Non-attachment from Material things..

[Dannyg]

Im kinda struggling with non-attachment from material, desires.. like for example:

Is wanting a pair of speakers self-defeating bcs its a possesion and it won't bring true happiness? regardless I still personally want these speakers because music is an interest&hobby. does this make most hobbies bad bcs they cause a craving for material things?
... Now that I think about it, I kinda doubt the Buddha had any hobbies lol

OR... If I am not attached and realize it doesnt bring me true happiness, Does that make a material desire Okay? When do material possesions/desires or them become Okay or acceptable in buddhism?

What are your thoughts on this topic of material desires.

[MetaCognition]

Don't get caught up worrying about attachment to material objects. There is nothing wrong with using material objects for comfort or to display an "external identity" as long as you realize those things aren't "you."

[Hazelkay]

Life is full of material things and this mind-body phenomenon is full of craving. The sensation of craving is a very addictive pain/pleasure and unfulfillable. As soon as we have the things we desire the craving starts again for something else.

We have needs and we have have wants - some are necessary for life and some we feel are necessary for our happiness. When does a simple want or need become this addictive craving?

It is hot at the beach and you fancy a cooling ice. There is a long queue at the hut and you patiently wait your turn, just as you get to the head of the queue, the shutter comes down and the 'sold out' sign goes up. What is your reaction? The attachment to the ice is evident if you swear, bemoan your luck, look enviously at those already licking. If you shrug your shoulders or even if you look for another hut (without desperation!) then it is a simple want.

With the speakers - there is nothing amiss with wanting the speakers and making a plan of action to get them. If your days are spent dreaming of the speakers and if your circumstances change and they are no longer possible and you feel crushed because of this then craving and attachment have taken over.

Good to examine ourselves and our wants and be aware of where we are in this spectrum right now. Wherever we are is reality and to be accepted with a smile.
peace and joy

[Panthau]

This thread fits my day 100%! lol

Wanted to have a crossbike, because we have only 1 car at the moment, and i want to be flexibel with my appointments... vienna isnt that big

The weird thing is, if i want something, REALLY want something, i always get it. Had no money, but now i have 1000,- and gonna go buy a bicycle lol

Just imagine the money or the sound boxes as if you already have them... they will gladly come to you

[Itlandm]

Non-attachment is great. Just don't get too attached to it.

More seriously, what is attachment? Anything that makes you think "If I were to be Enlightened, I'd lose out on this" is an attachment.

I have given up some things in my life, for the sake of my highest aspiration. But I would say that more often, things have just fallen away. Things that I would have had a hard time giving up, just withered, or you could say I outgrew them. When I thought I was moving to a smaller apartment, I had to get rid of a lot of comic books and computer games. It felt almost like killing kittens. At the end of the slaughter, I still had lots left that I just knew I could not part with. When I moved again, four years later, almost none of them were actually unpacked since last I moved! The whole attachment I had felt to them was simply an illusion. Actually they did not interest me, but I kicked up a lot of dust in my mind, feeling that these things were important to me.

It is actually like this with greater things too. Family members die, but life goes on. Friends leave you forever without any explanation, but happiness still flows within you, and you realize it never came from outside in the first place.

So over time you see things like that happen, over and over, and you start saying to yourself: "All things are transient. All things are subject to change. Even I."

[Karmoh]

This post has intrigued and inspired with some exceptional answers to a common problem...

Here is another spin...

Although the root of the ego is the “I” thought, the ego is more involved than that.
Simply there are three points of reference, past, future, and present resistance. The ego is created and maintained through repeatedly identifying with and emphasizing the thoughts within these three spaces. Desire, attachment, or whatever the label is, all evolve from these three spaces.

Past simply stated, includes anything that apparently happened in the past or any idea that was formed in the past but that has now been reduced to a memory and become a part of the story called me and my life.

