Mindfulness and Detachment: Creating Mental Space

In sharing and teaching mindfulness practice, I find the need to explain that although daily seated meditation is the heart of practice, I like to urge that "life is meditation; and, mindfulness is far more than sitting" - yet, for some reason people have difficulty grasping the concept! I am not sure why since it is rather simple: the peace and mental space gained in meditation can permeate every aspect of one's daily life. I find this a great goal; and truly, the practice of meditation has the capacity to enrich life in so many ways beyond sitting. One of the foremost qualities meditation helps cultivate is detachment. Detachment overlaps the quality of non-striving, which is one of the eight attitudes of mindfulness according to Jon Kabat-Zinn, the originator of Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR). Truly, detachment - in our stress-filled, needs-based culture - may in fact be the most important spiritual quality of all to master.

Throughout history, the various wisdom traditions have embraced the notion of detachment. In Buddhism, the concept of Nibbana (many Westerners know it as Nirvana), literally means "no burn." In the Christian tradition, Jesus, in the Gospel of John referred to the quality of detachment by urging us to, "be in the world, but not of the world." In the Hindu faith, throughout virtually the whole Bhagavad Gita (part of the sacred Mahabarata associated with the ancient Vedic scriptures), a thread of detachment is ubiquitous throughout the work. For example, chapter sixteen in the Bhagavad Gita, the central topic is the three gunas: rajas, tamas, and sattva. The quality of sattva is goodness, purity, energy, and detachment; the quality of rajas represents lust and passion; and tamas, inactivity and sloth. By cultivating sattva, one becomes free from anger, jealousy, and selfishness, and develops wisdom and clarity of mind.

So, what does it truly mean to be in the world but not of the world? It means developing a center, a place of inner wisdom; it means having the ability to not allow worldly occurances distract us from what we know is true, from our core values and life purpose. We can be involved in activities with others but not so influenced that we have lost our own center.

For example, people often ask me if I drink beer or alcohol; I usually tell them I may have a few beers but don't really "drink" per se. Yet still,I do like to go out sometimes and have fun (though not often enough!!). The key is I am able to maintain a sense of detachment when I do go to a restaurant or a bar, and not necessarily get drunk or even have one beer. Still, my intention is to have a blast! In doing this, I am living detached, staying centered, and remaining true to my personal value of sobriety. This is merely one example of so many ways we can remain detached.

The reason meditation helps is because it is a practice in returning to our sacred center. The more we return to this sacred center, we automatically find less and less need to strive for validation, acknowledgment, and direction from others.