I think the problem is the ego wanting to be individual. It goes back to when we are children, the ‘terrible two’s’ when a child starts to say no to everything. That is a point in our life that we develop the idea that we are separate individuals and want acknowledgment as an individual, separate from everyone else. That is what the ego is all about, I am ME and I want to be acknowledged and respected.
We are too sacred to let go fully because we, the individual person we are, would stop existing. That would be like dying and we do not want to die. Interesting if you think about it objectively, it is a natural instinct of survival, an animalistic response that defies emotional or intellectual desires.
Our human animal side prevents our spiritual side from being free and awakening fully. This is the big challenge of life. How do we let go of our natural instinct for survival and individuality in a world where we have to be individual and special in order to survive? If you are not special then you do not get the work, and the money, to pay for the things to live.
Not just luxuries, even things as basic as medical care. So really, when people say that someone is greedy or cares about money, they are not thinking about how much money it takes to be able to go to the doctor. Wanting to have that covered is not being greedy, it is simply being smart, even if it is subconscious.
This is why ALL desires, even the desire for enlightenment or life itself prevents enlightenment. The only way to fully let go is to give up every thread of desire for yourself and your life. That is why finding someone you love so much that you would be willing to die for them is so powerful. The problem is that if you love someone so much that you would die for them, you would not want to die because you would not be with them any more. As you can see, there is a problem which prevents us from letting go in love.
All I can say is what I believe, that to give up all thoughts of myself, all desires for anything, and live fully for the sake of what needs to be done, and willing to die freely without any attachments or regrets at any moment, is the way to freedom. This is a very difficult thing to do and takes a lifetime of constant effort, there is no weekend workshop that can give a person this freedom.
There is no home to go to, there is no ‘you’ who can go anywhere, there is absolutely nothing at all other than this very single instant. The good news is that every instant is an instant you can achieve this state of annihilation of the ego, so there is never a moment when it is not possible.
In every moment, do what needs to be done instead of what you feel is best for you. I know, this is very difficult to accept and makes life very hard to live. The question is, and of course this is recommended only for people who feel this way, what is the most important thing in life to you?
What you would give up everything to have. If the answer is total emotional freedom and Unity with all things beyond your limited human existence, then attending to the moment is the answer.
Some call it heartless to have no attachments, others call it freedom, and the wise call it; “Being present”.
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