Happiness: Detachment
iman September 20th, 2008
It’s easy to get sucked into the world, and its routine dealings and material comforts:
Ye are even as the bird which soareth, with the full force of its mighty wings and with complete and joyous confidence, through the immensity of the heavens, until, impelled to satisfy its hunger, it turneth longingly to the water and clay of the earth below it, and, having been entrapped in the mesh of its desire, findeth itself impotent to resume its flight to the realms whence it came. Powerless to shake off the burden weighing on its sullied wings, that bird, hitherto an inmate of the heavens, is now forced to seek a dwelling-place upon the dust.
(Baha’u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u'llah, p. 326)
Simply put, detachment can be viewed as “not being attached or dependent on something”. Attachment to things such as wealth, power and people, even close family and friends, can sometimes act as a barrier between us and God. Detachment implies that, while making use of what is available to us, our relationship with God is left uncompromised; a relationship that is based on service and obedience to his laws. It implies that, regardless of our present degree of prosperity — material or otherwise — our inner drive must essentially be spiritual in nature.
How can detachment make us happier? It obviates that yearning for the temporary, allows for a clearer, moderate and more objective thought process which in turn provides a stepping stone for the development of our spiritual character.
What are some of the ways in which we can increase our detachment? Through prayer, through continual reflection on our every action (and, hence, any necessary correction). According to a talk delivered by Abdu’l-Baha, we should exert our “our greatest efforts”, a counsel which is often neglected due to our apathy and personal comfort zones. In prayers revealed by the Central Figures of the Baha’i Faith, attaining the state of detachment is a common admonition — in fact, it is worth noting that entire sections of prayer compilations are devoted to this theme. Prayer is thus an essential element to help us progress towards a higher state of detachment.
Also, through the sorrows and suffering that we encounter, we can become more detached:
Just as the plough furrows the earth deeply, purifying it of weeds and thistles, so suffering and tribulation free man from the petty affairs of this worldly life until he arrives at a state of complete detachment
(Abdu’l-Baha, Paris Talks, p. 177)
In the next part of the this series, we will look into how suffering and sacrifice can provide us with greater contentment.
![[del.icio.us]](http://images.del.icio.us/static/img/delicious.small.gif){kind=small}
- Baha'i Concepts , General Interest
- Comments(7)
Beautifully done post !!!
Looking forward to the next one since I recently went through treatment for Hepatitis C and found supreme spiritual upliftment in the degeneration of my body…
I’m pursuing a series in my blog now (2 out of 11 posts up) dealing with the issues in the 4th chapter of “Peace: More Than An End To War”. Would love your critique of what I’ve done so far–you may give me some navigational correction…
~ Alex
Thanks Alex. Illness is always a personal “eye-opener” which forces us to reflect and grow in so many ways.
I will definitely read through your posts, and offer some suggestions (though I’m not sure I’m qualified enough to critique it!).
Very uplifting:)
“Detachment does not imply a lack of means; it is marked by the freedom of the heart” – Abdu’l-Baha
Lovely post – pithy, beautifully written, and clearly presented.
So often the goal of being detached can be misinterpreted to mean being apathetic, indifferent, or unfeeling/uncaring, while you’ve explained here that the Baha’i definition of detachment doesn’t mean that at all, but rather placing our true dependence on God, so that ultimately our joy is not as ephemeral as the things in our lives. Naturally, things such as comfort, health, people, and relationships affect our happiness, but if they are the foundation for it, that foundation is very shaky indeed.
“God has given man a heart and the heart must have some attachment. We have proved that nothing is completely worthy of our heart’s devotion save reality, for all else is destined to perish. Therefore the heart is never at rest and never finds real joy and happiness until it attaches itself to the eternal…
Man must attach himself to an infinite reality, so that his glory, his joy, and his progress may be infinite. Only the spirit is real; everything else is as shadow. All bodies are disintegrated in the end; only reality subsists. All physical perfections come to an end; but the divine virtues are infinite.”
(Abdu’l-Baha, Divine Philosophy, p. 134-135)
Great blog post about a very important subject that we all struggle with our whole lives!
Love that quote from ruhi book 1, amazing video and song using that quote by Baha’i artist Elika Mahony:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xlnf-pPPDFg
Insightful post about detachment, thank you. Here’s two Baha’i inspired booklets on detachment here http://www.BahaisUnite.org. Hope you find this useful in search for the truth.
Thanks for the useful links Anousha.