I thought of writing about the concepts of planning ahead, disappointment, and attachment, and how they relate to one another. Several people have asked me if I am excited to leave? I can understand, it is a common question when someone is leaving on a trip. Basically I really don’t to excited over anything. It isn’t worth it from what excitement leads into. I don’t find anything to get excited about. People become a little perplexed over this concept considering what I have planned. Planning ahead, and at the same time staying in the moment, has nothing to do with excitement, nor expectations.
Something I keep observing with some people is the concept of planning. Many people (not all) seem to have a hard time planning ahead. I’ve come across people commenting they don’t know what they will be doing two weeks from now, so they avoid schedule something. For some, they let the feeling of obligation become so powerful, that they avoid making a commitment. Others just don’t want to take any responsibility and thus “play it by ear”. A person that doesn’t know what they will be doing – most will end up not doing anything satisfying. What the person needs to understand is if you plan something, then that is what you will be doing. Quite simple. I guess the concern could be – what if something comes up? I guess the person might feel that they might miss out on something.
I am going to have four days away from any household responsibilities (I work at home) so I’m carefully planning on where to go. What I plan is the geographical location, and where to stay at that location. I prefer getting a good deal, looking before hand can provide a low cost bed, next to getting stuck in an area and paying fifty to one hundred dollars just to sleep. I have heard many stories while I was driving sedan and limo about how people were just bummed out because things did not well for them. The reason something did not go well, for the most part, they didn’t do very good research, nor did they plan ahead, and got sucked into paying more than they wanted to. People have complained about flight tickets, car rentals, accommodations, such travel related essentials. I drove many complainers, along with many nice interesting people, everyone is different.
I don’t plan on what I am going to do at any one location. Once I get someplace, I pick and choose what I want to do. Sometimes I enjoy not doing anything, except for enjoying the moment. Enjoying the nature in solitude proves to be very satisfying. The concept of planning ahead has nothing to do with forming expectations, or being excited about getting someplace. Planning ahead has to do with arriving in a big city and knowing where you are going to stay so you don’t get stuck paying an arm and a leg just to sleep.
Let’s consider the idea of planning, and then the plans fall through; disappointment sets in, which I have observed this to happen quite often within the public. It’s the fear of disappointment which causes avoidance to plan ahead. Thus, not willing to plan, due to disappointment, obligation, expectations; a person will try to wing it and not find any satisfaction within what they are doing, because it is based on instant gratification. I am not referring to everyone, this is based on my own experience by observing and listening to others.
The question is, what causes disappointment which leads to heartache? It’s the attachment. The person will form an attachment to the plans, and to the results of their plans. They put their heart into the plans. Even if a person does not have solid plans they still form an attachment to the results. Attachment resides within, consequently the heart becomes involved. Once the heart becomes involved, the person sets themselves up for disappointment and heartache; which points to grief and sorrow.
Living a life of non-attachment can be attained by the advanced spiritual seeker. The non-attached person is not concerned about results of what might happen. The non-attached person understands, everything that happens; happens for a reason. Therefore the person remains flexible and calm. The non-attachment breaks the bonds of karma. Therefore when a person has formed a strong attachment toward something or the results of something, and a crisis comes about, the person’s heart is crushed with deep inner pain; grief, sorrow and even tears are produced. The non-attached person is free of grief and sorrow.
Krishna teaching Arjuna in the Bhagavad Gita 2:56-57 says “He whose mind is untroubled by any misfortune, whose craving for pleasures has disappeared, who is free from greed, fear, anger, who is unattached to all things, who neither grieves or rejoices if good or if bad things happen-that person is is a person of firm wisdom”. The Gita also teaches to not have an attachment to the results of our own actions.
In The Dhammapada, The Buddha teaches at 6:13 Regarding the wise: “Let him leave the comfort of home, forsaking himself from all obstacles-attachments, delighting in seclusion (not an ordinary person’s choice)”. The Dhammapada teaches the life of non-attachment.
In the Book of Matthew 19:16-27, note verse 21 regarding the rich young ruler. Jesus the Anointed said to the rich young ruler to sell everything he has and give to the poor. Jesus even mentions to give up the attachment of family at Matthew 10:34-37.
Most Christians wont admit that Jesus is referring to detaching from everything and living a life of non-attachment. If a person is stuck in the cauldron, idolatrous practice of religion (any religion), the first thing is to detach from the religion, before any other detachment can take place.
If anybody is wondering what would I do if my tentative plans fall through? I always have plan B in life. For an example, let say the country I’m starting in would just close the borders. I have a layover in Amsterdam. I would just stay in Europe and start heading south to the Mediterranean for the winter. Let’s say that something would happen which would stop me from traveling out of America? I would just go to Plan C. I would drive down to San Diego, sell my truck, and start walking across American to New York. If someone would ask, why I am walking? no particular reason, just felt like walking. Walking thirty miles a day, taking one day off a week, I could walk across America just over a year.
The whole idea is that it doesn’t matter what might happen. Whatever happens; happens for a reason, throughout my life this has been the case.