Attachments

Spoken by Supreme Master Ching Hai
at the Quan Yin Restaurant, Houston, Texas, U.S.A.
November 14, 1993 (Originally in English)

Q: How do we begin to rid ourselves of all our attachments that might keep us further away from our spiritual path? Can we become more selfless, and not want to have this and be this?

M: It's difficult if we water the plant from the leaves and not the root. The basis of all this misunderstanding, ignorance, and greed is because it comes from the root. We have not opened the power of understanding; therefore, we misunderstand and we think money will make us happy. We are seeking the Truth, which is eternal happiness, but then we misunderstand; we think money or beautiful girls will make us happy. The true thing that will make us happy, that we seek, is the true happiness: it's the Truth, our real spiritual power, the real God Self, but because we don't know that, we keep wanting this, that and the other. But as soon as your real source of understanding is opened for you, then you will understand differently. You will say, "This is what I want, not that!" Then all these things will fall apart. You don't need to do anything to it - just like watering a plant on the root and then all the leaves will be green.