Twenty Universal Laws (11) : The Universal Law of Conscious Detachment

The Universal Law of Conscious Detachment

Buddha's earthly teachings are best summarized with one of his statements, "It is your resistance to what is that causes your suffering." and by suffering, he meant everything that doesn't work in your life; relationship problems, loss of loved ones, loneliness, sickness, accidents, guilt, monetary hardship, unfulfilled desires, and so on. When ``you accept what is, you accept the unalterable realities in your life without resisting them. Some things are facts. They exist, and no matter how much you resist them, there is nothing you are going to be able to do about them. 

Change what you can change, but have the wisdom to accept unalterable situations as they are, without wasting mental or physical energy attempting to change what you cannot change. 

Out of acceptance comes involved detachment. 

The ability to enjoy all the positive aspects of life, but to allow the negative to flow through you with out resistance and without affecting you.

Hello Blogger readers,

Well, this little Universal Law is a really big one for me. First of all, I like a bit of emotion, I spend a lot of my time fully experiencing how I feel. I enjoy crying my eyes out at a sad movie, I enjoy having my heartstrings pulled by stirring music and love songs.  I feel human.  It is all in the feelings.  Joy follows sorrow, although feelings of sorrow may be unpleasant, how would you know Joy unless you had known sorrow?  Well, you would probably feel the joy, but would you truly appreciate it unless you had felt anything other than joy? I doubt it.  

Back to this Universal Law, mainly this is the complete opposite of everything I have been following in my life. I have spent time learning about the five stages of grief, understanding bereavement, loss, all the negative emotions that you can think of, I have learnt to embrace it and know it needs to be acknowledged before it can be healed.  I believe that.  But this Universal 'Law' is suggesting the way forward is to allow the negative to flow through you without resistance and without affecting you.  I would suggest there are some things which cannot just be allowed to flow through you, you just wouldn't be human if you remained untouched by the major events, losses and changes in life.  But let's assume you have suffered, the usual human experiences of loss, in whatever form, and you have moved on to just a basic level of suffering.  The manageable levels of suffering in everyday life.  

To accept what you cannot change is very wise...Dear God, please give me the strength to change what I am able and the wisdom to know the difference.

God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.

Living one day at a time;
Enjoying one moment at a time;
Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;
Taking, as He did, this sinful world
as it is, not as I would have it;
Trusting that He will make all things right
if I surrender to His Will;
That I may be reasonably happy in this life
and supremely happy with Him
Forever in the next.
Amen.

--Reinhold Niebuhr

In loving memory of