thaeree maeiaa ||
You enter into my mind, by Your Kind Mercy.

ਸਿਮਰਤ ਨਾਮ ਸਗਲ ਰੋਗ ਖਇਆ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
simarath naam sagal rog khaeiaa ||1|| rehaao ||
Meditating on the Naam, the Name of the Lord, all diseases are destroyed. ||1||Pause||

ਅਨਿਕ ਦੂਖ ਦੇਵਹਿ ਅਵਰਾ ਕਉ ॥
anik dhookh dhaevehi avaraa ko ||
Death gives so much pain to others,

ਪਹੁਚਿ ਨ ਸਾਕਹਿ ਜਨ ਤੇਰੇ ਕਉ ॥੨॥
pahuch n saakehi jan thaerae ko ||2||
but it cannot even come near Your slave. ||2||

ਦਰਸ ਤੇਰੇ ਕੀ ਪਿਆਸ ਮਨਿ ਲਾਗੀ ॥
dharas thaerae kee piaas man laagee ||
My mind thirsts for Your Vision;

ਸਹਜ ਅਨੰਦ ਬਸੈ ਬੈਰਾਗੀ ॥੩॥
sehaj anandh basai bairaagee ||3||
in peaceful ease and bliss, I dwell in detachment. ||3||

ਨਾਨਕ ਕੀ ਅਰਦਾਸਿ ਸੁਣੀਜੈ ॥
naanak kee aradhaas suneejai ||
Hear this prayer of Nanak:

ਕੇਵਲ ਨਾਮੁ ਰਿਦੇ ਮਹਿ ਦੀਜੈ ॥੪॥੨੬॥੭੭॥
kaeval naam ridhae mehi dheejai ||4||26||77||
please, infuse Your Name into his heart. ||4||26||77||

Ang 389
Guru Arjan Dev ji

 

[Astroboy]

To me, detachment is not the opposite of attachment. It is again a state of mind wherein the person is not trapped by the object, yet the person on her/his pwn involves with this object/entity. The person is free from the constraints that the object of potential attachment imposes.

The detached person gets involved with the object own her or his own free will. This involvement commences when the person concludes that such involvement will further the cause of 'The Sat' (protecting creation and help it evolve), in small or big way. This person remains involved with the object for the time needed and then separates without even remembering, looking back or feeling any pain.

Pray Truth and Say SatSriAkaal,
Dear All and Amarpal Ji and Aad Ji,

I like your way of expressing detachment.
Here's an article that compares the western with Buddhist about attachment and detachment:

(Source: Ordinary Mind Zendo)
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Attachment and Detachment [/FONT]

I want to talk about attachment and detachment.
These words are commonly used both in Western psychology and in Buddhism, but with very different meaning which has led to a lot of confusion. In Western psychology, attachment means relatedness, the ability to form intimate, loving relationships.

Authentic relatedness, or mature attachment is in these terms very difficult to achieve. Our self involvement, narcissistic vulnerabilities and various inner conflicts all lead us to form unhealthy, neurotic attachments in which we use another person to try to meet our own needs, and relieve our particular anxieties, rather than relating to the other person as another whole individual, on a basis of mutuality and respect. Detachment in this schema refers to an individual's giving up on attachment because of an inability to face the vulnerabilities or conflicts relationships entail. The detached person tries to become autonomous, self-sufficient, and to hold on to some inner peace of mind by avoiding entangling relationships. Often these individuals prefer aesthetic, philosophical and religious feelings to the more ordinary and uncontrollable emotions of interpersonal attachments.

Buddhism has nothing against the positive qualities of attachment in this western sense, but traditionally has used the word attachment to refer instead to neurotic clinging and those attempts to control one's inner and outer environment that inevitably backfire and lead to suffering. And Buddhism certainly has recognized the dangers involved in the pathological varieties of detachment.

There's an old story that illustrates this point:

Once an old woman, as an act of charity, undertook to support a monk living in a nearby hermitage. The monk was a very austere and seemingly very holy fellow, and needed very little in the way of food clothing or shelter for his support. But after a couple of years, the old woman decided to test the monk.

She sent her beautiful daughter out to the hermitage and instructed her to put her arms around his neck and ask, "Mr. Monk do you think I'm beautiful?" Well, the monk just sat there impassively, and after a moment said, "A withered tree doesn't notice the change of seasons." So the beautiful daughter went back to her mother and told her what the monk had said. Whereupon the old lady went out and burnt down his hermitage and drove him away, yelling, I can't believe I've wasted all my hard earned money on a fraud like you!"

This monk was detached in the bad western sense, trying to avoid all feeling, and to retreat into some unchanging state he thought of as pure.

