Parting from the Four Attachments is a foundational Mahayana teaching that helps us identify what holds us back on the path. When the Tibetan Sakyapa lama, Jetsun Chokyi Drakpa Gyaltsen, was twelve, he spent six months alone praying to Manjushri (a Buddhist deity). Because of all this praying, he actually saw the deity in a vision, and Manjushri spoke this four-line teaching, which he realized was the essence of all the paramitas.

The teaching first points out that if we are still attached to the concerns of this life—wealth, praise, status, or comfort—we are not truly practicing dharma because our focus remains on temporary gains rather than lasting transformation. Second, if we are attached to cyclic existence itself, hoping to somehow perfect our worldly experience, we lack a genuine wish to be free from suffering, and we continue circling in dissatisfaction. Third, if our motivation is centered around self-interest, seeking personal benefit even through practice, then true compassion, or the sincere wish to benefit others, cannot arise. And fourth, if we cling to rigid views or fixed beliefs, whether philosophical or personal, we block the direct experience of things as they are, beyond incorrect concepts.

It is a guide for recognizing and releasing the subtle clinging that keeps us entangled in suffering. It teaches that true practice begins when we shift our focus away from worldly concerns, like status or comfort, and toward inner transformation. It invites us to cultivate a genuine wish for liberation rather than trying to perfect the cycle of existence, to let go of self-centered motivations in favor of altruism, and to loosen our grip on fixed views so we can experience reality directly. In doing so, we begin to walk the path with greater freedom, compassion, and clarity.

Parting from the four attachments encourages us to move beyond distractions like material success, the desire to improve our worldly life, personal gain, and fixed ideas. When we loosen these ties, our path becomes clearer, more spacious, and rooted in care for others and direct experience.

Letting go of the four forms of attachment is a way to practice the Buddha’s path with clarity, courage, and an open heart.

Reflect on what it might mean to be attached to this life. Reflect on the motivations behind actions and explore whether it is possible to shift focus from personal gain toward benefiting others.

• What are you still holding on to that keeps your focus on short-term comfort rather than long-term freedom?
• Are you willing to let go of fixed ideas to experience things as they truly are?

Identify the four types of attachment described in this teaching. Examine how each manifests in contemporary life, then evaluate personal motivations and priorities to identify which attachments most strongly influence decision-making.