January 4th 2009

Attachment is considered extremely undesirable in Buddhism. But I love my children. How can I not have an attachment? I have read that in some Asian countries, the (male) head of household simply walks away from everything to a new life of meditation when he is about fifty. His obligation to his children is probably over. For these men, life is divided into three sections: learning, earning and meditation. This sounds cold to Westerners. It doesn't mesh with the idea of ancestor worship and respect for elders etc that we hear about. How do the women feel about this? Do they keep the home fires burning? Do they become nuns? Or do they just accept it and get on with enjoying life?


Perhaps the word 'needy' makes more sense than 'attached'. Some of us remember the sixties and the words 'if you love her let her go'. Much jeered at and misinterpreted then and now.

The thing to remember is that not being attached does not mean not loving.