Indulge an Attachment
आसक्ति में पड़ना मुझे ध्यान सिखाने वाले एक शिक्षक ने अध्यात्मिक अभ्यास के लिए कई साल समर्पित किये थे। उन्होंने कई शास्त्रों का अभ्यास किया था, वे कई मठों में कठोर परिस्तिथियों में रहे थे। उन्होंने कई गहन अभ्यास किये थे। इन सब के बावजूद वे एक समस्या का हल नहीं निकाल पाये थे : मिठाइयों के प्रति उनकी आसक्ति। उनकी थोड़ी सी धन राशि का एक बड़ा हिस्सा वे मिठाइयां खरीद ने पे खर्च करते थे।
आखिरकार, वे एक बड़ा बक्सा ले कर बाज़ार गए। मिठाई कि एक दुकान से दूसरी में जाते जाते उन्होंने तब तक मिठाई खरीदी जब तक उनके पैसे ख़त्म नहीं हो गए। फिर वे घर गए, सारी मिठाईआं टेबल पर रख दी और ध्यान किया। जब उनका मनन शांत हो गया उन्होंने पहली मिठाई खायी।
संपूर्ण रूप से जागरूक रहते हुए उहोने ने उस अनुभव के हर पहलू को देखा। उन्होंने ने पहली मिठाई उठाते ते हुए अपनी अंदर कि उत्सुकता को देखा, मिठाई के मुह में जाते ही होने वाले अनुभूति को देखा, मिठास का पहला अस्वाद और आनंद कि वो लहर जो दिमाग में दौड़ जाती है, फिर उन्होंने अपने आपको मिठाई निगलते हुए और दूसरी मिठाई उठाते हुए देखा।
मिठाई के बाद मिठाई खाते हुए उन्होंने अपने आप को देखना जरी रखा, थोड़ी देर बाद उन्होंने एक बदलाव देखा। तीव्र मिठास के स्वाद से और खाने कि इच्छा के बजाये अब उनका मन ही भर ने लगा था आनंद कि लहर अब गायब हो गयी थी।
फिर भी उन्होंने मिठाई खाना और देखना जरी रखा, अब उत्सुकता बेस्वाद हो गयी थी, तीव्र मिठास जो पहले बहुत आकर्षक लग रही थी अब अरुचिकर लग रही थी और बची हुई मिठाईयों को देखकर ये भाव बढ़ रहे थे। उन्होंने तब तक खाना जरी रखा जब तक उन्हें जबरजस्ती मिठाई खानी पड़े। जब वे टेबल से उठे उन्होंने अपनी मिठाई कि आसक्ति को जीत लिया था।
आसक्ति में पड़ना उसका शर्तिया उपचार नहीं है। अगर ऐसा होता तो शराबी पीकर मरने के बजाये ठीक हो जाते। हालाँकि, अगर आसक्तियों का उपयोग कभी - कभी पूरी सावधानी के साथ कुशलता से अध्यात्मिक अनुभव के लिए किया जाए तो उनसे बहुमूल्य परिणाम मिल सकते हैं।
रॉजर वाल्श, उनकी पुस्तक आवश्यक आध्यात्मिकता में
स्व-अन्वेषण के लिए कुछ प्रश्न :
आसक्तिक से छूटेने के लिए उनमें पड़ने के विचार से आप कैसे जुडते हैं ?
ये कुशलता से कैसे किया जा सकता हैं?
क्या आप एक निजी अनुभव बता सकते हैं जब आसक्ति में पड़ने से आप उस आसक्ति से छूट पाये?
SEED QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION: How do you relate to the notion of indulging in our attachments to get over them? How can this be done skillfully? Can you share a personal experience where indulging an attachment helped you overcome it?
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15 Past Reflections
On Dec 4, 2013 Sowmya Shankar wrote :
Our attachment to loved ones and friends is also very addicitive. And it is one of the toughest attachments to get rid of too. You cannot hate them because you would end up hating yourself. Loving them too much also sometimes ends up in a not so favorable situation. As the author mentioned, it requires a lot of skill to be able to achieve that balance. It requires a lot of spiritual guidance too in order to achieve complete detachment. In my life, I'm having this constant battle between how much to be attached and how to detach myself.
1 reply: Ktgbf | Post Your Reply
On Dec 3, 2013 mbj wrote :
There's a story I like about Sri Aurobindo. A sadak who apparently disapproved of his smoking habit asked him, "Why are you so attached to smoking?" Mr. A replied, "Why are you so attached to my not smoking?" Funny guy, that Aurobindo.
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On Dec 3, 2013 Lani Chaves wrote :
Just this morning I made a deliberate choice to accept the feelings of love I have in my heart for an unrequited lover and let go of my attachment to the person itself. Cleaving my experience of Loving and the Beloved object allows me the freedom to observe, as the Teacher above, the intrinsic nature of Love itself and the impermanent nature of the object loved.
Mother Teresa had famously said, "Love them anyway." You can google the full quote yourself, but the idea is the same. Love is always within us and it's greatest expression is as a gift we give to others. Having love returned is merely an added bonus!
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On Dec 3, 2013 Lani Chaves wrote :
Just this morning I made a deliberate choice to accept the feelings of love I have in my heart for an unrequited lover and let go of my attachment to the person itself. Cleaving my experience of Loving and the Beloved object allows me the freedom to observe, as the Teacher above, the intrinsic nature of Love itself and the impermanent nature of the object loved.
Mother Teresa had famously said, "Love them anyway." You can google the full quote yourself, but the idea is the same. Love is always within us and it's greatest expression is as a gift we give to others. Having love returned is merely an added bonus!
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On Dec 3, 2013 Cecilia wrote :
Thank you for the enlightenment. I have too experienced over indulgence, it was not until I thought to my self, why am I trying to comfort my self in this harmful way? What am I missing out on. Takes some thought and energy to work out . But I stopped by learning to love my self, and laughing again. Laughing at adversity , sorrow is harder I might add, But that can be healed with meditation, and prayer. Just keep a thought in your heart for your self every day and surround it with the spiritual love that is here for us all.Comfort will become a priority, your Spirit shall rise,And besides your self all those around you shall feel that strength .blessings to everyone.
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On Dec 3, 2013 Jyoti wrote :
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On Dec 2, 2013 Mohandas wrote :
Some times it helps depending on what you indulge in. But generalization is difficult. Remember the story of Swami Ramakrishna Paramahamsa. When a parent took his child to Swamii and requested him to advise his son eating to much of sweets, he did not advise then and asked them to come after two weeks. Swamiji was in the habit of taking sweets. First he stopped and then after two weeks when they returned, he thought he could advise the child against eating sweets. Preachers have practice first if the listeners have to follow them. But present days, we have only preachers who rarely practice what they preach.
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On Dec 1, 2013 david doane wrote :
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On Nov 29, 2013 Conrad P Pritscher wrote :
I am guessing Roger Walsh indulged himself and it worked for him.. I too am addicted to sweets. I have had very little candy in the last 30 years because one piece of candy is never enough.Within the last year I've been nibbling on dark chocolate under the guise of "health food." As I noticed the guize, I have not had dark chocolate in three or four months, but today, I had three pieces before reading what Walsh had to say. I have years ago indulged in much candy and found that I could never have too much. I don't think indulging works for me. The topic of essential spirituality means to me, and I project this on everyone else, that if one is kind, one is spiritual. If one is kind, one is wise. I do not indulge in kindnesses to others or myself but I wonder if it would be worth a try. Warm and kind regards to everyone.