Attachments and Expectations

We all have expectations from everyone around us.

Parents from children and children from parents - students from teachers and teachers from students - brothers and sisters - wives and husbands, friends and relatives, employees and boss, people and governments; all have 

some expectations from each other.

Even Gurus have certain expectations from their disciples - just as the disciples have expectations from the Guru.

It is extremely hard - almost impossible to get rid of attachments and expectations.

Sant Tulasi Das Says:

       Mamataa tu na gayi mere man tay 

       Paakay kes janam ke ssathi, laaj gayi Lokan tay

       Pag thaakay kar kampan laagay, Jyoti gayi nainan tay

       Sarvan bachan na sunat kaahu kay, Bal gaye sab indrin tay

      Tootay dasan bachan nahin aavat, sobha gayi mukhan tay

       Cough, vaat, pitt kanth par baithay - Sutahin bulaavat kar tay

       Jaisay sasi mandal vich syaahi chhootay na koti jatan tay 

                                       ---------

My hair - companions since birth - has become grey. 

No more worry what people would say (about my appearance)

Feet are tired, and hands are trembling.

Eyesight has weakened.

Ears don’t hear when someone talks.

All Body organs have lost their strength.

Teeth are gone, and it’s hard to speak

The face has lost its shine and glow

Help is requested by hand-signals when it's hard to talk because of the cough.

Just as we may not be able to eliminate the dark spots on the moon - no matter how hard we try to look, the ‘attachment’ also prevails (no matter how hard we try)

                                            (Sant Tulsi Das)

In other words, the sense of attachment does not go away - even when everything else is gone. 

The attachment could be with anything - not only with people or personal possessions - but even with certain concepts, beliefs, and ideologies.

                           Attachments and expectations go hand in hand. 

Since there is an attachment with the loved ones, we have certain expectations from them too. 

If not much, we expect them at least to take care of us when we grow old or become helpless.

Not only from children, relatives, and the loved ones, we also have expectations from God, the Almighty as well.

We usually expect some returns and rewards for our Bhakti, devotion, and prayers. 

We expect God to get rid of the ‘evil’ and protect us from disasters and natural calamities etc.

And it is also believed, that God too, has certain expectations from us.

               Does it ever end?

                                    'Rajan Sachdeva'

       ममता तू न गई मेरे मन ते
       पाके केस जनम साथी, लाज गई लोकन ते
       पग थाके कर कंपन लागे, ज्योति गई नैनन ते
       सरवन बचन न सुनत काहू के, बल गए सब इंद्रिन ते
       टूटे दसन बचन नहिं आवत सोभा गई मुखन ते
       कफ पित्त वात कंठ पर बैठे, सुतहिं बुलावत कर ते
       भाई बंधु सब परम प्यारे नारी निकारत घर ते
       जैसे ससि मंडल बिच स्याही छुटै न कोटि जतन ते
       'तुलसीदास' बलि जाऊँ चरन ते, लोभ पराए धन ते