How to overcome attachment?

[Someone here]

I have shifted my focus on my spiritual work from chasing "awakening " or "God-Consciousness " to what is called "liberation ".

Liberation is the total and complete acceptance of reality as it is .and transcending all fears and needs .and of course the cherry on top of the cake  is complete freedom from suffering.  That's honestly what I care about in the spiritual path. Leo cares about understanding reality down to every molecule. That's his trip .I'm not concerned with it . My trip is total freedom from absolutely everything including enlightenment or awakening or God-Realization or what have you .

 And i think that Everyone MUST have his own spirituality.  Imo no two people should have the same spiritual path . It must be unique to you . 

So..with getting clear about my genuine spiritual goals ..I find attachment to good and bad to be the ultimate obstacle. I'm attached to all kinds of shit like a kid in a candy store. And it's a pipe dream to achieve liberation with this kind of intense attachment in me .to give you an example i Just broke my phone last week and I had to spend two day without it before buying a new one . And those two days felt like eternity . I was sooooo fuucking disturbed and out of sorts.  Because of how I'm addicted to my smartphone and Internet and technology in general. 

So my question basically for anyone dealing with something similar..what is the best way to overcome childish attachments to soften my way to spiritual freedom?

Thanks !

[Keryo Koffa]

Try this: Sit down on a chair in front of a mirror and tell yourself to stop caring, then react with whatever comes up

Figure out what the you within you wants and why and when it will be content so you can be free

[What Am I]

The detachment would come as a natural consequence of your shift in identity from the false self (which is an ad-hoc identity constructed of thoughts) to the primordial awareness. There's a huge number of resources that go over how it's done, but the basic idea is to be constantly aware of awareness, conscious of consciousness, etc. It's a very subtle and delicate thing at first, so you have to sincerely explore within yourself to find it.

Good goal by the way. I'm aiming towards the same thing.

Edited June 28 by What Am I

[Someone here]

6 minutes ago, Keryo Koffa said:

Try this: Sit down on a chair in front of a mirror and tell yourself to stop caring, then react with whatever comes up

What do you mean react with whatever comes up ? If I sit down like this staring at a mirror I will probably experience high states of boredom and turbulence .and that's exactly the thing I need to sit with and overcome but I can't.  Maybe it's not my time to fully be free? Maybe I need free more years of learning the hard way of how to let go?

2 minutes ago, What Am I said:

The detachment would come as a natural consequence of your shift in identity from the false self, which is an ad-hoc identity constructed of thoughts, to the primordial awareness. There's a huge number of resources that go over how it's done, but the basic idea is to be constantly aware of awareness, conscious of consciousness, etc. It's a very subtle and delicate thing at first, so you have to sincerely explore within yourself to find it.

At this point I'm not identified with my mind or my ego . I can completely see through my mind's judgement of reality and slicing and categorising situations into good vs bad . And I'm aware that I'm not the ego or the entity that resides behind my eyes somewhere .

But i have not transcended the body . I'm awareness of the body but it seems like you can disentangle the mind and thoughts from your identity as pure consciousness but it's difficult to do the same with the body . Because the body Is a solid form unlike the mind . The body has needs (like food and shelter etc) unlike the mind.

[What Am I]

8 minutes ago, Someone here said:

At this point I'm not identified with my mind or my ego . I can completely see through my mind's judgement of reality and slicing and categorising situations into good vs bad . And I'm aware that I'm not the ego or the entity that resides behind my eyes somewhere .

But i have not transcended the body . I'm awareness of the body but it seems like you can disentangle the mind and thoughts from your identity as pure consciousness but it's difficult to do the same with the body . Because the body Is a solid form unlike the mind . The body has needs (like food and shelter etc) unlike the mind.

Oh nice, it sounds like you've been doing investigation and are heading in that direction on your own.

Adyashanti's teachings have a concept involving awakening at the level of mind, heart, and gut. By his model, you already have significant progress at the level of mind. What you're describing involving the body would be similar to his idea of awakening the heart. Here's a Pastebin of his description.

I also highly recommend this book, coincidentally called Liberation (since that's your new goal). It's an autobiography of a heavily dedicated practitioner who mapped out his experience better than any other I've seen. The first 1/3 of the book is about his time in a cult, and it kind of sucks and isn't very helpful, but the rest is unbelievably illuminating regarding what to expect on a path like this and how to get there.

[Someone here]

26 minutes ago, What Am I said:

Oh nice, it sounds like you've been doing investigation and are heading in that direction on your own.

Adyashanti's teachings have a concept involving awakening at the level of mind, heart, and gut. By his model, you already have significant progress at the level of mind. What you're describing involving the body would be similar to his idea of awakening the heart. Here's a Pastebin of his description.

I also highly recommend this book, coincidentally called Liberation (since that's your new goal). It's an autobiography of a heavily dedicated practitioner who mapped out his experience better than any other I've seen. The first 1/3 of the book is about his time in a cult, and it kind of sucks and isn't very helpful, but the rest is unbelievably illuminating regarding what to expect on a path like this and how to get there.

