Enlightenment to Go by David Michie

Author:David Michie
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Wisdom Publications
Published: 2011-11-30T05:00:00+00:00

WHY WE TOLERATE DELUSIONS

In the case of desire or attachment, along with the urgency of our wish to have something or someone, and the possible frustration that we don’t already have them, we may also experience an anticipatory thrill as we imagine what it would be like to be the possessor. Whether we fantasize about a situation that we know will never happen, or one that may come within our grasp, attachment can bring with it an alluring, pleasurable energy, even though its ultimate result for us is destructive.

This is not to say it is wrong to establish goals and work toward achieving them. On the contrary, the Dharma encourages us to live purposeful and materially rewarding lives. Rather, the point is that when the achievement of our goals or wishes disturbs our inner peace then it becomes a problem. When we become fixated on something or someone, believing that we will only be happy when we have that thing or person, we reinforce a delusion.

Interestingly, this is a dynamic that successful salespeople will confirm. It’s one thing to try to close a deal when you are confident in yourself and your product and are genuinely unconcerned about which way the sale goes. Sure, you know what you want, but you are relaxed about whether or not you get it. You know that your inner peace—and sales target—doesn’t depend on it. But if you’re strongly attached to a positive outcome and your desperation shows through, not only do you find yourself in a much less powerful position, you’re also less likely to close the deal. Even on a worldly level, attachment creates problems for us.

Nostalgia can also easily become an attachment-based delusion. If we live in the past, during a time and place that no longer exists, we may feel a heart-warming glow as we reminisce, but this can become dysfunctional when our equanimity is disturbed by thoughts about how our current situation doesn’t live up to the former life we recollect so fondly. I encounter this particular delusion very often when meeting fellow expatriates from Zimbabwe, and it’s one I share myself: we yearn for a time and place we recollect through decidedly rose-tinted glasses. Sadly, this attachment to a mythical past can be a real hindrance to getting on with one’s life in the here and now.

Turning to anger, the undertow of positive energy we experience alongside our fury at the driver in front of us is the confirmation of our superiority. He or she is, all too obviously, a much less competent driver than ourselves—perhaps even morally defective, judging from the selfishness displayed. It is rare for us to feel hostility toward others without also experiencing a sense of self-righteousness.

When you look at the behavior of some supposedly cause-driven activists, you can’t help wondering if environmental, racial, or economic injustices really are the issues that drive them, or if these are merely the outlets through which they can vent their anger in a form of socially sanctioned moral indignation.

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