Attachment is the Root of All Suffering ... So What's Your Point?

I've been reflecting on the saying (I think it's Buddhist) that attachment is the root of all suffering. It seems like the implied lesson is to shed attachments to lessen suffering (and presumably become more content).

On the surface, I see a lot of wisdom there. Ultimately, attachment is futile, since we all eventually become detached from everything we've come across in life. So it's inevitable that we'll suffer feelings of loss as those things we become separated from those things to which we've formed attachments.

And attachment to that which we haven't yet attained seems equally prone to suffering - wanting what we may not get, being seduced to pursue something that may lead us astray or may not deliver the promise of its allure - not conducive to contentment, for sure.

And yet ... taken to its extreme, forsaking attachment leads to never falling in love, never experiencing longing and sweet expectations, never being able to revel in triumph after a long struggle. Sure, you avoid a lot of heartache, but what's life without it? In fact, what's life without suffering?

Is it possible to feel exhilaration, passion, unbounded joy, without being willing to be exposed to their opposites? Is a life of peaceful, centered, present, "now"-ness inherently better or more fulfilling than one that's more volatile?

Maybe the trick is having both. It's not like we have to choose between living a life of complete centeredness, or living one that's totally untethered. Maybe the best thing is being able to find a center, a presence, an unattached state, and also being able to "riff" off of that like a great jazz musician. To live the high notes and suffer the occasional clunker, knowing that you have the ability and the option to come back to a place of calm and balance when you want or feel the need to.

Of course, it's just a thought. And as the Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu said, "As soon as you have made a thought, laugh at it." So - ha ha.