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| Renunciation And Non-Attachment - Stumbling Blocks To Joyous Living | May 12, 2008, 3:21 am | visits: 108 | wordcount: 798
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By Robert A. Meyer
Individuals on a spiritual path eventually hear about the virtues of renunciation and non-attachment. They are told or they read that desire causes all pain and suffering. And of course, an attachment to your desires places you on an endless cycle of alternating pleasure and pain. The only solution is to renounce the flesh and live the contemplative life of the ascetic.
It is apparent that most people don't adopt a life of asceticism. However many do renounce the many pleasures of the flesh believing they will find the spiritual path of ecstasy and salvation. They think they have conquered the erring ways of the body only to discover that life is less than it could be. They finally justify their misery by rationalizing that suffering is the spiritual path--not realizing that they are now attached to their suffering.
Sadly these people are living in a world of illusion. They have traded one set of illusions for another set. They don't realize they have sacrificed a higher value for a lower one. They have traded what little happiness they had for a life of sacrifice and self-denial.
Why would they do this? Why would someone accept emotional pain and suffering and believe this is the spiritual path? The reason is: They totally misunderstand renunciation and non-attachment.
Misunderstanding Renunciation and Non-Attachment
In reality what most people are attached to are the negative emotions. Their negative emotions result in neurotic behavior. They become attached to people and things that cause them much grief and misery. They live soap opera lives.
You can see it in unhappy marriages, abusive relationships, broken friendships, the work environment, the economic situation, terrorism, wars, etc. I could go on and on about negative emotions and the neurotic and even psychotic behavior that result in pain and suffering.
It's no wonder people want to renounce the insanity they see in every day life. Unfortunately they have cause and effect reversed. It isn't the world they should renounce—but the negative emotions that result in neurotic and psychotic behavior.
They don't realize that when they renounce the external world they are also renouncing the pleasure and ecstasy it has to offer. Sadly, they end up attached to their pain and suffering.
Spiritual Enlightenment
We're going to cut to the core of the issue. The spiritually enlightened do not indulge in pain and suffering. They have transcended all misery. They don't renounce the pleasures and ecstasies of life. In fact they enjoy them to the max. They have totally integrated the pleasures of the mind, body and spirit. To some they might seem quite worldly.
Here is how the spiritually enlightened live.
1.The only thing they renounce is the negative emotions and the neurotic and psychotic behavior that results from them.
2.They enjoy all life has to offer to the fullest. They sip the finest wines or spirits, have the most ecstatic sexual relationships, enjoy value for value friendships, relish the taste of good food, bathe in the delights of nature, dance, cry and soar to their favorite music, etc. They enjoy all their activities with passion and delight. They shun the anti-life philosophy of altruism. They embrace personal liberty and freedom. They live The Libertarian Way.
3.They don't allow attachments to restrict their personal liberty and freedom. If they suffer a loss they may weep tears of sadness and mourn. However you won't catch an enlightened one suffering years after the fact. They always return to joyous living. Their existence is too important to wallow in pain and suffering. Even though their life is their highest value--they're not neurotically attached to it since they know they are eternal beings.
4.They won't overindulge in food, drink or other vices. They enjoy all the good things in life but they never go beyond the point of diminishing returns. They are too enlightened to become attached to destructive behaviors.
Your solution:
Life is meant to be pleasure and ecstasy—not pain and suffering. If an activity supplies you with pleasure relish it with love and passion. Go for the gusto. Enjoy Libertarian Pleasures.
If negative emotions are plaguing you. If you suffer from guilts and fears. If external events make you feel anger or despair. Don't renounce the world and all of its pleasures. There's a better way to deal with all the pain, suffering and frustrations.
Begin a daily meditation program. In your meditations you want to release all the negativity that's interfering with your enjoyment of life. You expand your power of reason and reach the higher states of awareness. You experience euphoria. Eventually the euphoria from your meditations will start to permeate all of your activities.
It really is quite simple. Release the negativity that's holding you back. Experience all the pleasures and ecstasies life has to offer. Practice the philosophy of rational selfishness. The Libertarian Way will be yours. In fact you may become a master of life.
Robert A. Meyer has been investigating and studying economics, philosophy, psychology and metaphysics for 30 years. He realizes there are basic principles of Human Action that will help you become successful. His knowledge that life is to be lived on a physical, emotional, mental and spiritual level allowed him to discover "The Libertarian Way." He experiences its many pleasures and ecstasies on a daily basis. http://libertarianway.com/
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