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Attachment and perfectionism

ClayTheScribeClayTheScribe Veteran
edited October 2011 in Buddhism Basics
It's funny how it all works. There was a fire in my apartment building last month and I was displaced. Today I got to go back into my apartment and get my things. I grabbed some things more valuable to me (aka that I'm more attached to), but my laptop, my most "prized" possession was missing, probably stolen after the chaos of the fire. All my other stuff seem untouched, however all I can focus on is the fact that my laptop was stolen. It's made me irritable all day. I know it's just too much attachment to that one thing and my perfectionism of focusing on the negative. And fear. The funny thing is that I had somewhat come to terms with losing the laptop completely and just getting the insurance money for all my stuff. All I can do is laugh and try to let it go.

Comments

  • HanzzeHanzze Veteran
    Donate the money you get from your insurance. Dana is the way to learn letting go :wave:
  • HubrisHubris
    @Hanzze If Dana is the way to let go, and he should give the insurance money away then maybe you should show dana and buy him a new laptop. Enlightenment could be yours for the taking!

    Seriously though @ClayTheScribe, I am so sorry for you. You are probably feeling violated. Someone was in your home, a place of safety and comfort, and took something from you. It's happened to me on a few occasions,once with a cat-burglar as we slept!

    I have a feeling that it would be less easy for you to let go of this if you were not expecting a settlement from the insurance. I know I would be! That's a whole other discussion I'm afraid.

    Good luck in getting it all straightened out.
  • HanzzeHanzze Veteran
    edited October 2011
    If I buy him a laptop it would maybe no Dana, because I have no money. So I would need to take it from somewhere else. So just taking and giving -no letting go of (we already have to much). You could have this one I use, but its not mine any more. But I could talk with the owner, maybe he will share it. :wave:
  • federicafederica Seeker of the clear blue sky... Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubt Moderator
    The author of 'City Dharma', Arthur Jeon, came home one evening and found he had been burgled, and his laptop - with virtually the entire transcript of his book - had gone.
    He had to re-write the whole thing from memory.... a book worth reading, if only for the shared experience.....
  • ToshTosh Veteran
    Hanzze,

    My daughter says she is very poor and would like a computer all of her own instead of having to use the 'family computer'. She says would you donate yours as Dana; she says she will be able to reimburse you with the postage costs once it arrives.

    Would you like me to PM her address to you?

    *Smile*

  • federicafederica Seeker of the clear blue sky... Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubt Moderator
    I read a story too, of a woman who had a vast collection of....something..Let's say paperweights. I don't know what.
    But she decided she was too attached to such trivia, and decided to give most of her collection away, to friends and acquaintances, in order to detach, and feel free from possessions. In truth, she was choosy in what she gave away...she made sure she kept the pieces of true aesthetic beauty, and those which held significance or particular sentimental value, and gave away the remainder, which were simply in the collection because they were the same.... in the end, she was left with seven pieces, out of around 30.

    One day, her home unfortunately suffered a severe fire, and she lost everything.
    And she smiled wryly, because the very objects from her collection, which she had purposely kept back, had all gone, or were destroyed by the flames and the heat.
    all that remained of her collection was in the possession of others, and not as pleasing to her....

    Ironic.
    Yet, there we are. If we cannot take it with us, why attach at all?

    Damn, it hurts. But sometimes the solution is presented to us, and we have no choice but to accept it.

  • ThailandTomThailandTom Veteran
    About a year ago I got drugged by some people and my laptop got stolen, along with about 50,000 thai baht, something like 900 english pounds (long story).

    I feel for you though, it is probably something very difficult to ajust to when everything goes up in smoke like that. As you stated, I just had to laugh about my laptop and nearly a grand in cash being stolen, it has gone, happened, finsihed so all you can do is let it go mentally as you have done physically.

  • HanzzeHanzze Veteran
    Hanzze,

    My daughter says she is very poor and would like a computer all of her own instead of having to use the 'family computer'. She says would you donate yours as Dana; she says she will be able to reimburse you with the postage costs once it arrives.

    Would you like me to PM her address to you?

    *Smile*

    I am sure I can talk to the kids, actually they got one more form a visitor one month ago (so they have 3 now), and normally they don't fear to share if they can.
    But I am not sure if they would be able to send it in forward, the sending (Cambodia to US) would cost about 100$ because they are not that new and heavy.

    Please let me know.
    *smile*
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