Letting Go of Attachment: A Path to Awakening

Recorded and transcribed by Namo Amituofo’s disciple, Venerable HaiZe

August 16, 2025

The Nature of Attachment

Teacher Practitioner Xia Lianju offers these teachings: Attachment refers to the act of clinging, of holding fast to one's own stubborn will. It is a fundamental trait of the human personality, yet it acts as a profound barrier to realising one's true self. When Shakyamuni Buddha sat under the Bodhi tree and witnessed the morning star, he attained full Enlightenment. He declared: "How wondrous! How wondrous! All beings possess the wisdom and virtue of the Tathagata, yet they cannot realise it because of their delusions and attachments." This profound insight reveals the immense harm that attachment inflicts upon all beings.

The Many Faces of Ego-Attachment

Whether an attachment is light or heavy, it remains an expression of "having"—a manifestation of ego-attachment. We often find ourselves bound by these invisible chains in our daily lives. Consider the many forms attachment takes:

• Attachment to the physical body: The constant concern for our own comfort, health, and appearance.
• Attachment to specific individuals: The clinging to relationships, family, or friends that often leads to emotional turmoil.
• Attachment to events or circumstances: The desire for things to happen exactly as we wish, leading to frustration when reality differs.
• Attachment to material possessions: The desire to own, keep, and accumulate objects that are ultimately transient.
• Attachment to emotions, feelings, and thoughts: The tendency to identify with our passing moods, opinions, and mental constructs.

Everything that exists in this world can become an object of our attachment. We must understand that because of Causal Conditions, the seeds sown in the past manifest today as our current behaviours and mental states. This is the fruit of our karma.

The Truth of Impermanence

We must learn to recognise the truth of reality. Whatever we cling to is merely a part of the cycle of cause and effect. It is a component of our karma, as fleeting and transient as an illusory vision that eventually fades away. If we fail to see this truth and continue to grasp at these shadows, we will inevitably experience the suffering that follows. Therefore, you must learn to let go of attachment.

The Path to Liberation

In your practice, you must hold firmly to the name of Namo Amituofo. Do not let your chanting be interrupted! If you can truly let go of attachment, you will enter a state of pure, and finally see your true self. This is the path to true freedom, where the heart is no longer weighed down by the burdens of the world.

Namo Amituofo