View source for Nonattachment (philosophy)

{{Short description|Philosophy of avoiding unnecessary pain}}
{{Other uses|Detachment (disambiguation)}}
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[[File:Pink lily flower.jpg|thumb|The [[Nelumbo nucifera|lotus]] symbolizes non-attachment in some religions in Asia owing to its ability to grow in muddy waters yet produce an immaculate flower.]]

'''Nonattachment''', '''non-attachment''', or '''detachment''' is a state in which a person overcomes their emotional attachment to or desire for things, people, or worldly concerns and thus attains a heightened [[perspective (cognitive)|perspective]]. It is considered a [[wisdom|wise]] [[virtue]] and is promoted in various Eastern religions, such as [[Hinduism]], [[Jainism]], [[Taoism]], and [[Buddhism]]. It is also a key concept in Christian spirituality (often referred to by the Greek term {{transliteration|grc|[[apatheia]]}}), where it signifies a detachment from worldly objects and concerns.

==Importance of the term==
Detachment as release from desire and consequently from suffering is an important principle, or even ideal, in [[Buddhism]], [[Hinduism]], [[Jainism]], [[Stoicism]], [[Taoism]], and [[Baháʼí Faith]].

In Buddhist and Hindu religious texts the opposite concept is expressed as {{transliteration|sa|[[upādāna]]}}, translated as "attachment". Attachment—that is, the inability to practice or embrace detachment—is viewed as the main obstacle towards a serene and fulfilled life. Many other spiritual traditions identify attachment with the continuous worries and restlessness produced by desire and personal ambitions.

==Jainism==
Detachment is one of the supreme ideals of [[Jainism]], along with [[non-violence]]. Non-possession/non-attachment is one of the [[Mahavrata]]s, the five great vows that [[Jain muni|Jain monks]] observe.<ref>{{cite web|first=Pravin K.|last=Shah|date=1993-01-19|url=https://sacred-texts.com/jai/5vows.txt|title=Five Great Vows (Maha-vratas)}}</ref> Detachment is meaningful if accompanied by the knowledge of self as a soul; moreover, it can serve as the means for attaining [[self realization]]. According to Jain saint [[Shrimad Rajchandra]], for those who are lifeless ritualists, mere bodily restraint does not help in attaining self-realization — detachment and {{clarify|text=such other attributes|date=August 2023}} are necessary. Therefore, he suggests one should undertake such{{Specify|reason=bodily restraint? self-realization? detachment? such other attributes?|date=August 2023}} activities, but one must not get stuck there. One cannot get rid of the root cause of birth and death without self-realization. As such, a Jain must understand and apply detachment for the purpose of gaining realization. However, he states that if one bears hardships that do not lead to a reduction in defilement, one strays from the path to liberation.<ref>{{citation|title=[[Atma Siddhi|Atma Siddhi Shastra]]|author=[[Shrimad Rajchandra]]}}</ref>

==Baháʼí Faith==
{{quote|Thou hast inquired about detachment. It is well known to thee that by detachment is intended the detachment of the soul from all else but God. That is, it consisted in soaring up to an eternal station, wherein nothing that can be seen between heaven and earth deterreth the seeker from the Absolute Truth. In other words, he is not veiled from divine love or from busying himself with the mention of God by the love of any other thing or by his immersion therein.| [[Bahá'u'lláh]] | Bayán-i-Hadíth-i-Sharíf, 'Man 'arafa nafsahú faqad 'arafa Rabbahú' (Commentary on the tradition "He who knoweth his self hath known his Lord")<ref>{{cite web |author=[[Bahá'u'lláh]]|title=He who knoweth his self hath known his Lord (Man 'arafa nafsahú faqad 'arafa Rabbahú) |url=https://bahai-library.com/bahaullah_knoweth_himself_cole |translator1=Shoghi Effendi|translator2=Juan Cole|year=1996|website=Baháʼí Library Online}}</ref>}}

The second definition is in the Words of Wisdom:
{{quote|The essence of detachment is for man to turn his face towards the courts of the Lord, to enter His Presence, behold His Countenance, and stand as witness before Him.| [[Tablets of Baha'u'llah]], p.&nbsp;155{{full citation needed|date=August 2023|reason=page number isn't helpful without more info about the specific edition}} }}

