Tuesday

Non-Attachement in Buddhism: Exploring the Buddhist Teachings on Attachment

By Carrie Ingoglia

An Excerpt from the Shambhala Community Blog

When I started learning about the Buddha’s teachings, I got stuck on the idea of non-attachment in Buddhism. I was especially struck by two ideas central to the Buddhist teachings on attachment, both of which I initially resisted:

1. That suffering is inevitable. I remember thinking, “I like my life. Do I have to suffer?”
2. To relieve suffering, we must not be attached to things, people, and ideas. My resistance to this idea was immediate, and sounded like, “How can I be a good friend or family member if I’m not attached to my loved ones?” And “How can I go through life without being attached to anything?”

Over time, I’ve come to find some peace with non-attachment in Buddhism, and here’s why.

Buddhism and Non-Attachment: How Attachment Relates to Suffering

Buddhism views attachment as a pivotal cause of suffering, often using the Sanskrit term “duḥkha” (Pāli dukkha), which can refer to physical pain or emotional turmoil, both of which are part of the human condition. Suffering comes from our innate yearning for permanence, satisfaction, and control in a world characterized by impermanence and constant flux. 

According to Buddhism, attachment and suffering go hand-in-hand. When we like something, we want it to remain. When we don’t like it, we want it to go away. Either way, we’re often comparing the real present moment to an imagined one that we prefer or that we’re attached to.

These attachments stem from our deeply ingrained tendency to cling to experiences that bring pleasure while avoiding those that evoke discomfort. But because our internal and external environments are always changing, this attachment perpetuates suffering, binding us to a relentless cycle of craving, aversion, and ignorance.

Is there a way to love people, dislike pain, and still practice non-attachment in Buddhism?

Buddhism and Attachment: Suffering and The Five Skandhas

Our attachment to phenomena sets in motion a chain of interconnected causes and effects, ultimately culminating in suffering. This chain is described in the foundational Buddhist teaching of the five skandhas (Sanskrit, “heaps” or “aggregates”).

The cycle starts with ignorance (avidyā), referring specifically to our fundamental misconception of reality, particularly its fluctuating and impermanent nature. That ignorance leads to ideas or mental formations (saṃskāra), shaped by our past experiences, desires, and beliefs—meaning, this thing has happened in the past, so we think it will always happen in the same way. These formations shape our awareness of the world around us and, in fact, our consciousness (vijñāna).

Our experience of form (rūpa), sensory contact with the material world; sensation (vedanā), internal feelings received from forms; perception (saṃjñā), perception of the qualities of forms; mental formations (saṃskāra), mentally arising volitions and dispositions; and consciousness (vijñāna), the mental recognition of the other four factors, together make up our sense of self and identity. These are the five skandhas.

It can be helpful to think about a practical example. If I have a job as a web programmer, I go to work every day to do web programming. This job pays me money so I can help take care of family. This job, its work and title, become part of my experience and my self-identity. I am a web programmer. I am someone who makes money and helps take care of my family. 

So what happens if I’m laid off from my job? Not only are there the practical questions of income and health insurance, but also the existential ones: Who am I, if I’m not a web programmer? Who am I, if I am not making money to provide for my family?

This attachment to self-identity may be the trickiest of all. It leads to craving (Sanskrit tṛ́ṣṇā, Pāli taṇhā), the fervent desire for pleasurable experiences, and the aversion to unpleasant ones. Craving leads to clinging (Sanskrit and Pāli upādāna), as we grasp onto people, possessions, and experiences in pursuit of enduring happiness and security. This clinging ultimately leads to more suffering, since everything inside and outside us is always changing.

Liberation from Attachment in Buddhism: The Path to Freedom

Despite the seemingly insurmountable cycle of suffering, Buddhism offers a pathway to liberation from attachment and its ensuing suffering. At its core lies the Four Noble Truths, serving as the cornerstone of Buddhist doctrine.

The first Noble Truth acknowledges the ubiquity of suffering (Sanskrit duḥkha) in human existence. The second Noble Truth identifies craving (tṛ́ṣṇā) and attachment (upādāna) as the root cause of suffering. The third Noble Truth heralds the cessation of suffering, attainable through the transcendence of attachment and craving. Finally, the fourth Noble Truth prescribes the Eightfold Path, a pragmatic roadmap to liberation from suffering.

The Eightfold Path comprises eight interrelated factors that foster wisdom (Sanskrit prajñā), ethical conduct (śīla), and mental discipline (samādhi). These factors encompass Right View, Right Intention, Right Speech, Right Action, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness, and Right Concentration.

By traversing the Eightfold Path, individuals gradually loosen their attachment to desires and nurture a deeper comprehension of reality’s true nature. This allows us to cultivate wisdom and insight, empowering one to extricate themselves from the cycle of suffering and attain liberation, or Nirvana.

To continue reading please visit the Shambhala Community Blog here.

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About the Author

Carrie Ingoglia is a meditation practitioner, ayurvedic yoga teacher, and mother to twins. Also an award-winning writer and Creative Director, she lives on Long Island with her family.