I’m one of those unfortunates who feel both attachment and loss keenly, and that isn’t good. Or at least, it isn’t pleasant sometimes. The fact is, nothing lasts forever. So, if you can’t stand losing something, you shouldn’t get attached to it, should you? Or, to put it another way, if you’re going to get attached to something, make sure you have the emotional means to stand losing it. The people I’ve known seem to be split between the two approaches, with the majority taking the latter. I vacillate.
The solution, I’ve no doubt, is to come to a point of personal evolution where you can accord with the Buddha’s teaching:
Love everything. Be attached to nothing.
Several people have told me that I’m an ‘old soul.’ I don’t know whether I am or not, but if it’s true, I’m clearly not old enough yet. How many lifetimes does it take?
Be thankful. This could have been a long post.
6 comments:
It's what I'm learning to......I don't know if my soul is old. I only believe that 'I' have been lost in SAMSARA for so long.
Finally, I have felt blessed that I have no children to worry about. I can travel and meditate much.
I used to pray for "wisdom" until I realized that meant surviving the school of hard knocks. And you and I have discussed the bittersweet pain of being "sensitive" and feeling so deeply. When I was a little girl, I was always told I was an old soul, and I didn't know if I liked that or not. I'm still not sure that I do. I just read a book on the fae where when they reached a certain age, they would be able to recreate themselves without remembering their past as it was so painful. It's a mixed bag, isn't if Jeff being so connected to one's soul?
Being a sensitive soul will certainly make life both harder and richer. I sometimes think we feel loss so keenly because we have regrets. Perhaps that's why being present and in the moment is so important to drink fully of each transitory encounter.
The way I see it, Mei-shan, the older your soul gets, the more likely it is (or should be) to see the gateway out of samsara.
Wendy: I know exactly what you mean, and I feel the same way sometimes. But might I be allowed to indulge a serious presumption - whether warranted or not, I don't know? Is it possible that you're an old soul trapped by fear? Is fear the real enemy? Did you ever read 'The Passenger?' I'm not suggesting you should. After all, what the hell do I know? It does go into this very question, though. The core of the old lady's argument - and the denoument, come to that - concerns the conflict over whether it's kinder to leave the changeling with the fae.
Complex, isn't it Mel? I find myself trying to do both - live in the moment and also keep one eye on where I should be going. One day I might get the hang of it.
I think I'm sometimes all too human, Jeff..I think I'm not trapped in "fear" rather I forget my true origins. I think we all need to have a healthy dose of fear to live in this world. But the balance of not making it our gaoler for me is the goal. And yes, I have read your "Passenger" and loved it. It brings me back to the Jungian axiom of holding the tension of the opposites.
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