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Thursday, April 26, 2012

The Labyrinth

Non attachment-one of the yamas on the yogic path, is most likely, for most of us, the hardest to attain. We are connected to and limited by our attachments to our 'stuff' and our relationships. I am personally struggling with this one; letting go of things, much less people is incredibly difficult.We hold on to things that don't serve us. We attach to the morning cup of coffee, the basketball trophy from 5th grade,  the job, to relationships that no longer meet our needs. Think about it...it is how we identify ourselves. But in order to attain moksha, or liberation, we need to let go of attachments that prevent us, bind us,  from realizing who we really are. A scene from the Jim Henson movie "The Labyrinth" comes to my mind. If you have not seen it, do yourself a favor, rent it. It is the story of a teen girl, who is discontent with her present status-always having to watch her baby step brother. In a vengeful moment, she wishes for the Goblin King to whisk said little brother off to his kingdom. Be careful what you wish for...poof! She now has to go off in search of her little brother. On the path through the labyrinth, (just as we do in life) she meets many challenges. The Goblin King tricks her with illusion (which is around us all the time ) and she forgets her quest to liberate little brother. A creature with every possible thing you can imagine attached to her back tries to make her forget who she really is with  childhood attachments..."now dearie you need this... look at this.... and that....ahh remember your old.... and you can't do without this, etc." But she looks in the mirror and sees herself (self realization) and remembers her mission of liberation for her little brother. Thankfully a happy ending. We are very much like the heroine of the movie. We go around discontented with our role in life, attaching to this and that, thinking it will bring contentment and we forget what is really important. We pile on thing after thing, seeking, but not certain for what,  in the illusory attempt to gain happiness. This seems to be the year of liberation, whether we choose it or not. All around things that no longer are working seem to be crumbling away, relationships are ending, people are in transition.  This year of 2012 is a time to put down the attachments that have become part of us, even though they weigh us down. It is time to make your way through the labyrinth of life, look into the mirror, see yourself, and liberate who you truly are.

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