Question

How can we let go of the eight worldly dhammas in daily life?

Answer

The same way you let go of them in retreat life. Attachment to eight worldly dhammas, learning how to recognize them is the important thing to do. We are going to do a little meditation later in the retreat about the eight worldly dhammas, learning how to see them and the Dukkha they create.

Here's a normal life example; Imagine sitting at a table, there are about six people, and somebody is telling a story. I am sitting there, I am listening to the story and I think "Ah, everyone is paying attention to them. I am going to tell a story when they are done!" I want the fame. Now somebody else is sitting there and listening to them speak and thinks, "Ah, that's a good story! And I have a story that will help complement that. As soon as they are done, I will give my story."

The other person and I might be ready to tell the exact same story, but we have a different intention. I want fame, the other person is just wanting to give more information to help everyone understand something. That's great.

This is a clear example when we are dealing with other people. If we want to tell a story, are we attached to fame? Do we want people's praise? Do we want to be the center of attention? It's a typical example in every day life.

The main work is to acknowledge these worldly dhammas, so add them to your mental noting if you haven't already. If you get caught up in a mental hindrance, which of the eight worldly dhammas are you attached to? As much as I understand the practice, there is not a single mental Dukkha that you will have which is not connected to the eight worldly dhammas in some way. If you can find any mental Dukkha that is not connected to these eight, let me know! We want to use them in our mental noting. When you are caught up in a hindrance attack, try to note which of the eight you are attached to.

Our apologies if there are any errors in the above text. If anything seems to be wrong or confusing in any way, please feel free to contact the teachers for further clarification.