What is detachment? And how to achieve it?

“Be like a lotus, which is not affected by the water in which it is born” says Bhagwan Sri Sathya Sai Baba.

Lotus is a flower pure and unsullied. It is a symbol of perfection prosperity and riches. Its value is further augmented as the goddess of wealth Lakshmi is seated on it. Sri Suktha describes her as “Padmapriye Padmini Padma Hasthe Padmalaye Padma dhalaya thakshi“.  Lotus is very dear to Goddess Shakthi and to almost all other Gods and Goddesses. But the origin or the birthplace of Lotus is considered very ordinary or even bad. The flower has different name in Sanskrit like Pankaja, Pankeruha, Jalaja, Jalaruha, Neeraja, Padma, Ambuja and others. The word Pankaja explains its origin, Panka in Sanskirit means Mud or Slush. So out of slush or mud we have this most beautiful pure and adorable flower. The peculiarity of Lotus is that it does not get wet or affected by Slush or Mud or Water from which it is born. Even the Lotus leaf does not become wet though it is immersed in it.

Swami says, ”man should be like the Lotus which raises its beautiful head unaffected by the surrounding waters, slush and mud. Water here is symbolic of samsara and the vicissitudes of material existence. The smartness of man consists in his ability to come out unscathed from the toils and turmoil of the cycle of samsara or family life. He is not destined to suffer like this. Why it that Man is unable to free himself from those shackles? Is it impossible for him to clear himself from those troubled waters? It is not impossible but rater very difficult for a person totally drowned in the sea of Samsara. Samsar is considered as mire from which man cannot come out easily. Sakara says “Punarapi Jananam Punarapi maranam Punarapi Janani Jatare sayanam Iha samsara Bahu dustare”. Kulasekara Alwar says “Bhava Jaladhi Magadham dustaram”.

Sankara trans migrating into the body of Kasi Raja finds life as an unfathomable ocean full of terrible crocodiles ready to drag him down to the bottom.“ Samsara sagara vishala karal kala nakragraha grasana nigraha vigrahasya”. Wife, children, desires ambitions, success, failure and what not hang heavy on man to bring him down. In short man is attached to mundane things and neglects his own spiritual leanings.

Man has no choice in his birth. He does not know where he will be born and how. His birth is dictated by the cumulative effect of the karmas during his innumerable previous births. As such the Jeeva carries with him the vasanas or tendencies that he had specially liked in those births. The pungent and strong smell of substances that cling to our hand and remain for long these vasanas follow the jeeva for many births and do not go unless he corrects himself. Thus, it is once in a way, there is a birth with ideal or good vasanas when great souls are born.

How can man raise like a lotus unaffected by water from which it is born? It is through detachment only. How can it be achieved? It is through attachment to God and spirituality but yet doing your daily duties.

Saint Thiruvalluvar in his great work Thirukkural says “Patruga patratraan patrinai; appatrai patruga patru vidarkku” Catch hold of the one without attachment to get rid of your attachment. Man is affected by illusion or Maya and considers as real what is unreal and as unreal what is real. Two types of maya namely Avidya and Vidya affect him. The first one leads him astray into samsara and material existence. The second leads him to spiritualism and God. The first one is called Pravruthi marga and the second Nivirthi marga. It is because of Poorva janma vasana, that the child Druva obtained salvation though his father was bad. Prahlada had a father who hated Sri Hari. The Alwars, Nayanmars of the south and the great bhakthas of the North are also evolved souls and turned to God. They steered clear of the muddy waters and flowered like the Lotus. Sri Ramakrishna, Swamy Vivekananda belong to the same group. Sri Shirdi Sai and Sri Sathya Sai are evolved souls though born and brought up by ordinary parents. Swamy was detached to the core even from his childhood. He would be the last to take new clothes after everyone had chosen theirs. Elders were astonished at his total detachment to worldly things even at an early age. When Kati Subbing offered him a pair of new clothes and basket full of Aldus he refused and distributed them to the children saying, “My hands only give but never receive anything from others”. Swamy was personification of detachment, divine love, and compassion.

Devotion to God accompanied with wise satsang, chanting the name of the lord incessantly, and keeping away from too much of involvement in worldly affairs shall make you detached slowly but surely and bring peace of mind.