Thank you .very helpful advice .but is there a free pdf version of that book you've linked ? It is not just coincidence that the book is titled liberation haha.  I'm experiencing huge synchronicities as well as of late with people. I guess that's something I needed to mention on OP.

 

Edited June 28 by Someone here

[Carl-Richard]

Every time you meditate, accept that there is no tomorrow; essentially give up your entire life. Are you're worried about what you're going to do tomorrow, or next week, or in a few years? Let it go. Whatever is going to happen, is ok. Everything that has ever happened, is ok. As long as you're ok with everything as you're sitting in meditation, and if you meditate enough, that will start to become your default state.

What this looks like in practice: any thought that might arise in meditation that concerns your life, let it go, no matter how important it is. How do you let it go? Tell yourself "I'm ok without this"; "If that happens, I'm ok"; "I don't need this". Now, this is of course not to say that your life doesn't matter. It does matter. But it can matter without it mattering to you.

Edited June 29 by Carl-Richard

[What Am I]

24 minutes ago, Someone here said:

Thank you .very helpful advice .but is there a free pdf version of that book you've linked ? It is not just coincidence that the book is titled liberation haha.  I'm experiencing huge synchronicities as well as of late with people. I guess that's something I needed to mention on OP.

 

lol for sure, it's always amazing when synchronicities happen, no matter how many times we see them. It's like a peak behind the curtain into a true timelessness, and they can serve as a marker giving us hints we're on the right path.

Besides torrents, I'm not sure if you could easily find an electronic copy of the book. It's The End of Your World by Adyashanti. Very helpful book indeed, as well as all his other material.

Edited June 28 by What Am I

[Someone here]

7 minutes ago, Carl-Richard said:

Every time you meditate, accept that there is no tomorrow; essentially give up your entire life. Are you're worried about what you're going to do tomorrow, or next week, or in a few years? Let it go. Whatever is going to happen, is ok. Everything that has ever happened, is ok. As long as you're ok with everything as you're sitting in meditation, and if you meditate enough, that will start to become your default state.

Fascinating. I'm gonna try this tonight as I fall asleep.  Thank you. 

8 minutes ago, Carl-Richard said:

What this looks like in practice: any thought that might arise in meditation that concerns your life, let it go, no matter how important it is. How do you let it go? Tell yourself "I'm ok without this"; "If that happens, I'm ok"; "I don't need this". Now, this is of course not to say that your life doesn't matter. It does matter. But it can matter without mattering to you.

Haha you mean I should trick my way or  myself to the fact that nothing matters..? I fine that very depleting and inauthentic. I mean I can even recite to myself "nothing matters ..everything is OK..there is no boogeymanunder my bed " and so forth ..but do I actually have that mindset?  Are you suggesting to lie to myself  ? Because honestly i do care ..I don't have the "I don't give a fuck attitude " towards things . Only when I'm truly depressed haha . But thanks .helpful advice. 

[Keryo Koffa]

9 minutes ago, Someone here said:

you mean I should trick my way or  myself to the fact that nothing matters..? I fine that very depleting and inauthentic

In a way, he is pointing to that, but there's a nuance, its rather the attitude that keeps you calm and collected, that you are already whole, that any experience is an addition, that you are not reliant on it for happiness, that you act out of abundance instead of desperation. That you can chose your desires and engage in the process independent of outcome which is never certain.

To exemplify with a worst case scenario, imagine believing: "If I don't become omniscient in the next five seconds, I will not allow myself to be content ever again" and then when you don't, now what? Instead if you go "Omniscience would be amazing and I wonder how I'd get there, let's imagine I'm omniscient already, now how would that look like? I won't beat myself up if I don't get it immediately" then that's an entirely different attitude.

[Carl-Richard]

4 hours ago, Someone here said:

Haha you mean I should trick my way or  myself to the fact that nothing matters..? I fine that very depleting and inauthentic. I mean I can even recite to myself "nothing matters ..everything is OK..there is no boogeymanunder my bed " and so forth ..but do I actually have that mindset?  Are you suggesting to lie to myself  ? Because honestly i do care ..I don't have the "I don't give a fuck attitude " towards things . Only when I'm truly depressed haha . But thanks .helpful advice. 

You have to really mean it if you actually want liberation/enlightenment. That is why enlightenment is no joke. The price for enlightenment is your life.

What — you expect to still have an ego while living in an egoless state? You expect to be able to do things, to have goals and desires, to feel accomplishment and pride, to feel like you're just a normal everyday person? Your only job while being enlightened is to channel God's will. There is no more you in that picture.

Again, from the outside, you might look just like any other person; with goals and desires, with meaning and purpose; but from the inside, you're God's puppet.

Edited June 29 by Carl-Richard

[What Am I]

4 minutes ago, Carl-Richard said:

The price for enlightenment is your life.