Future is a bundle of thoughts that includes everything you know or think you know conceptually about the future you. Simply stated, it is anything that you believe needs to happen in the future for you to be more fully yourself. This includes thoughts of future fulfilment with regard to material items, this is hope. The central fuel behind each thought (idea) surrounding hope is as follows: I hope this will happen. If this happens, I will be ok etc. Hence we seek towards the future.

With present resistance the ego keeps its sense of separation alive by resisting what is happening right now. These thoughts include any interpretations of the present moment, especially those that are in conflict to your present experience including blaming, complaining, judging, comparing, and wanting.

During meditation and resting in awareness the above three amigos (past, future, and present resistance) fall away and you are left with the space to be as you really are. When you see this material things are just temporary appearances, as is life itself.

We work, we play, and we buy nice things and enjoy our freedom.

Peace

[Dannyg]

Wow there is so much insight in all the responses, and all very true!

Originally Posted by Hazelkay

if your circumstances change and they are no longer possible and you feel crushed because of this then craving and attachment have taken over.
peace and joy

Yes, I think this is a very true way to identify something as a craving or a simple want. And with the ice example, it seems like just being constantly aware that happiness will not come from ice/no ice (external circumstances) and always truly believing this, is what can keep one unruffled no matter what the circumstances are. But how? I am guessing after years of meditation this idea will just be more strongly ingrained in ones thoughts?

"So over time you see things like that happen, over and over, and you start saying to yourself: "All things are transient. All things are subject to change. Even I." Very True!

"Past simply stated, includes anything that apparently happened in the past or any idea that was formed in the past but that has now been reduced to a memory and become a part of the story called me and my life."
..."During meditation and resting in awareness the above three amigos (past, future, and present resistance) fall away and you are left with the space to be as you really are. When you see this material things are just temporary appearances, as is life itself. "
Thats interesting and very true about temporary appearances. What seems most challenging is to actually be able to always view life this way but my best guess is that experience and practice in meditation does this.

All this leaves out the question about hobbies, and as most hobbies involve material things I am led to believe that the word "hobby" is just a label for a craving and attachment to specific material things and the desire to become better at something that propels more suffering than happiness. Perhaps this is too general of a word to judge it so harshly. But I believe some hobbies are more material based and others more self performance based like sports id guess thats what the difference is.

Also I found out a way to put in the plug so it fixed my old speakers and now, i dont need the new ones.. but when i figured it out I was glad my speakers werent broken but i did feel a slight bit of annoyance that i would miss out on having new speakers, so i guess i was somewhat attached to the idea of new speakers. I do see myself buying those new ones when my current pair actually does break!- probably not the greatest goal to have in mind lol... I think attachment will fade away once i become more experienced with my practice at least i hope!

[Karmoh]

Hi Danny

Regarding hobbies there was a recent post
Can meditation be considered a hobby?

This might shed some light on your question

Peace

[GilesC]

Originally Posted by Dannyg

Im kinda struggling with non-attachment from material, desires..

... cut ...

What are your thoughts on this topic of material desires.

When i was first taught about letting go of attachment it was put something like this...

Letting go of attachment does not mean that you have to give up your family, your house, your job, and give away all your belongings. It simply means that whatever we do have, we should be able to let it go if the need arises without any concern arising.

Of course we have needs in life. We have a need to have a roof over our heads, to be protected from the elements of nature; we have a need to feed ourselves to keep ourselves alive and healthy. There is also a need to be with everyone in society and that involves us having jobs, making money, buying things for ourselves and others etc. but we can do this without becoming attached to those things.

As I was taught, we come into this world with nothing and we will leave this world with nothing, so what's the point in getting attached to anything?

Likewise a person may believe that having a lot of money or material things will make them happy, but even though they may put on their happy persona (mask) with those things, they will inevitably hold strong attachment to them and thus create a fear of losing them, which will constantly stop them from being happy.

Attachment serves no purpose, and cannot create happiness or stillness of mind.

Hugs

Giles