The proper, positive meaning of detachment in Buddhism instead centers on an awareness of impermanence. An old teacher has said that detachment doesn't mean one doesn't care about people or things, just that we understand that they inevitably change and eventually go away. What we "detach" from is our neurotic attempt to make things permanent or to have them go just the way we want for our own selfish motives.

Another common mistake is to think that detachment means we should always just passively accept what's happening. If we're living in a apartment with terrible noisy neighbors, out of control teenagers, barking dogs, and so on, being a good Zen student doesn't mean saying to ourselves, "Well, I guess I really shouldn't be attached to being able to sleep at night, or to having enough peace and quiet to study..." That isn't spiritual practice, that's just drifting into masochism!

Detachment means non-self-centered responsiveness to a situation. Sometimes that will mean enduring unavoidable suffering, but it can also mean taking appropriate action - talk to the neighbors, call the landlord, if you can, move! All it precludes is increasing others suffering in order to minimize your own.

Detachment in the proper sense means working through our selfishness so that we can act compassionately, so we can make the genuine attachments that western psychology rightly values.

 

[Archived_Member5]

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.

How do you quieten the voices in your head Sherab Ji. I can silence them with my given wisdom, but then the screeching of metal train wheel upon iron lead torments me so. With prayer, with the name, you will reply. And Guru Nanak said, they torment me as so many barking dogs, and when I seek to destroy or disperse them I fall in danger of becoming a barking one too...the torment. My conscience answers all of my hearts enquiries, excepting, why am I so tormented. We pilgrim and journey much to escape an existence that smothers and suffocates our soul, peace is found, all too transitory and temporal, and then darkness ascend into my soul.

Who is the tormentor, you will ask, who is this evil that God allows to marr otherwise beautiful blessed and honourable lives, who destroys the courageous, causes wars, discontent and rampant evil, God knows andhe allows it..we all know this...Losing my faith..so what..he has many other scarificial souls willing to die for him, and I seek to escape him, but I cannot...

So what is life....
I am not pagal, just tormented as all the great competent philosophers poets and prohets were to a an extent..

 

[spnadmin]

Some thoughts from Gurbani on Silence.

Is silence closing of the mouth? No, because only the corps do not speak. For rest of us, the speech is very natural occurrence. Therefore, observing rigid silence of speech is likened to mourning for dead! In extreme, many observe such silence for years and years, and some for their entire life! God has given man the power of speech for very specific function and purpose. Therefore, there is nothing in this sort of austerity which is Divine or desirable. Otherwise, God would have made all us mute like animals! ........

and

The appreciation for Intuitive Silence replaces the need for addictive thoughts and resulting actions. How can one attain such Silence? Through the Shabad-Surti (Naam or God Consciousness); says the Gurbani. By hearing, remembering, reflecting, and living the Shabad, the scurrying of the ego or deluded mind comes to a complete halt; followed by the state of Pure Silence spontaneously manifested after the death of false ego. One without Shabad-Surti or God-consciousness is subjected to fateful material consciousness — unceasing demands of the senses. Degradation of a material conscious person starts with contemplation on sense objects rather than the Shabad or Naam.

This is why I do not think the silence in sehaj of Shabad Guru is like Buddhism at all. I could be wrong as I do not know Buddhism very well. Maybe others can instruct us.

Source for above quoted text is T. Singh with more about Silence at this location.
SILENCE

 

[Archived_Member5]

You have a valid point, but chupe chup na hove, has taken on a new meaning for me.

Regaining control of ones mind. Focusing upon the one rather than being besieged and inundated with inconsequential and irrelevant thoughts. To focus on love rather than being plagued by those we loathe and wish to excrete from our systems.

Help Help Bichao..

JJ

 

[spnadmin]

More a matter of Guru Ky Seva

ਹਉਮੈ ਮੇਰਾ ਠਾਕਿ ਰਹਾਇਆ ॥
houmai maeraa thaak rehaaeiaa ||
my ego has been silenced and subdued.


ਗੁਰ ਸਾਖੀ ਮਿਟਿਆ ਅੰਧਿਆਰਾ ਬਜਰ ਕਪਾਟ ਖੁਲਾਵਣਿਆ ॥੬॥
gur saakhee mittiaa andhhiaaraa bajar kapaatt khulaavaniaa ||6||
Subduing my ego, I have enshrined the Lord within my mind.


ਹਉਮੈ ਮਾਰਿ ਮੰਨਿ ਵਸਾਇਆ ॥
houmai maar mann vasaaeiaa ||
Subduing my ego, I have enshrined the Lord within my mind.


ਗੁਰ ਚਰਣੀ ਸਦਾ ਚਿਤੁ ਲਾਇਆ ॥
gur charanee sadhaa chith laaeiaa ||
By Guru's Grace, my mind and body are immaculate and pure; I meditate on the Immaculate Naam, the Name of the Lord. ||7||

Guru Amar Das
Ang 110
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