Exactly, that's why Adyashanti called the book "The End of Your World". It's meant to be literal.

I've had tastes of what it'd be like during strong 5meo trips, and it's a true erasing of the feeling of being a self, even when you're still interacting with the phenomenal world. You're so perfectly lined up with 'what is' that it becomes a choiceless dissolving into the moment. The raw feeling of liberation is absolutely insane. So heavenly, even though nobody in particular experiences it lol.

[Carl-Richard]

27 minutes ago, What Am I said:

Exactly, that's why Adyashanti called the book "The End of Your World". It's meant to be literal.

I've had tastes of what it'd be like during strong 5meo trips, and it's a true erasing of the feeling of being a self, even when you're still interacting with the phenomenal world. You're so perfectly lined up with 'what is' that it becomes a choiceless dissolving into the moment. The raw feeling of liberation is absolutely insane. So heavenly, even though nobody in particular experiences it lol.

It's like you're entering a black hole and time stands still, but somehow things are still moving and changing around you. You will be walking across your room, but you're not walking across it — the room is walking you across it.

Edited June 28 by Carl-Richard

[What Am I]

9 minutes ago, Carl-Richard said:

It's like you're entering a black hole and time stands still, but somehow things are still moving and changing around you. You will be walking across your room, but you're not walking across it — the room is walking you across it.

It's such a moth-to-the-flame scenario, and yet still so appealing for some reason lol.

[BipolarGrowth]

In my experience, the best way to develop freedom from attachment is to find yourself experiencing something so fantastic, pleasurable, wonderful, and blissful that all of your desire for everything and the entire world of experience, consciousness, and form is quenched, if only for an instant. I think people will find this potentially counterintuitive in practice. My first taste of this possibility came entirely unplanned in the middle of a normal day and typical activities for myself. It seems like many people get the idea that reducing attachment means getting less of things they want by some forced monk-like behavior. To me, this is doomed to fail. You’ll end up repressing behaviors and your desire which does not reduce it or do away with it. It only hides desire and instead develops aversion which is just as rooted in attachment as any sort of desire is. 
 

We are attached to numerous things, feelings, people, and activities which has us wandering in samsara endlessly. This happens because we keep looking in this world for deep, fulfilling, and perfect satisfaction when this world is entirely incapable of providing that. With the right practice, the Mind can recognize that there is no solace to be found in this world. It helps for the Mind to see some of the highest levels of bliss that experience can offer though. Before this point, the Mind might think it is still missing out on something in the world of experience. It can then stop trying to pry perfection from what is imperfect. Then the Absolute can rest within itself. This is the liberation I’m seeking. 

Edited June 29 by BipolarGrowth

[Inliytened1]

@Someone here I think it just comes with age and experience.    And that's good to not chase awakening but maintain the spiritual practices.  Because when one awakens, it really is the end of suffering in a broader sense..yeah your bum knee can still annoy you. you still have desires based on survival..to be healthy, happy, etc.   But in a bigger sense - you did beat the game.   Deep, deep dread is gone...because death is realized to be illusory.    So you're still holding onto things but not in the same way anymore.  Everything is different now.   And you simply enjoy the game.

Edited June 29 by Inliytened1

[DianaFr]

Even though I recognize my opinion may not be welcome but I want to throw in a different view, not necessarily as a response to the original question. Overcoming attachment is not natural. In fact, it's extremely unnatural. It goes against our deepest nature as a species. Try to raise a newborn baby and you will see the non-sense that many of these spiritual teachings are. As a parent, I would never wish for my son to become non-attached to the things he needs, to talk himself out of that. My wish is to equip him as much as I can with means to build healthy relationships and have a healthy sense of self so he feels safe in the world and provides that same level of safety to others. This is what we all should eventually strive for. Not to get rid of our desires or needs but to be able to meet them. It goes equally for mundane things like technology and deep stuff like sense of belonging and purpose. For example, what's so bad about being attached to your cell phone? If one really questions this, one may find the cell phone is not the issue at all.
@Someone here Why are you so attached to creating spiritual freedom? 

[Breakingthewall]

I think it's impossible. If they told me that tomorrow they were going to amputate my feet and hands, I would enter an extremely negative and anxious state, in any circumstance. Being alive means pursue the best circumstance, escape the worst. It is the nature of life.

[Keryo Koffa]

5 hours ago, Breakingthewall said:

If they told me that tomorrow they were going to amputate my feet and hands, I would enter an extremely negative and anxious

 

[gettoefl]

nothing can be overcome in life because overcoming is what makes ego proud

see the purpose in everything, in the identity and the attachment

repurpose it for good, for god

my identity is mistaken, my attachment is keeping me stuck thinking my identity is me

therefore i practice until establishing my true identity as a daily blissful experience

then i won't dream of having attachment to a phone or even a body

maybe nice to have surely not have to have

all is for good in god's hood