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From: kde@heawk1.gsfc.nasa.gov ( Keith Evans)
Newsgroups: soc.religion.eastern
Subject: Re: Question on detachment
Keywords: Buddhism
Message-ID: <1990Nov30.015316.29820@nas.nasa.gov>
Date: 30 Nov 90 01:53:16 GMT
References: <1990Nov29.005643.6034@nas.nasa.gov>
Sender: news@nas.nasa.gov
Organization: NAS Program, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA
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Approved: prabhu@amelia.nas.nasa.gov

In <1990Nov29.005643.6034@nas.nasa.gov> pur-ee!surge@en.ecn.purdue.edu (PhD-in-Training) writes:

>extent) that attachment to objects in this world leads to misery
>or unsatisfaction (the first noble truth) and that detachment
>from desire is the first step to freedom from this misery and
>cycle of birth.  However, if I imagine myself completely detached
>emotionally from all things and desiring almost nothing, don't I
>lose a quality of being alive?  Isn't passion an integral part of
>living?  Detachment makes me think of the character Spock from
>the TV series "Star Trek", something that is more of a machine
>than human.  If one is detached from feeling misery, does one
>lose touch with all feelings (good or bad)?  It seems like one
>must lose the good feelings in life to rid oneself of the bad.

The idea of detachment is prevalent in Hinayana (lesser teaching) Buddhism.
Being human beings it is really hard to be detached. But if you put
attachment to objects as the first and foremost principle of your 
life, yes it will definietly lead to suffering, because it is like
slandering the one Law of Buddhism (slander is the worst thing you
could do). 

The idea is to use one's worldly attachments to gain enlightenment. In
Nichiren Shoshu this Law is called Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. By chanting this
and basing one's life on this (the ultimate law of cause and effect),
then one is actually in the life-condition of Buddhahood. So the more
you chant about your desires/problems, then the more often you are in
the state of Buddhahood. 

This also allows you to fulfill your desires/solve your problems. Many
religions try to deny worldly attachments. But it doesn't really work
(try it). By actually fulfilling all your desires, you soon realize
that they are not true happiness and after a while one gains a real
understanding of the transience of this life and lives in such a way
that one's immutable karma (karma to be recieved in future lives) will
be eradicated.

--
   Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.
            Respectfully,
  	         Keith Evans		kde@heawk1.gsfc.nasa.gov