Glorifying dispossessions....................................

My mother started getting rid of things as she got older. I think it was her way of preparing to die.

Well, they would be good riddance, once and for all. Who knows, after the rubbish is cleared, the mind is clear and one is at peace. The world will look different.

No big deal. We come empty and we leave empty. This will give us not only peace but we become more attached to ourselves spiritually.

i have giveaways every other year. too much stuff is too much! better to give it to someone who needs it more.

Hi sukamar, If you surrendered all of these things, would you find peace? I think that is the question that all of us must answer for ourselves. I believe that many of us would find peace and a happier, more rewarding life, but we must know for sure that it is what we want before we begin. Blessings.

Things are not dear to me any longer. Once I became a mother, any fondness for material things I may have had was gone. I had my earthly treasures in those two precious children! If I lost all my material possessions it would not impact my life. Sure, I'd be sorry to lose those things that held sentimental value but the memories they conjure up are still in my heart. My grandpa always told me never to love something that can't love me back and I've taken that advice to heart. Things mean very little to me and I can let them go or keep them. Those that value material things are very poor people. Those that enjoy things but do not depend on them for happiness are wealthy. People are the real treasures here on earth.

in many ways we don't own things, they own us!

its very difficult to do then to say...its all maya-jaal...and you can't come out of everything so easily i think so..of course peace is important...but your bonds with people are so great that very few like Buddha..can attain peace leaving all the things behind.

The Buddha said, "desire is the at the root of all suffering". But then, it is said in Zen, that life is like a classroom where suffering aids our spiritual growth and development. So what I learn from this is that I am hear to experience whatever there is to experience and living in a physical world, I have physical needs and it is those needs that create my desires, which in turn creates an element of suffering through my possessions. Wherever I am situated on the path to enlightenment, I feel that is would be a very unbalanced view to discard all I have achieved and acquired in this life. The balance would be correct when I can still achieve things in the material world, but doing so mindfully and without desire - without attachment. - Derek

I think that it is not the ‘stuff’ in our lives that keeps us entrapped in materialism but the love of material things and basing one’s esteem on what we own that is damaging. I am not overly attached to material objects but I would be lying if I did not admit that I love nice things and I don’t think there is anything wrong with that as long as I don’t use what I own to define who I am and at the end of the day there are only so many pairs of shoes one needs!

Hello my friend sukumar794 JI, It can happen to anyone at any time. It is just matter of particular instances. Many yrs back, I had family friend of my hubby, who was a chain smoker and smoking was a dearest to him, but one day while we were talking on same topic, he just crushed his half smoked ciggrette underneath hi sshoe and tehreafter never found smoking. Gautam Buddha left everything and went to Jungles to find peace. May God bless You and have a great time.

That is what Gautam Buddha did. He gave up everything and went in search of nirvana. But what I have always felt was that he did not give a second thought about how his wife and family felt with his decision. As long as one is independent and others donot get affected by our wanting to give up everything and go in search of peace that would be a welcome proposition but what if it is not?