According to the teachings of yoga, attachment is a major cause of suffering. We come into this world with the misunderstanding or avidya (ignorance) that we are just body, mind and personality (or self). We spend a lifetime reinforcing that self — asmita (ego) — by clinging on to the people, places and things we like (raga) and moving away from those we have an aversion to (dvesha). Ultimately, we spend our life bouncing around between these two states. These kleshas, (afflictions of the mind), Patanjali tells us in the Yoga Sutras, are the root cause of our suffering as they are major obstacles to peace. Or, as the Gita says in sloka 2.44, “Those whose minds are swept away by the pursuit of pleasure and power are incapable of following the supreme goal and will not attain samadhi.”
It starts with a spark
Attachment starts with a spark of desire. We want something and as we move towards it, we obtain a sense of pleasure. The more we get, the more we want, and sometimes desire turns into longing or craving. This is where much addiction and obsession stems from, because we mistake these fleeting moments of joy for true happiness. We believe this feeling of joy comes from something outside of ourselves. We forget that the spark actually comes from within.
Fireflies
Fireflies are magnificent creatures that light themselves
