Attachment

As one treads on the path of Krishna Bhajana, one is sure to encounter many theories about the spiritual path, the habits of the mind, the self and God. The most common philosophy in this connection is based on the aphorism “I am not the body”. To preach about this theory and to practically experience it is two different things. Simply by reiterating “I am not the body” will not take one anywhere close to the experience.

The aspect of “I am not the body” concept has its base in the phenomenon of attachment. It is attachment alone that runs this Mayic world. If one carefully observes around one will observe clearly that other than frenzied attachment there is no other purport of life. All the familial relationships run on attachment. A worker works in his workplace for need of money. This again is based on his attachment to maintain himself and the family. A boss in the office is attached to his team because he is attached to the results of his performance as a senior at office and so on. Thus in any area of life it is attachment alone that rules. If any person says that he has overcome attachment, one should be sure that he is lying. No one can overcome attachment although there are means to transmute it into a very powerful higher force that can propel one into the higher dimensions of existence. Attachment in general is the basis on which the Lord performs His Samsara Leela. The Lord sends His agents like His chosen saints and prophets to teach the science of higher life to the utterly sincere seeking souls, otherwise attachment is a good thing for the world!

When a person dies, there is an entire reel about the dead person that gets triggered in the minds of all the known people and the relatives of the dead one. This reel spins in the psyche of the individuals to an extent that causes little pain to these individuals. These bereaved remember the good times they enjoyed with the dead person and feel extremely sad. Thus the shackles of attachment are broken. This is the mechanism that the Lord implements to relieve the dead person from the hearts of so many people. The worldly attachment with the dead is completely extinguished by the factor of time. Attachment is created when a new soul appears in the world and likewise attachment is relieved when a soul departs. Thus attachment is the gravitational force that operates amongst living entities for them to lead an “imagined” meaningful life.

However when one is on the path of Krishna Bhajana, it should be evident that Krishna-Prapti cannot be possible unless attachment towards the world is completely transmuted into attachment for Krishna. However in this endeavour too, Krishna takes the call and it is only by His will can one attach oneself to Krishna. Krishna, the name itself means the “All-attractive” one. Unless we have been completely attracted to Krishna, attachment to the material world will keep us pegged to the material plane. One cannot truly attach oneself to Krishna unless one takes complete shelter of His mantra form. The Sri Gopala Mantra form of the Lord encompasses the form, qualities, Leelas and the Name of the Lord. When one undertakes serious sadhana of this mantra under the guidance of God-realized Sadhguru, it is difficult for one to experience true attachment to Krishna. In this world Vairagya only represents attachment to Krishna and not distaste from the world per se. If someone by the grace of Guru and Krishna, through intense chanting, invokes attachment to Krishna, Krishna reciprocates through one’s heart. This reciprocation will automatically distance from oneself the world and forms of the lesser kind.