Reviewing Non-Attachment and Non-Aversion September 30, 2020

This talk reviews alobha (non-attachment) and adosa (non-aversion), two of the Universal Wholesome Cetasikas, categories of mind conditioning functions that participate in the shaping of each moment of self-experience that is free from dukkha–distress and confusion.  During the talk Peter reviews each of these conditioning elements individually and then describes how they coordinate in their functioning.  Non-Attachment is essential in the process of understanding anatta, the absence of an enduring, autonomous self, a concept that is a core element of Buddhist liberation philosophy.  Non-Aversion is also recognizable as metta, lovingkindness, another key practice of Buddhist liberation philosophy.  This description is followed by questions and comments by those participating in the Zoom meeting.

Here are the notes prepared for this talk:  Reviewing NonAttachment and NonAversion

Next week’s talk will focus on reviewing Equanimity

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Guided Non-Attachment and Non-Aversion Meditation

This training meditation focuses on two of the Universal Wholesome Cetasikas, alobha (non-attachment) and adosa (non-aversion).  The meditation suggests how to use mindful investigation of the breath sensations to develop enough sensitivity of insight to observe the ephemeral, dreamlike and transitory nature of internal narratives, the “selfing story”.  This insight supports viewing the flow of subjective experience as an impersonal process, a natural phenomenon, not a self, and this skillful practice manifests as non-attachment.  The same approach of using mindful awareness of uncomfortable and unpleasant subjective experience as ephemeral and transitory leads to a non-reactive characteristic of subjective experience, non-aversion.  This meditation is meant to support the Dharma talk that was presented afterwards: “Reviewing Non-Attachment and Non-Aversion”.

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