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In my view detachment is different than the nonattachment you get from sustained meditation practice. Detachment often comes from trauma, illness, or unhealthil

In my view detachment is different than the nonattachment you get from sustained meditation practice. Detachment often comes from trauma, illness, or unhealthily extreme circumstance (e.g., being tired or drunk or high). Nonattachment is about behavioral freedom: instead of being compelled by thoughts that trigger particularly urgent feelings, you get to decide which threads to pursue. That said, reading about meditation is never going to get you a full understanding of it, any more than reading cookbooks will give you an understanding of a cuisine you've never eaten.

galaxyLogic 4y ago
> reading about meditation is never going to get you a full understanding Right. And do you really even need a whole book to explain how to do meditation? Can it not be explained in one paragraph? Is it even as complicated as a recipe in a cookbook with many steps and ingredients? How many steps and subtasks and ingredients are there to do meditation? Now I would be interested in seeing a book that explains some rational as to why a given meditation technique does some good to you. I believe it does, but don't know why. Therefore could it be like placebo?
- throw_away1525 4y ago
  I would argue that, yes, you do in fact need either a book or a teacher. Meditation practices and traditions didn't spontaneously develop in a vacuum, they were created in the context of spiritual traditions such as Buddhism. Non-attachment and no-self are very difficult concepts, but they are the aim of meditation! Without a good teacher (or at least, a good book), meditation can lead to some dark places. Edit: Of course you are correct that the actual technique is very simple and can be explained in a few sentences. But there is much more to it than that - how do you process the results? That's what you need a book/teacher/help for.
- wpietri 4y ago
  You sound like somebody who has not spent a lot of time meditating. Maybe try it before opining further? You need many books to explain how to do meditation, because people vary widely and it's a complex set of skills with subtle goals. However, reading a thousand books is not sufficient to understand it, any more than reading all the books about bicycles can make you able to ride a bike.

galaxyLogic 4y ago

> reading about meditation is never going to get you a full understanding Right. And do you really even need a whole book to explain how to do meditation? Can it not be explained in one paragraph? Is it even as complicated as a recipe in a cookbook with many steps and ingredients? How many steps and subtasks and ingredients are there to do meditation? Now I would be interested in seeing a book that explains some rational as to why a given meditation technique does some good to you. I believe it does, but don't know why. Therefore could it be like placebo?

throw_away1525 4y ago
I would argue that, yes, you do in fact need either a book or a teacher. Meditation practices and traditions didn't spontaneously develop in a vacuum, they were created in the context of spiritual traditions such as Buddhism. Non-attachment and no-self are very difficult concepts, but they are the aim of meditation! Without a good teacher (or at least, a good book), meditation can lead to some dark places. Edit: Of course you are correct that the actual technique is very simple and can be explained in a few sentences. But there is much more to it than that - how do you process the results? That's what you need a book/teacher/help for.
wpietri 4y ago
You sound like somebody who has not spent a lot of time meditating. Maybe try it before opining further? You need many books to explain how to do meditation, because people vary widely and it's a complex set of skills with subtle goals. However, reading a thousand books is not sufficient to understand it, any more than reading all the books about bicycles can make you able to ride a bike.