Anatta
1 min readMay 4, 2021

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Many people mistake non-attachment to a state of indifference. They are not the same.. Many things still matter to me, and events occur all the time that I wish were different than they are. I work very hard to to attach myself to outcomes and be completely accepting of whatever occurs. The emotion I link to attachment is "importance". How important is it to you that you get what you want? I try to reduce this importance to zero. I'm not indifferent. I still want things and have preferences, but I don't put much importance on the outcome. If something happens that I wanted to happen, then I get to enjoy whatever it is. If it doesn't happen, then I accept that and move on.

Have you seen those videos of football fans hitting their TV sets and otherwise going ballistic over their team losing a game? I love watching football, and I feel excitement and exhilaration when my favorite team wins, but when they lose, I don't get upset because I recognize that is isn't important.

When you gain control over what's important -- and recognize nothing is important -- you get all the upside and none of the downside. Your life becomes peaceful, and you are content nearly all of the time.

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Anatta
Anatta

Written by Anatta

Buddhist practitioner and writer. My autistic son is the focus of my spiritual practice. He inspires me with his love and companionship.

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