Reply To: Relationship and Attachment

#50386
pathfinder
Participant

I can only give my 2 cents here but after learning the dhamma I found some of my friendships “burdensome”, particularly those that I am not close to. I am also in a relationship but I do not fully perceive it as anicca, dukkha and anatta (sanna wise), even though the ultimate reality as preached says it should be so (I entered the relationship before learning dhamma).

But I also realised that some of my hobbies have fallen away, there maybe fewer things of common interest eventually. Now the sankhara dukkha becomes more obvious to me, I become less enthusiastic for activities requiring more preparation/ planning, just to see a trace amount of “sights”, but i would still be ok with it (aversion is bad too!)

I wouldn’t discourage it just because we have to see  everything as worthless, one has to believe it for themselves and let go slowly, not forcefully. If not that might cause you more suffering. But it is good to communicate how the dhamma might change you as well, because it can change a person drastically. Eg she may be happy to be with you because for now you still share common interest, but learning of the dhamma will fade that away. It is good to manage expectations too! We all know what happens when people see things as nicca instead of anicca! Ideally if she learns the dhamma then it is fantastic.

Just my personal experience and thoughts! Not sure on the perspective of before entering a relationship with dhamma knowledge tho.

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