==Buddhism==
{{Main|Nekkhamma}}
Regarding the concept of detachment, or non-attachment, [[Buddhist]] texts in [[Pali]] mention {{transliteration|pi|nekkhamma}}, a word generally translated as "renunciation". This word also conveys more specifically the meaning of "giving up the world and leading a holy life" or "freedom from lust, craving, and desires."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://dsal.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/philologic/getobject.pl?c.2:1:692.pali|title=entry for 'Nekkhamma'|url-status=dead|access-date=2021-11-28|archive-date=2012-07-07|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120707141638/http://dsal.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/philologic/getobject.pl?c.2:1:692.pali}}</ref>{{better source needed|date=August 2023}}

The writings of [[Milarepa]] are canonical [[Mahayana]] Buddhist texts that emphasize the temporary nature of the physical body and the need for non-attachment.

Detachment is a central concept in [[Zen]] Buddhist philosophy. One of the most important technical Chinese terms for detachment is "{{transliteration|zh|wú niàn}}" ({{lang|zh|無念}}), which literally means "no thought." This does not signify the literal absence of thought, but rather the state of being "unstained" ({{transliteration|zh|bù rán}} {{lang|zh|不染}}) by thought. Therefore, "detachment" is being detached from one's thoughts. It is to separate oneself from one's own thoughts and opinions in detail as to not be harmed mentally and emotionally by them.<ref>{{cite book|author=[[Hui-neng]]|url=https://www.thezensite.com/ZenTeachings/Platform_Sutra.pdf|title=The Platform Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch|translator-first=Philip B.|translator-last=Yampolsky|publisher=Columbia University Press|year=1967|lccn=67-11847}}</ref>

==Christianity==
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[[Eastern Christian monasticism]] cultivated practices of detached [[Watchfulness (Christian)|watchfulness]] which were designed to calm the passions and lead to an ongoing state of calm detachment known as {{transliteration|grc|[[apatheia]]}}. 

In Western Christianity, [[Ignatian spirituality]] encourages detachment, sometimes referred to as ''indifference'', in order to maximize a person's ''availability'' to God and to their neighbors.

==Hinduism==
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The Hindu view of detachment comes from the understanding of the nature of existence. The true ultimate state sought is that of being in the moment: While one is responsible and active, one does not worry about the past or future. The detachment is towards the result of one's actions rather than towards everything in life. This concept is cited extensively within [[Puranic]] and [[Vedas|Vedic]] literature, for example:
{{Quote|One who performs his duty without attachment, surrendering the results unto the Supreme Lord, is unaffected by sinful action, as the lotus is untouched by muddy water. |[[Bhagavad Gita]] 5.10:}}

{{transliteration|sa|[[Vairagya]]}} is a Hindu term which is often translated as detachment.

==Taoism==
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The [[Tao Te Ching]] expresses the concept (in chapter 44) as:
<blockquote>
Be content with what you have; rejoice in the way things are. When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you<ref>{{Cite book |last=Tzu |first=Lao |title=Tao Te Ching |date=July 2004 |publisher=HarperCollins |isbn=9780061807398 |pages=71 |language=en |translator-last=Mitchell |translator-first=Stephen |trans-title=Tao Te Ching}}</ref>
</blockquote>

== Stoicism ==
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The Christian practices of detachment derive from ancient Greek philosophy, most notably [[Stoicism]]. According to the Stoics, {{transliteration|grc|apatheia}}, which can be translated as "equanimity",  was the quality that characterized the [[Sage (Sophos)|sage]].

Whereas [[Aristotle]] had claimed that [[virtue]] was to be found in the [[Golden mean (philosophy)|golden mean]] between an excess and a deficiency of emotion ({{transliteration|grc|metriopatheia}}), the Stoics thought that living virtuously provided freedom from the [[Stoic passions|passions]], resulting in {{transliteration|grc|apatheia}}. It meant eradicating the tendency to react emotionally or egotistically to external events, the things that cannot be controlled. For Stoics, it was the optimally rational response to the world, for things cannot be controlled if they are caused by the will of others or by Nature; only one's own will can be controlled. That did not mean a loss of feeling, or total disengagement from the world. The Stoic who performs correct (virtuous) judgments and actions as part of the world order experiences contentment ({{transliteration|grc|[[eudaimonia]]}}) and good feelings ({{transliteration|grc|eupatheia}}).

==References==
{{wikiquote|Detachment}}
{{wiktionary|detachment|dispassion|apatheia}}

{{Reflist}}

{{Simple living}}
{{Virtues}}

[[Category:Religious philosophical concepts]]