--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We carry out our lives assuming ourselves…" description: "\"“We carry out our lives assuming ourselves to be something substantial and unchanging, and we become deeply attach[ed] to this assumed self (this attac..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2b9/tagawa-shun-ei-69333_attachment_we-carry-out-our-lives-assuming-ourselve_855070.jpg" --- # We carry out our lives assuming ourselves to be something… ![“We carry out our lives assuming ourselves to be something substantial and unchanging, and we become deeply attach[ed] to this assumed self (this attachment is known in Sanskrit as ātma-grāha ). But we attach to more than simply a notion of a self. We also reify the things that we see, hear, and…” quote by Tagawa Shun'ei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2b9/tagawa-shun-ei-69333_attachment_we-carry-out-our-lives-assuming-ourselve_855070.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2b9/tagawa-shun-ei-69333_attachment_we-carry-out-our-lives-assuming-ourselve_855070.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2b9/tagawa-shun-ei-69333_attachment_we-carry-out-our-lives-assuming-ourselve_855070.jpg) > ““We carry out our lives assuming ourselves to be something substantial and unchanging, and we become deeply attach\[ed\] to this assumed self (this attachment is known in Sanskrit as ātma-grāha ). But we attach to more than simply a notion of a self. We also reify the things that we see, hear, and think, into substances, and attach to them as well. This is called attachment to dharmas (Skt. dharma-grāha ). Among these two attachments, it may be the case that we can earnestly reflect and bring ourselves to the awareness of our attachment to self, making an effort to avoid it. But attachment to dharmas occurs at such a subtle level that stemming it based on conscious reflective awareness is practically impossible for most people. We grasp at all dharmas (all phenomena), despite the fact that they are nothing more than a provisional combination of elements according to certain conditions. Taking these as the framework created from our past experiences, along with accordance to our individual circumstances, we see, hear, and think. When we regard the content of such seeing, hearing, and thinking to be accurate, attachment to dharmas ends up being far more difficult to come to reconcile than attachment to self. How do you deal with something that is virtually unnoticeable? This attachment to dharmas engenders the cognitive hindrances ( jñeya-āvaraṇa ), while attachment to self engenders the afflictive hindrances ( kleśa-āvaraṇa ). Nirvāṇa is said to manifest based on the removal of the afflictive hindrances, while bodhi is obtained by the elimination of the cognitive hindrances.”” [Tagawa Shun'ei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tagawa-shun-ei/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. We cling to both self‑identity and external phenomena, creating mental obstacles that hinder true insight. **In simple terms:** Attachment to self and things blocks clarity. Key Takeaway Cultivate awareness of attachment. Themes attachment mindfulness impermanence Mood reflective serene Type philosophical spiritual When to use this quote - meditation - therapy - philosophical study - spiritual practice Key Concepts self‑identity phenomena cognitive hindrance Questions to Reflect On - How can you notice subtle attachments? - What practices help reduce mental clinging? A Different Perspective Complete detachment is often unrealistic for most people. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Attachment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attachment/) [Attachment Dharmas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attachment-dharmas-792559/) [Attachment Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attachment-self-792562/) [Awareness Attachment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/awareness-attachment-792560/) [Buddhism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/buddhism/) [Conscious Reflective](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conscious-reflective-792563/) [Dharma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dharma/) [Emptiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/emptiness/) [Making An Effort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/making-an-effort/) [Sanskrit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sanskrit/) [Self Attachment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-attachment-792561/) [Selflessness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/selflessness/) ## Related quotes > [“As we contemplate the enormous variety of factors that must come together to produce a specific sense of self, our attachment to this “I”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yongey-mingyur/as-we-contemplate-the-enormous-variety-of-factors-that-must-come/) [Yongey Mingyur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yongey-mingyur/) > [Become alert about desire and non-attachment begins to appear. 