Learning: Detached Attachment

08.04.2023

Hey! How are you been? If you ask me, I am precious! just kidding, I am amazing, happy, and healthy! Yes, It's been a long time since to share something with you. So, here I am with a new topic, Learning.

You know what, I describe myself as a student, a student who loves to learn new things, and who needs to evolve with every passing minute. In a few words, I would say a dedicated learner.

I learn from my experiences, others' experiences, quotes, influencers, mentors, and guides. One of the important teachers of my life is the book named Bhagavad Gita As It Is?by Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. I started reading this book during the first lockdown. Honestly, I haven't completed it yet because I read a verse per day with the meaning. This book gives me clarity and a new perspective on my day-to-day life.

So, I am very excited to share my current life lesson which I am learning these days i.e. Detached Attachment.

Firstly, I would love to share the meaning of Detached Attachment is the optimal mantra where the feeling of ownership is eliminated and replaced with a feeling of 'custodianship'. ?An ownership feeling implicitly creates a sense of attachment, whereas a custodian feeling creates a sense of detachment with a pure sense of love.

In the?Bhagavad Gita?Lord Krishna beautifully enshrines this concept in “karmanye vaadikaraste…", where he directs Arjuna to do his labour but not be attached to the fruits. In my opinion, Detachment is letting go of one’s expectations of the fruits or results of one’s efforts.

This concept helped me to get over my shortcoming. Since childhood, I like to take control. I do my hard work; expect & get excited, and start predicting the results and that leads to heartbreaks, I started negative self-talk, doubting my capabilities, assuming negative results, etc.

But after years of struggle, now I have started accepting the truth. I am going with the flow. I just focus on completing the task without overthinking and predictions.

I read this concept a while ago, but I was able to understand it when I was in Katra, Reasi District of Jammu & Kashmir. Before I tell you the whole story.

I want to share one thing, it may sound funny to you, but I will, I love to see stairs from the bottom step to the top. But it really scares me when I see stairs from the top step to the bottom. In life, I enjoy it when I go higher but when it comes to facing my lows, it becomes very difficult for me.

Yeah! back to the main topic, On 24 March 2023, I climbed Trikuta mountain. When I was climbing, of course, there were many thoughts in my mind because I was going through a very difficult phase. As usual, I was blaming myself for all the things that I was facing. But with time, I was realizing things it feels like I was getting clarity. It feels like somebody mentoring me.

I took climbing as the task and I commit that within 12 hours, I will complete my task. My initial task was to reach Bhawan. I was doing my hard work with dedication, made strategies, and took small breaks at the right time while climbing the mountain and in 5 hours I reached Bhawan. Then I got my second task and which was to climb to the Bhairav Mandir. I took a 1 & a half-hour break. then I realized I was not able to climb anymore, because I wasn't feeling well. Then I decided to drop the idea of climbing to Bhairav Mandir. But then, my younger sibling said we will go by the ropeway and I got excited and felt motivated to start my second task. So, we were standing in the row to take the tickets. But when we were so close to taking the tickets, the rain started and the ropeways get closed because of bad weather. It was almost 6 p.m. and I gave up. So, before going back to Katra we decided to have a tea break, I think it was the impulse of breaking the bad momentum because when we had our tea, the ropeway started. Within 15 minutes, I completed my second task. After that, we had dinner at 7 p.m. and we started to descend towards Katra. At 11 p.m. we reached our hotel.

Focused points from the case:

1. Task: Katra - Bhawan - Bhairav Mandir - Katra
2. Break times
3. Time calculation
4. Motivation of completing the task
5. Enjoyment during the process

My Learnings:

1. Break your project into small tasks.
2. Time limit your tasks.
3. Take small breaks while working on the tasks.
4. Make good strategies to complete your tasks.
5. To complete the tasks, there is no need to do hard work sometimes we need to do smart work as well.
6. Prepare for the worst.
7. Don't give up when you are facing challenges just find the solutions.
8. Be with the right set of people who motivates you to achieve your tasks.
9. Enjoy the process more than the destinations.
10. Focus on completing the task on time; not on the results.

Understanding of Detached Attachment:

If we are going higher and higher in life then we need to come back too. Just to start a new journey. I am very fond of going higher in life but I can't handle the downfalls. I was enjoying the climbing but when it comes to descending I was very scared, I was just trying to conclude my journey without completing my project because I was just overthinking, the time has almost there when I need to go back. I was attached to my accomplishments, I wasn't able to understand that what comes up needs to go down as well. We can't be on top all the time. This is life. We can't be on top every time but yes, we can't be at our low as well. If we are experiencing highs and lows, it means we are alive.

So, from the term Detached Attachment, I have learnt this and I am learning too.

If you are enjoying the highs as high as the sky then you should also cherish the experiences of low phases which are as deep as oceans. Don't get attached to your highs and do not get depressed from your lows. Enjoy every phase of your life because it evolves you into a better person. With that, I want to say see you soon!

Till the time, Smile. Sparkle. Shine.