Talk:Detachment
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To expand upon this article stub and precisely clarify the terms "attachment", "nonattachment" and "detachment" deserves a better articulation that I can offer. So, I'm asking for (divine and/or secular) editorial intervention from a more authoritative source to manifest, and be organized into the proper format. No, I'm not too lazy to do it myself, I just know my limits--and when to defer.
These are conceptually complex topics that can be easily muddled in English by our using multiple derived prefixes with similar meanings as much as by the assumptions that saturate the various translation paths from the 2,500+ year old context of Siddhartha Gautama (the historical Buddha) into our contemporary Western one.
There is no Buddhist doctrine promoting "detachment" as described in this article, but Buddha advised deliberately cultivating "non-attachment"; even though the two terms can appear interchangeable, they are not.
"Attachment". Buddha described a principal cause of human suffering as "attachment"; that is to say any sentient being's attitude that clings to or grasps at anything (ANYTHING: including the notion of ego/self, the notion of other/not-self, emotions, concepts, memories, desires, events, outcomes, judgements, objects, places, beliefs, relationships--really ANY phenomena which can occur, be experienced, imagined, noticed and/or labeled) as if "it" were limited by an imposed judgement, fixed in status, space, or time, permanent, self-existent, controllable, or even tangibly real. Attachment drives an insatiable frustration of grasping vainly at that which can not truly be held onto because of its illusory, impermanent nature.
"Non-Attachment". Non-attachment is that state of mind whereby a sentient being is able to perceive, discern, understand or otherwise appreciate anything (once again--ANYTHING--any phenomena that can be said to occur, be imagined, be labeled and/or be experienced)--sometimes called "an object of mind" or simply "labeled phenomena" as it is, in its fullness as a temporary and illusive occurrence within an infinite web of interdependent interconnected occurrences, but ABSENT the desire to judge it, control it, view it is as permanent, self-existent, and/or indepedendent of causes and effects. Non-attachment is not clinging, not grasping. Non-attachment is related to equanimity: that equalizing yet discerning observance from all sides simultaneously without judgement or expectation. Non-attachment is necessary for the cultivation of the omniscient (enlightened) mind.
"Detachment" Detachment is a different concept altogether, and it's description in this article stub is largely accurate, but it has nothing to do with Buddhism. Detachment is that illusion whereby the sentient being holds an object of mind at the artificial distance of aloof denial; it means to actively not care about something whether it is noticed or not; to willfullt or carelessly attempt to deny it power or essence with the numbing opiate that is correctly called apathy, or disassociation.
Neither attachment nor detachment are exemplary of the enlightened mind; both can be described as unskilled activities common to sentient beings, both are breakable habits, and both equally keep the sentient being in the realm of samsara (the infinite cycle of the common incarnate existence that includes birth, sickness, suffering, death, bardo, re-birth, etc). Detachment flees; Attachment chases. Buddha spoke of practicing non-attachment as the necessary middle path beyond ever-fragmenting samsara into all-absorbing nirvana. 67.188.109.185 11:57, 30 November 2005 (UTC)DBS SFCA94110USA
[edit] Buddhism -> Detachment -> Apathy?
This line of reasoning along with the use of terms such as "supposedly" betrays what appears to be a philosophical bias in the author. According to Buddhist philosophy, the formation of attachment finds its manifestation in the mind of the Buddhist practitioner during a subjective analysis of his or her own experience. His or her goal is the creation of an unbiased perspective that ultimately reveals the natural ability that we possess as human beings to experience the true, unfiltered nature of reality and to act compassionately toward fellow human beings regardless of one's personal preferences (attachments).
To a practicing Buddhist, attachment equates to personal preference (manifested by repulsion, desire or indifference), not to detachment or apathy as stated by the author.
[edit] Buddhism (including Zen)
The link backs to Buddhism and Zen contain no cross references back to detachment. Furthermore, detachment is not an aspect of mainstream Buddhist philosophy. So the article was modified accordingly.
