Mind Like a Mirror
Question: If followers of the Tao seek non-attachment to things, doesn’t that make them attached to non-attachment?
Thoughts: thank you for writing! I’ve thought about this question before; particularly in the area of growing my career and financial independence. These are areas in life where I get attached. I additionally get attached to my health and spiritual practice.
For instance, I want to have a more, better, different spiritual practice. I know all these practices after 20 years of study and I don’t get to practice them nearly as much as I’d like. Also, I have two young nephews that are growing fast in a different city. I love them and miss them and it makes me anxious if I don’t see them enough. And all these things can cause me stress. And so I don’t want to be too attached to a different outcome or any outcome.
So, for my own peace of mind, I try not to be too attached to the outcomes, but not rigid about non-attachment. Non-attachment can be a philosophy or a core value, but not an obsession. One of my favorite analogies from nature is the way a lake reflects the image of geese flying over the lake. The lake is there and present, it responds exactly to the geese flying over… but then it lets them go when they are gone.