"POKER RULE#37: Nonattachment. The idea of attachment, in Buddhistic terms, means the linking of our emotions with something that we want - some desired object or outcome. The stronger this connection, the more discontent when we fail to achieve our ends (as well as desperate steps taken trying to achieve them)... Emotions have no place in poker... To play in an ego-less state means simply to not let the ego and emotions get involved."
When we look at a Buddha statue, he is always majestic, serene. His hand touching the earth as his witness represents honesty. His begging bowl represents his renunciation of his throne to the kingdom (he was a prince) and worldly desires. Although that was the SIMPLE path he took to manifest a life example, he elaborated and taught progressively the three vehicles or yana (Hinayana, Mahayana, and Vajrayana) of Buddhism which emphasizes on detachment, compassion, and wisdom respectively. The teachings of Mahayana is built on the foundations of Hinayana and the teachings of Vajrayana is built on the foundations of Mahayana. The more "speedy" vehicles are actually taught for sentient beings with weaker minds (more confused) as the teachings approach the degenerated time and eventually extinct (there will be books but no actual transmission from person to person) until the next historical Buddha Maitreya appears to bring back the lineages (that's all they do, they only teach and you have to liberate yourself by realizing the teachings).
The Hinayana teachings emphasized on detachment and the eight-fold path. Theravada schools are representatives of the core teachings of Buddha.
In Mahayana teachings, there is the practice of compassion by putting emphasis on others rather than yourself. A representative meditation practice is "tonglen" (exchanging with others). You can visualized a loved one (e.g. one's mother). You breathe in all her suffering, bad karma, disease, and emotional poisons which is visualized as black smoke. You breathe out all your good health, happiness, wealth, merits etc as white light and send it to her. As time goes on, you become more comfortable with the practice. Slowly you add more loved ones, your dog, your friends to the mix. Then you add neutral neighbors. Then you add your enemies to group. Your limitless compassion eventually left no room for your ego.
In Vajrayana teachings, the emphasis is on the wisdom aspect. The ancient king Indrabodhi attained Enlightenment while relished in all kind of pleasures and enjoyments. Like a peacock feeds on posions, a yogi or yogini transforms emotional poisons into wisdom. With powerful awareness and clarity, he or she can look directly at the emotions and simultaneously liberated them by realizing their true nature as wisdom.
There is a whole song and dance in dealing with the problems of overestimating our emotions and the ego. It really takes constant practice to fix this on a fundamental level. One must realize there is no quick fix if one wants a real fix.
But there should be temporary steps we can take to protect ourselves while working on a real fix. First of all, the problems always come from not seeing reality clearly. By bringing in more awareness and keeping perspectives, one begin to have the proper "space" to work on. Next we have to weed out the possible psychological and statistical traps we set for ourselves. At the same time, adjust our expectations so that we can minimize the number of instances we have to confront our emotions. Just like Cook Ding never wrestled with the Way (Dao) while butchering the cows. Don't be a hero.
