Namo tassa Bhagavato Arahato Sammâ Sambuddhassa!

Attachment

By Rasika Wijayaratne 

The cause of suffering is attachment. The Lord Buddha pointed this out to us over 2500 years ago as the first Noble Truth. But until we really experience and 'see' the chain of events that link together to bring us this suffering (or unsatisfactoriness) from attachment as the root in our daily lives, this concept can be difficult to fully grasp.

Whenever we are suffering we need to analyse what is causing this suffering. We need to trace the 'chain' of events one event at a time back to the source that leads to this suffering. Once we find the source we can usually remove the cause thereby ending the suffering almost immediately. Usually the source of suffering can be traced down to attachment to something or someone.

As an example lets take the situation of something that we very much desire to obtain. We think about how we can obtain this thing day and night, it occupies our mind at all times, and we think of the various methods we can employ to obtain it. We come up with plan B in case plan A fails, and plan C in case plan B fails. We are afraid that we might not get it; what if someone else gets it before us, what if we don’t have the requisites to obtain this things, what if this thing runs out before we can get our hands on it? A multitude of questions, doubts, fears and jealousy towards people who can get it before us arises and thus causes us much suffering and anguish (dukkha).

If we end up getting it then we are satisfied for a moment, but then a new set of questions arise. What if I lose this thing, what if someone else takes it from me, how do I get yet more of it? It is yet more of the same emotions as before (fear, doubt, anger, etc) that are driving these questions in our heads. These emotions and the resulting questions are what is causing us suffering, and the root reason is the attachment we feel towards this thing we are so desperately trying to own and hold onto. If we abandon the attachment and desire for this thing, then all these questions, negative emotions and suffering instantly disappear.

This is where the daily practice of dâna (giving) helps by reducing overall attachment in our minds thus enabling us to have minds that are more capable of letting go (renunciation or nekkhamma). This is why there is such strong emphasis on giving and why it is considered the most fundamental practice / technique on the path towards Nibbâna.

Almost all forms of suffering can be traced back like this down to desire and attachment.¹ But to see this linked chain clearly we must have clear and wise minds, and to have clear and wise minds we need to meditate regularly.² At the end of the meditation³ we can recall to our minds a problem that we are currently facing or faced during the day and trace it one step at a time down to the source. Once we find the source of the problem we can practice letting go (with the help of a mind that is trained in dâna - giving) of it so it causes us less and less suffering.

Notes

1. Sometimes it may be traced back to something other than attachment (eg. anger), but even then the absolute cause for our suffering is still attachment as it is attachment that causes us to be re-born in the endless round of births (samsâra) to face suffering.

2. The awareness of breath (ânâ-pâna-sati) and loving-kindness (metta) meditations are recommended for young people.

3. We can get into a strong position by being able to trace back to the source of the problem whenever or wherever we maybe.

Attachment - A Scenario

Elder: Why are you so upset?

Youngster: I am really angry with my parents.

Elder: Why?

Youngster: Because they wont let me go to this party.

Elder: So what's the big deal?

Youngster: Well I was hoping to have a good time there with my friends and make some new friends too.

Elder: So is it fair to say that you are stressed (suffering) because you didn't get something you wanted?

Youngster: Yeah.

Elder: So if you didn't want to go to this party so much you want be as angry or as upset right?

Youngster: Yeah I guess.

Elder: That's what you gotta do, sometimes we can't always get what we want, so we have to let go of it (detachment), like you do when giving something away for dana. Besides your parents mean the best for you and feel that this particular party isn't safe for you to go to.

Youngster: Oh ok :)

Related Youth Articles

1. Daily Dâna by Rasika Wijayaratne (on generosity)  [ http://vihara.org.au/go?to=dailydana ]

2. Five Precepts by Rasika Wijayaratne (on morality)  [ http://vihara.org.au/go?to=pansil ]

3. Metta Meditation by Rasika Wijayaratne (basic instructions on the meditation on loving-kindness)

[ http://vihara.org.au/go?to=mettamed ]

5. Jealousy by Rasika Wijayaratne (an analysis of)  [ http://vihara.org.au/go?to=mudita ]

7. One Hour of Unsatisfactoriness by Rasika Wijayaratne (on suffering)  [ http://vihara.org.au/go?to=onehour ]

8. Four Noble Truths by Rasika Wijayaratne (a summary of)  [ http://vihara.org.au/go?to=fourtruths ]

9. Noble Eightfold Path by Rasika Wijayaratne (on ending suffering)  [ http://vihara.org.au/go?to=noblepath ]

Related Suttas

1. SN 45.8, Magga-vibhanga Sutta, An Analysis of the Path, Translated from the Pali by Thanissaro Bhikkhu

[ http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn45/sn45.008.than.html ]

2. SN 56.11, Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta, Setting the Wheel of Dhamma in Motion, Translated from the Pali by Thanissaro Bhikkhu  [ http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn56/sn56.011.than.html ]

Other Resources

1. The Four Noble Truths - A Study Guide by Thanissaro Bhikkhu  [ http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/study/truths.html ]

2. The Noble Eightfold Path - The Way to the End of Suffering by Bhikkhu Bodhi

[ http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/bodhi/waytoend.html ]

3. Nibbana by Thanissaro Bhikkhu  [ http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/thanissaro/nibbana.html ]