“What is the cause of all problems, individual as well as universal? The root from which everything spreads out? Attachment. Attachment is the cause of all pain.
What we call love becomes completely depleted because of attachment. This applies to anything. Our main problem is that we get attached to various objects. And why do we get attached? Two things are the cause of attachment, I-ness and mine-ness. You want an object because you think you can get happiness from it. You then get attached to it. “It is mine. I own it.” I-ness and mine-ness are the root cause of all problems.
Attachments can come slowly. We are not aware that they are slowly creeping upon us. The movement is very subtle. This is why an aspirant should have purity, so he can understand and become aware of the subtle attachments, by which he can so easily be trapped. Attachment is not about having or not having money, a house or a big car. You can get attached to even the smallest thing and the same problem, the same pain, will result.
And the answer to this problem? It is called renunciation and it will take you to a painless state. If you want to remove pain and the problems of attachment, you must renounce. The spirit of renunciation is not to do with having or not having. It is a state of mind.”
Swami Vishnudevananda
Teachings on Yoga Life
Page 373