Q1-19870308-Larry_Rosenberg-UNK-wisdom_in_action-1535 Leandra Tejedor (1)

Talk: 19870308-Larry_Rosenberg-UNK-wisdom_in_action-1535 Leandra Tejedor Start_time: 55:44 Display_question: Are you suggesting, in terms of the idea of non-attachment, that one ought not to have relationships? Keyword_search: non-attachment, relationships, spiritual practice, greed, Worcester, retreat, God, energy, letting go, attached, dependent, Buddha, freedom, love, discerning awareness, wisdom in action Question_content: Questioner: So you're not saying that…that in terms of the idea of non-attachment, that one ought not to have relationships? Larry: Gee, I hope I'm not saying that. Questioner: Well, I just want to be clear about that. Larry: No, I thought I'm saying just… what I'm saying is that attachment is…we come to each other. Most relationships start up out of lust, right? It's okay. In other words, we don't have to be hard on ourselves for that. Okay, that's how it started. Look, most people come to spiritual practice, out of greed. And if we said, if we, let's say, tested everyone here, including me, like, no one's going to be allowed to do this retreat, if they've come here with impure motives, if anyone has come here because of even a little bit of greed, wanting to be better than you already are, get back in your car. Okay, we'll take you back to Worcester, and out. We only want angelic creatures, and really pure people. There'd be no one, nothing. Break_line: Okay, who cares what brought you here, frankly. In other words, maybe it's… I don't care. Let's say it is greed. Let's say you want God realization, and you want this, and you want that, or you want to be the most spiritual person, so that you can, I don't know what. That's what brings a person here, but that… we need energy, to get anything done, that's worthwhile. So that's good that you have the energy that got you here. And now the question is, not throwing the energy away, but letting go of all of that extra, that really hampers, the proper unfoldment of that energy. Break_line: So, let's say in a relationship, it's just we have to start with what we have, who we are. Let's say we're very attached, we're very dependent, we're very insecure. What I'm suggesting is, the practice can be brought into that, in a movement towards, let's say, relative non-attachment, letting go. Look, even if you let go a little bit, it's very helpful. Break_line: Let's say… the Buddha at one point said, first you identify a knot, then you start to loosen it, then you untie it, and then finally there's no, but you're not bound at all. So even if we loosen up some of the knots. The way we're tied to each other, we can have some more space, some more air to breathe, so that it's a help. And perhaps there are some among us who may come to total non-attachment, and freedom, as well as love, and remain together, and raise families, and do all of that, but I'm not setting up that as an ideal. What I'm suggesting is, every step along the way, with your relationship, as it is right now, can be helped, by discerning awareness, and bringing wisdom into action. End_time: 58:14