The Buddha said, "I teach one thing and one thing only, suffering and the end of suffering."
            From the moment of birth we are catapulted forward into seeking that which will satisfy, mother's milk, solid food, crawling, taking our first steps, walking.
            As we grow up and older we need more than food and shelter in order to feel satisfied.  We need, love and acceptance from our parents, friends and family in order to feel secure.  We need training, education, a good job. 
            We seek security not only for ourselves, but also for our families and their families.  Our needs expand.   We need bigger and better toys, televisions, VCRs, automobiles, motorcycles, bicycles or roller blades.  Not only do our needs increase but we must have the latest, greatest, new improved model.  We live in a consumer driven society that promotes our desires and tells us which brand we need to buy in order to satisfy them.
            The Buddha said, "There is a cause of suffering which is tanha, thirst, craving."  Like a hamster in a cage, driven by craving, we constantly run to fulfill the perpetual cycle of never ending desires.
            The question arises; "How do we put an end to it all?  How do we find lasting happiness?  How do we become free from our dependence on external circumstances in order to fulfill our desires?"
            The Buddha spoke of renunciation.  His directive was to renounce desire.
            Yes there are basic needs, which must be fulfilled, namely food, shelter, clothing and medicine.  The Buddha called these four items the requisites for human life.
            Stepping off the train of endless desire is a radical act.  Doing so requires that we become like fish swimming upstream against the current of a culture bombarding us, from every direction, to seek happiness in external sources.  How often are we told (and do we tell ourselves), "You/ I would only be happy if…."  Fill in the blank.   If you buy this product, that car, own your own home, get that golden job, have 2.5 children, lose weight.  The list is endless.  We seek happiness in all the wrong places, hoping to find it through material possessions, relationships, our children, and status, positions and titles we hold or hope to hold.  All of which can fold like a house of cards.
            Renunciation.  Not something you see on a billboard lit up in neon, flashing day and night.
             What is to be gained by renunciation?  The question arises, "Is not the way to happiness fulfillment of desire? If I renounce my desires will I be unhappy?"
            The Buddha said just the opposite.  Being happy with little creates freedom, in our minds, in our hearts and in our lives.  When we want for nothing we have nothing to lose.
Decrease desire.  Increase freedom.
            The heart of the spiritual path is liberation. Liberation arises when we let go of that to which we cling, be it material possessions, favorite and habitual emotions, cherished notions and ideas, people of whom we are fond, situations and people whom we dislike.
            We cling to our dislikes as much as we cling to our likes.

            In order to pursue the path of freedom; take an inventory of your life, physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually.  Through this investigation you will discover your attachments.   This is a surefire way to flush out one's desires and see clearly which bonds need to be loosened.

            In the physical realm, let us reflect upon a mundane example, for a moment, that of our hair.  Hair is simply one aspect of our appearance. How dependent is our feeling of well being, (or lack thereof) upon the state of our hair? Hair is comprised primarily of dead cells. What a paradox that our sense of well being is based on something dead.

            In the emotional realm ask the question,"Do I let my emotions create my identity?"
            "Do I think I am my emotion?  For example, "I am basically a sad, fearful, anxious, or angry person."
            "Do I know who I am because of what I feel?"
            "What emotions do I fear?  What emotions do I favor, return to time and time again as I would to my most favorite pair of worn out shoes?"
            Both favored and feared emotions hold the key to understanding attachments on the emotional level.
                                                                             Continued