The Law of Detachment

26 Nov The Law of Detachment

The sixth spiritual law of success, the Law of Detachment, says that the way to acquire anything in the universe is to relinquish our attachment to it. This doesn’t mean we give up the intention to create our desire; we don’t give up the intention, and we don’t give up the desire. We give up our attachment to the outcome. The moment we combine one-pointed intention with detachment to the outcome, we will have that which we desire.

Detachment comes from an inner knowingness that we are a pattern of behavior of a higher intelligence. When things don’t seem to go our way, we can let go of our idea of how things should be. We know that in our limited awareness, we cannot see the synchronistic, harmonious patterns of the universe of which we and our intentions are a part.

Attachment, on the other hand, implies doubt and distrust in nature’s intelligence and its infinite organizing power. Attachment is the melodrama of the ego, because it is based on fear and insecurity, and this comes from not realizing the power of the Self. Those who seek security chase it for a lifetime without ever finding it, because security can never come from material wealth alone. People say, “When I have a million dollars, then I’ll be financially independent; then I’ll be secure.” But it never happens. Attachment to money and security only creates insecurity, no matter how much money we have in the bank.

The search for security is actually an attachment to certainty, to the known, and the known is the prison of our past conditioning. Freedom from our past lies in the wisdom of uncertainty. Without uncertainty, life is just the repetition of outworn memories. There’s no evolution in that, and when there is no evolution, there is stagnation, entropy, and decay.

In ancient wisdom traditions, the solution to this dilemma lies in our willingness to detach from the known, step into the unknown, and surrender our desires to the creative mind that orchestrates the dance of the universe. The unknown is the field of all possibilities, ever fresh, ever new, always open to the creation of new manifestations. This field can orchestrate an infinity of space-time events to bring about the outcome intended. But when our intention gets locked into a rigid mindset, we lose the fluidity, flexibility, and creativity inherent in the field.

True wealth consciousness is the ability to have anything we want, anytime we want, with the least effort. Detachment is synonymous with wealth consciousness, because with detachment there is freedom to create. How can we create when we’re clinging and grasping, and full of anxiety?

The Law of Detachment does not interfere with goal setting. We still have the intention of going in a certain direction, but between point A and point B there are infinite possibilities. With uncertainty factored in, we might change direction if we find a higher ideal, or if we find something more exciting. When we experience uncertainty, we’re on the right path, and it’s the fertile ground of pure creativity and freedom.

How can you apply the Law of Detachment? Begin by practicing detached involvement. This means whenever you encounter a problem, you stay grounded in the wisdom of uncertainty, while expectantly waiting for a solution to emerge. If you remain detached, you won’t feel compelled to force solutions on problems. This enables you to stay alert to opportunities, and then what emerges is something powerful and exciting. The state of alert preparedness in the present meets with your goals and intentions, and allows you to seize the opportunity within every problem you have in your life.

Every problem is the seed of an opportunity for some greater benefit. Once you have this perception, a whole range of possibilities opens up, and this keeps the wonder and the excitement alive. Only by practicing detached involvement can you have joy and laughter. Then wealth is created spontaneously and effortlessly.

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Excerpted from The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success /One Hour Wisdom (Chapter 6: The Law of Detachment) Copyright © 2007 by Deepak Chopra. Published by Amber-Allen Publishing, Inc.