Guest guest Posted September 28, 2000 Report Share Posted September 28, 2000 Hello everyone, just a little thought I have struggled with on and off for quite sometime. That is the integration on the yamas and niyamas in life, or more specifically relationships. I am sort of conflicted when I read Patanjalis Yoga Sutras. How does one not get "attached" when falling in love. The emotional ups and downs are half the fun for romantics like me. Or even is it possible to love someone in a "committed" relationship" and still be ....not attached? I know that I heard that these yamas/niyamas are to be taken on the "mat" but at some point they merge in our lives. You know, I wonder if it is possible to reach "nirvana" while in a relationship. Jesus wasn't in one, Buddha left his wife to seek enlightenment, my hero Miyamoto Musashi never took a wife, not sure of Pantanjali, I don't know. See being a romantic, and also one who believes in the karmic reincarnation thing, that it should be possible, but I mean how does one aspire to these higher ideals when the kids are driving you nuts? You probably heard it before, that it is easy to be a "Buddha" on the mountaintop. Anyhow, just wondering if anyone else has had this conflicting thought and what they did about it. See I love yoga, the physical parts, the mental parts, the emotional parts, I believe with all my being that it can lead to enlightenment. I am just stuck on this one. thanks Michael Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 28, 2000 Report Share Posted September 28, 2000 It takes huge amounts of non-attachment to sustain a loving relationship. So it's good to be around somebody else for that reason. Practicing true detachment means accepting a person 100%. If that person doesn't want to practice yoga...they're perfect. If they snore or have annoying habits...they're perfect etc. To honour another person in such a way brings detachment from all the projections we have about how someone should be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 28, 2000 Report Share Posted September 28, 2000 The "everyone is perfect" argument is good until you meet someone who kills people and freezes their heads for fun. I suppose they're perfect psychopaths, but I would have to practice detaching their bodies from their souls if they tried to do that to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 28, 2000 Report Share Posted September 28, 2000 "I wonder if it is possible to reach "nirvana" while in a relationship. Jesus wasn't in one, Buddha left his wife to seek enlightenment, my hero Miyamoto Musashi never took a wife, not sure of Pantanjali, I don't know."<br><br>You might be interested in the example of Vimalakirti. He was a bodhisatva householder with a wife, children, wealth and property, and he was considered to have been one of the Buddha's greatest disciples. He is thought of as an example of how one can become enlightened while leading the life of a householder, and the Vimalakirti Sutra is considered a classic on the Mahayana principle of nonduality. If you're interested you can find it online at:<br><br><a href=http://www.tbsn.org/english/library/sutras/vimala/vimacont.htm target=new>http://www.tbsn.org/english/library/sutras/vimala/vimacont.htm</a> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 28, 2000 Report Share Posted September 28, 2000 If you happen to have karma with a psychopath of course you have to deal with that in a realistic way.I was talking about day to day relationships with a loved one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 29, 2000 Report Share Posted September 29, 2000 Yes, I understand your point. Karma is a mysterious thing that I know little about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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