Feb 6, 2023
What good does it do to pay attention to our attachments? To look at our experiences with clinging and aversion? Well, for that matter what good does it do to meditate? To be with that arises and to gain insight? I humbly suggest that our practice is everywhere, on the cushion, in our experiences, and in our journals.
What do I mean when I invite you to journal with me?
I am asking you to join me in an experiment. You can participate as much or as little as you like.
Me? I am all in. While planning for this season of the Death Dhamma podcast, it occurred to me. Clinging and aversion are all around us. At least as an everyday layperson making my way in this world, it is all around me.
While learning from the dhamma, and from our wise teachers, why not engage in some active self-reflection? I think that I know some of my areas of attachment. Most likely I share them with many of you.
- I do want to be healthy.
- I do not want to be sick.
- I do want to age - well kind of, because it means I am still here
- I also want to have a certain level of fitness and ability as I age.
- As few wrinkles as possible, please.
- I want to have people I care about.
- I want them to care back.
Pretty standard stuff. And if not handled well, it is going to lead to some suffering. You, see, just because I have gone through the deaths of quite a few of my loved ones, doesn't mean I am free from all attachments.
What is the point of paying attention? Some might say, obsessing, is this paying attention over where and how I experience an obsession or a revelation? I hope it is the latter.
Here it is, our first episode featuring the attachment journal.