Why should Buddhists give up the four attachments?

If you observe yourself and others then you will see that people crave for pleasant experiences, crave for material things, and crave for eternal life. We are attached to sensual pleasures, wealth and power but also to ideas, views, opinion, and beliefs.
Taken together, the four types of attachment are the main problems that Buddhists need to understand. The four types of attachment are:
- 1) sense objects
- 2) opinions and views
- 3) rites and rituals
- 4) self-hood.
All four forms should be viewed as dangerous defilements. Therefore, if we want to improve ourselves, we must make a serious, sustained effort to reduce or eliminate all four types of attachment.
The purpose of practicing Buddhism is to enable your mind to give up this grasping. In other words, the goal is to have a mind that is free from attachment. That is our ultimate goal. When our minds are free from attachment, then there is nothing to bind it and make it a slave to the world.
If you can destroy the four kinds of attachment, then you will possess Buddhist insight. The reward is deliverance from being a slave to things. Your mind will be independent and free.
The most efficient way of dealing with your attachment is to first recognize the attachment whenever it is present.
With continued practice, you will come to learn that nothing is worth clinging to. But remember, the tasks rests with you to examine and truly understand with how and why the four attachments are so dangerous and toxic.
The four attachments are hidden dangers

Whereas we see the immediate danger of things like fire, weapons, and poison, the untrained mind does not see the danger in the four attachments.
The reason is that the danger is well concealed and disguised as beautiful, sweet, tasty, fragrant, and pleasant sounding.
Only the trained mind can recognize the hidden dangers and avoid them. T
o train our minds we must make use of Buddha’s guidance to control and subdue our grasping with the power of insight.
If we succeed then we will be able to work and live peacefully in the world with enlightenment and tranquility.
We will now go through the four attachments so that you can learn to identify them and work to free yourself from them.
Attachment #1: Sense Objects
Sensual attachment is clinging to attractive and desirable sense objects. This is attachment that we develop for things that we like and find satisfaction in such as colors, sounds tastes, objects and mental images.

In strictly worldly terms, sensual attachment is a very good thing. It encourages us to have loving families, to have energy and diligent in the search for wealth and fame, etc.
Sensual attachment also motivate us as a civilization to build great cities, travel to the moon and make new scientific discoveries.
But from a spiritual point of view, sensual attachment is the secret source for suffering.
Our attachment to sense objects began at birth.
Since the day we were born, we all instinctively find pleasure in these types of sense objects. As soon as we find delight in these sense objects, we cling to them.
As time passes, the untrained mind becomes more attached to them and unable to separate themselves from the wanting.
We must look inwards and examine ourselves to see in which ways we have sensual attachment, how firmly we are attached, and whether it is within our power to give it up.
Beauty never lasts forever

If we are wise then we will see the hidden danger is beautify. If you look around you, you will see that most people are attached or even obsessed with beauty.
Buddhists should look at pretty things as just pretty. We shouldn’t become attached to them. Beauty is not a sure nothing and nothing in this world is certain. The only truth is that all things are in a state of constant change.
If we believe that things are beautiful, then when their beauty fades or they become damaged or destroyed, then we suffer because we have clung to them as being our own. Things are simply constructs of nature.
Beauty may appear but it will always fade. Therefore, if we initially think something is pretty, then we should tell ourselves it really isn’t pretty.
If we initially think something is ugly, then we should tell ourselves that it really isn’t ugly. We should try to constantly reflect in this way. Then and only then will we see the uncertainty is the only thing certain.
If we are to have any hope of lasting inner peace, then it is essential that our sensual attachments are kept well under control.
Attachment #2: Opinions and Views
We all know people that have stubborn opinions about various topics. Where did these people learn these opinions?
The answer is mostly through their customs, traditions, and religious doctrines and ceremonies.
As to religious views, many refuse to change their views on the grounds that their parents, grandparents and ancestors all held the same views.
Others may not really be interest in correcting and improving themselves. People like this will defend any arguments against their old ideas by saying this is what they have always believed.

Clinging to your views with stubbornness is based on ignorance. The ignorance we are speaking of is the falsehood that things are desirable, worth clinging to, and will endure the test of time. Whereas the truth is that all things are transient and worthless.
When we are ignorant and lack true knowledge, then we develop our own flawed, personal view on things. These personal views are based on our own original stupidity.
Once we hold firm ideas about something, we naturally resist admitting later that we were wrong. Even though we may occasionally see that we are wrong, we may simply refuse to admit it.
Since the day we were born into this world, we have been receiving instruction and training. This has given rise to ideas and opinions. The types of opinions that we are concerned with are the ideas and beliefs that one firmly hangs on to and refuses to let go of.
It is quite natural to cling to one’s own ideas and opinions. But this type of attachment is just as dangerous as sensual attachment and is guaranteed to contribute to your suffering.
Opinions are the same as attractive and desire objects in that both are impermanent and will eventually be destroyed.
So what do we do with our opinions and views? Our views should be subject to change. We should continually modify our views to make the more correct and better.
We should strive to change our false views into views that are closer to the truth. Eventually, we our opinions and views should incorporate the Four Noble Truths.
Attachment #3: Rituals

This form of attachment refers to meaningless traditional practices. More specifically, it is the thoughtless attachment to traditional practices.
Typically, these practices have been thoughtlessly handed down from one generation to the next. People choose to regard these practices as sacred and not to be changed under any circumstances.
Examples of these beliefs include belief in angels, belief in sacred jewelry that offers its owner or wearer protection from evil, and belief in magical artifacts and secret procedures. Buddhists should be completely free of this type of completely irrational views.
People with these opinions are not thinking rationally. Such believes are completely irrational, yet they cling to the established pattern. They have always done it that way and refuse to change.
It is important for Buddhists to eliminate these irrational views. We should know that there is nothing magical about the Buddhism.
Furthermore, we should not practice Buddhism merely to conform to others, to follow the traditions that have been handed down, or simply out of habit. If we do this then our practice will not yield any results and we will continue to suffer the same as before.
Rather, we should aim to understand objectives of Buddha’s teachings as well as the rationale of his teachings. To be successful in your Buddhist practice, you must have a solid understanding and desire to destroy the defilements. Otherwise, your time and effort will be a waste of time.
Attachment #4: The Idea of Self

The concept of “not-self” is essential to the practice of Buddhism. It is so critical that Buddha taught that attachment to the idea of “self” is the root cause of all suffering.
Although we discussed the idea of “not-self” as one of the Three Universal Truths of Existence, the discussion here will focus more on why we are obsessed with the idea of self and why it is so difficult to overcome.
The false belief in “self” is something that almost every living creature is guilty of. It is universally present in all living things!
Unlike our attachment to opinions and rituals, the idea of self is not something that is learned or taught to us.
The idea of self is innate in all living things. It is something that is present within each of us right from birth.
The belief of self is necessary for survival.
The idea of “me and mine” is a primal instinct that forms the basis of all other instincts. These survival instincts include the instinct to search for food, to avoid danger and to procreate.
If belief in self is a survival instinct, then why should we give it up?
While the instincts discussed above are necessary for our survival, the belief in self is also a cause of our suffering. If we believe in the idea of self then we will suffer in all aspects of our lives.
Only those who reach the highest spiritual levels of Buddhism will be able to fully conquer the idea of self. For the majority of us lay Buddhists, all we can do is try to rein in the idea of self as much as possible at first.
The more progress we make in overcoming the misconception of self, the less we will suffer. Once we are well advanced in spiritual knowledge, then we can work on overcoming and completely eliminating this instinct.
Next: Step 6: Conquering Greed