I think I can share this experience I have. I was very attached to someone I loved very much. And I would always wanna be with her, even seeing her makes me happy. However, our relationship was very difficult, due to family and friends. She wanted to end the relationship but since I was very attached to her, I refused and for months, I lived in agony.
One day, I decided to give up as I could not longer take it. This is because, no matter how much I love her or she had the love and desire to be with me, it is simply not worth it for the mental torture we had to go through. Once the relationship ended, it seems like a huge rock like the size of mount meru had been lifted off my heart. My mind was no longer tormented! It was really free (at least in a mundane sense).
However, letting go is not easy. The emotion still arises from time to time. And it is very true. You cannot reject it or accept it. You will have to watch it come and watch it go. It is very difficult to achieve but it can be done.
From this experience I had, yes, humans do have need. The need to eat, sleep, sex, wealth and fame. But one will need to see if it is really worth it. For me personally, I find mental torture is worse than any kind of physical torture. The mind is disturbed and cannot find any peace. Letting go do bring happiness in a form of peacefulness.
Simple example of non-attachment for beginners like me will be:
If I go all the way to Jurong for my favourite char kuay teow from Pasir Ris and the stall is not open!
Do I get angry, fustrated because of this or do I simply just enojoy some other foods and enjoy the whole trip? Why go all the way then? I find that we still have desires, but just dun get too attached to it and let all kinds of non-virtueous actions/speak/thoughts takes place.
Slowly, steps by steps, there will be no more favourite char kuay teow.
