Monday Sunset

Monday Sunset, originally uploaded by o2ma.

Ottmar Liebert's blog strikes again. His flickr stream is one of my favorites and his blog often speaks directly to me.

Today's post has to do with Buddhist non-attachment. I think a lot of Westerners try to bend our mind around non-attachment, but that our understanding can become warped instead of fluid. We can interpret "non-attachment" as not caring or not trying. In other words, facing the quandry of how to have goals or go forward with plans when you are practicing non-attachment or the fact that "nothing matters" can seem like opposing forces.

I know that Buddhism is not nihilism, yet I have gotten into this trap plenty of times. The question of "what's the point?" looms large in the grand scheme of non-attachment.

Ottmar clears up the foggy glass, pointing out that there is a big difference between attachment and engagement. And I think yes yes. Exactly. His example is a soccer game: when you are in the game you are focused, you are playing, you are involved, you are giving it your all ("until your lungs are in your mouth"). But when the ref decides the game is over — it is over. And this listening, acknowledging and obliging with the ref is the practice of non-attachment.

Exactly.

Ottmar is a neat person. I know, I know. Neat is a dreadful word. There are a hundred other words you could put here that might be more descriptive and flattering, yet I think it would come down to him just being well-roundedly, fabulously, interestingly neat. (Ha, I see I traded my adjectives for adverbs.)

From him I've seen new ways to think of discipline. Of effort. And despite being a great musician, he also takes beautiful photos of a Santa Fe that will tug at your heart and writes blog posts that will point you to your cushion.

I'm not gushing. I'm not. I'm appreciating. I'm an appreciator.

He has two blogs and the one I'm going to link to may require a membership. I hope not, cuz you might like to read it, too.

» Ottmar at INJournals