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Is Attachment the Root of All Suffering?
“Attachment is the root of all suffering”-you likely have heard this statement before. When I was younger, this phrase confused me. I would think about what I was attached to: my family, my home, my collection of shoes I never wore. Did letting go of attachments mean I had to let go of these things and become an emotionless robot? Should I give away all possessions, say good bye to my loved ones and walk the earth in a potato sack and a walking stick? I’d think, “I like the things and people I’m attached to, what’s wrong with that?” This concept needs refinement for most of us who grew up in a capitalist society in which the the acquisition of things and achievements is glorified.
What is attachment?
Before I dive too deeply into this concept, I must first define what I mean by attachment. The one constant in the universe is change. Becoming attached means clinging to something often past its relevance with the mistaken idea that this thing defines us and will bring happiness. In doing so, we are seeking happiness outside the self where it is not and are also resisting progressive change. Whenever this happens, we are going against the forces of nature and suffering always follows. We can form attachments to almost anything: objects, people, occupations, self-concepts, patterns of behavior (even negative patterns we know we don’t like about…
