Among the teachings of the Buddha is the fact that attachment, or the desire to hold one to something or something creates feelings of want and insecurity. He also preached that the inability to let go was one of the greatest causes of human suffering.
Non-attachment can give one the freedom to progress towards positivity and oneness with oneself. A sense of impermanence is important in order to let go. If we take a close look at our problems, we will see that our attachment to people, ideas and opinions are directly or indirectly responsible for our sufferings.
The only constant in life is change, and we will do well to understand that. The acknowledgement of our impermanence here on Earth will pave the way to let go of attachment. Here are some reasons why letting go is so difficult.
-
Less pain and suffering
We hold on to things, but the grasping of something is as futile as trying to hold a bead of mercury in your palm. We are attached to our material possessions and if they are taken away we feel like we are being deprived. We suffer from the pain of knowing that once which was ours, no longer is.
-
Releasing the past and illusory states
The human mind is a sum total of conditions, beliefs, experiences, and perceptions. We construct mental models of how an ideal world should be. Because we tend to live in the past, we hang on like limpets to the illusions of the past and keep suffering pain even though these are only illusionary constructs of the mind.
-
Maintaining a healthy ego and the identity
In time, we become attached to our fabricated identities. This is the ego or the ‘I’ that defines our personal identity. It is our perception of self, how we distinguish ourselves form others and our attachment to our idea of who we are. Our jobs, our homes and relationships shape this identity. If we lose any of these it effaces our sense of ego and our identity takes a hit.
