Some people become miserable when they can’t afford the things they want, or even if they have them, they worry about paying the bills at the end of the month. They’re attached to their possessions and are sad when a treasured gift is lost or a family heirloom is broken.
During the day, our attention is generally directed outwards. From morning till night, we crave to see beautiful forms, hear pleasant sounds, enjoy fragrant scents, taste good food and touch pleasing objects. When we do, we’re happy; when we don’t, or when we contact unpleasant sights, sounds, smells, tastes and tangibles, we’re upset.
Our feelings and moods go up and down each day, depending on whether we contact the sense objects we’re attached to.
Although we derive pleasure from sense objects, it’s limited pleasure. If we examine our lives closely, we’ll find that what brings us pleasure at one time makes us unhappy at another.
For example, food is enjoyable when we begin eating, but it’s not when we overeat. Money enables us to have many things, but it also causes us to worry, because we fear it will be stolen or lost. The things we’re attached to don’t consistently bring us pleasure.
At the moment, it may seem to us that sensual pleasures are fantastic, but in fact we’re capable of greater happiness. According to Buddhism, all beings should have pleasure and be happy. However, we must examine closely what happiness is and what causes it.
There are many levels of happiness, the pleasures of the senses being one of them. However, we’re capable of greater happiness than that experienced by being near beautiful objects and wonderful people. Buddhism directs us towards supreme happiness, which comes from transforming our minds.
The Buddha observed that when we’re attached to sense objects, we eventually become unhappy. The problem isn’t in the objects, it’s in our way of relating to them. How does attachment work? Is it an accurate or necessary way of relating to the people and things in our environment?
Attachment is an attitude that overestimates the qualities of an object or person and then clings to it. In other words, we project onto people and things qualities they don’t have, or exaggerate what they do have. Attachment is an unrealistic view, and thus causes us confusion.
Watch Ven. Chodron’s teaching on Open Heart, Clear Mind Sept. 21 on Zoom, hosted by Vajrayana Institute. >