Did you know? - Attachment and Aversion

Did you know? Did you know that attachment and aversion are both obstacles?

Yes indeed it is not only the idea of being attached to things that is not encouraged on the spiritual path... also and equally important is the idea of non-aversion...not hating things, not having a negative energy field towards things.

Known as Raga (attachment) and Dvesha or Dvesa (aversion) in Sanskrit, both are an obstacle to the experience of freedom and power found in the divine present moment. They are emotional responses that negatively affect our ability to see the world around us clearly and without projection. This negative state is called avidya (non-seeing). In this state of non-seeing, pain is mistaken for pleasure, impermanence for permanence, and the profane for the sacred.

Both Attachment ans Aversion follow this pattern

Attachments arise from imprinted memories of previous experiences of pleasure and happiness. Aversions originate from memories of previous experiences of pain and suffering. Over time, as we accumulate a long list of these likes and dislikes, our sense of self-identity is formed, and we begin defining ourselves as a collection of these ingrained emotional responses.

We tend to seek the pleasurable (perhaps even sub-consciously) and we slowly become attached, even to the point of addiction. We avoid the situations and things that remind us of our previous painful experiences and feel the need to protect ourselves from them. Aversion in the forms of fear and hatred are the results.

If we practice a form of meditative self-inquiry, and begin observing ourselves honestly and then reflecting on what we find, we can gradually increase our ability to understand ourselves. We start by becoming aware of our powerful likes and dislikes and how much we are controlled by them. Next, we become aware of the sources and triggers behind those tendencies. Over time, we are able to put a stop to the behaviors that seem to empower these obstacles, and as a result we liberate ourselves, opening ourselves up to new ways of observing and being in the world. Subsequently, we end the impulse to form our self-identity so heavily based on our emotional past. Additionally we are able to build a sense of self that radiates a deeper and more universal reflection of our indwelling spirit.



Did you know? That there are many ways of meditating and meditation is not what you think. (VIDEO)

Did you know? Did you know that there are many ways of meditating? Seated still mind meditation is one type, but only one type.



Formal "seated" meditation in a full lotus position



Meditation is any practice that allows us to transcend our thinking minds and the suffering that they produce. Swimming, running, chanting are all ways of experiencing the deep peace found beyond the mind. It is also interesting to note that the Tibetan Buddhist Meditation tradition does not have seated still mind meditation as one of their practices whatsoever. The meditation practice given by the Buddha to all his disciples is called Vipassana and is a practice of keeping attention on the relaxed breath as the focus of meditation.

Vipassana means 'to come and see'. To be more precise – ‘to come inward and see’, and thus is often referred to as ‘insight meditation’. The practice of Vipassana meditation as instructed by the Buddha is ‘To watch your breath with awareness’. That's all! It’s just that simple, to remain watchful of your breath as it comes and goes. That is Vipassana. It’s the easiest meditation technique of all time. It’s the kind of friendly meditation which can be practiced by anybody, anywhere and at any time.

It has been said that the most fruitful meditation becomes ‘seamless’ and you’ll know you’ve attained real success when you can be aware of your breath while doing all kinds of daily activities like reading, playing, driving a car, even running errands or doing simple domestic tasks. This stage will come after continuing the regular practice of bringing your attention back to the breath for a considerable amount of time. At that point you will become aware of two basic aspects of your existence, ‘doing’ and ‘being’. You will notice that you’re doing everything, fully involved in your tasks, yet inside you’ll have established a center of awareness that is completely undisturbed by outer circumstances. That will be the true state of a meditator.

Of related interest: Video - Meditation after Yoga Class - Fred Busch Power Yoga