Ch. 8: Becoming detached

[DivaVillage]

"Being detached does not mean that you cannot enjoy the good that the world has to offer. In fact, you enjoy it more. … When you are detached, you gain a higher vantage point from which to view the events in your life instead of being trapped inside them. You become like an astronaut who sees the planet Earth surrounded by the vastness of space and realizes a paradoxical truth: The earth is precious and at the same time insignificant" (p. 225)

What does this mean to you?

Are there any tips you can offer on how to approach things from the outside?

[gigi]

i think it means to go with the flow.

but i have a hard time flowing.

[fashionlove]

To me, we are detached when we don't let our emotions get the best of us. If we are able to step outside the situation and see all sides, then we can gain a greater view. But when we let our ego get involved, our emotions take control and we only see things the way we want to.

It helps to have someone who can help you gain perspective on both sides (my significant other does this for me), especially when they are men because they don't get as emotional as women! It also helps to remain calm and force yourself to step outside the situation and view it before getting worked up.

[ravi]

i seen differrent versions of being detached from dfferrent people of differrent ages. it seems to me perspective is the most important thing about how much you can or cannot detach.

I guess being detached is a form of say i'm going to be ok, regardless of the outcome ... i am taken care of (by GOD)

i heard it said we are to be in this world as actors & actreses, just playing a role. but at the end of the day we are not that role.

same way if you study on who you are, where did you come from & where do you go after this life. then you start to change your perspective & hence your level of attachment ... but you of course you still live life ... but a richer more fullfilling life.