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So Buddha is not a name and ultimately not a person,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eckhart-tolle/the-word-buddha-comes-from-the-sanskrit-word-budh-meaning-to-be-awake/) [Eckhart Tolle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eckhart-tolle/) > [It is, I believe, no exaggeration to say that all the historical information which has been collected in the Sanskrit language is less valuable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-b-macaulay/it-is-i-believe-no-exaggeration-to-say-that-all-the-historical/) [Thomas B. Macaulay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-b-macaulay/) > [There is a word Kristos in the Greek dictionary, and this word is supposed to be borrowed from the Sanskrit word "Krishna," and Christ…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-c-bhaktivedanta-swami-prabhupada/there-is-a-word-kristos-in-the-greek-dictionary-and-this-word-is/) [A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-c-bhaktivedanta-swami-prabhupada/) > [“I don't have a choice sahib. 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Strong attachments lead to upset and drama.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-warner/the-real-goal-of-zen-is-to-find-a-way-of-life-that-s-easy-and/) [Brad Warner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-warner/) > [“The past is no good if you can't learn from it; therefore, no sense in dwelling on it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arians-karlovi-s/the-past-is-no-good-if-you-can-t-learn-from-it-therefore-no-sense-in/) [Arians Karlovičs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arians-karlovi-s/) > [“Remaining absolutely non-acquisitive (aparigrahi) amidst all possessions is the ultimate ‘test examination’.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dada-bhagwan/remaining-absolutely-non-acquisitive-aparigrahi-amidst-all/) [Dada Bhagwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dada-bhagwan/) > [Interwoven as is the love of liberty with every ligament of your hearts, no recommendation of mine is necessary to fortify or confirm the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-washington/interwoven-as-is-the-love-of-liberty-with-every-ligament-of-your/) [George Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-washington/) > [Money is not a problem, but unintelligent attachment to it is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mata-amritanandamayi/money-is-not-a-problem-but-unintelligent-attachment-to-it-is/) [Mata Amritanandamayi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mata-amritanandamayi/) > [“You need to belong to yourself, and let others belong to themselves too. You need to be free and detached from things and your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-eriksson/you-need-to-belong-to-yourself-and-let-others-belong-to-themselves/) [Charlotte Eriksson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-eriksson/) > [All our attachments are outward oriented and hence this illusion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/all-our-attachments-are-outward-oriented-and-hence-this-illusion/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“It is attachment that makes people forget not only their moral duties but even who they really are.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amish-tripathi/it-is-attachment-that-makes-people-forget-not-only-their-moral-duties/) [Amish Tripathi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amish-tripathi/) > [... professing myself moreover convinced that the general's unjust interference, so far from being really injurious to their felicity, was perhaps rather conducive to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-austen/professing-myself-moreover-convinced-that-the-general-s-unjust/) [Jane Austen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-austen/) [Browse all 959 Attachment quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attachment/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“We carry out our lives assuming ourselves to be something substantial and unchanging, and we become deeply attach[ed] to this assumed self (this attachment is known in Sanskrit as ātma-grāha ). But we attach to more than simply a notion of a self. We also reify the things that we see, hear, and think, into substances, and attach to them as well. This is called attachment to dharmas (Skt. dharma-grāha ). Among these two attachments, it may be the case that we can earnestly reflect and bring ourselves to the awareness of our attachment to self, making an effort to avoid it. But attachment to dharmas occurs at such a subtle level that stemming it based on conscious reflective awareness is practically impossible for most people. We grasp at all dharmas (all phenomena), despite the fact that they are nothing more than a provisional combination of elements according to certain conditions. Taking these as the framework created from our past experiences, along with accordance to our individual circumstances, we see, hear, and think. When we regard the content of such seeing, hearing, and thinking to be accurate, attachment to dharmas ends up being far more difficult to come to reconcile than attachment to self. How do you deal with something that is virtually unnoticeable? This attachment to dharmas engenders the cognitive hindrances ( jñeya-āvaraṇa ), while attachment to self engenders the afflictive hindrances ( kleśa-āvaraṇa ). 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