Zen Buddhisms concept of non-attachment can be best understood under the rejection of a permanent self or the ego-belief through

an analysis of the psycho-physical combination of human life.1 It is to be remembered that for Buddhism, everything is empty of self-reality, nothing exists in itself, for each existence is conditioned by some causes outside itself. All things, without any form nor kind of exception, are nothing but chains of momentary events, which are mere instantaneous bits of existence. It is upon Buddhisms view that all phenomena are subject to the laws of causation, that there is nothing that can be considered haphazard or predetermined.2 This concept of non-attachment or non-self theory is a dialogue of doctrine and religious experience, which will eventually lead to, cooperation, freedom, maximal cooperation, understanding and harmony.3 However, it is worth mentioning that the emptiness of the psycho-physical combination in Buddhism should not be understood nor perceived in such a manner as mere nothingness; the psycho-physical combination is empty because it is empty of a self or anything belonging to a self.4 As Nagarjuna puts it into words: there is no element which comes into existence without conditions, there is no element which is not empty; emptiness simply means conditionally or dependent of all phenomena. In this sense, non-attachment cannot be correlated to pain and suffering, for the ultimate goal of non-attachment is to bring suffering to an end. According to Buddhism, human beings have a tendency to cling to the five aggregates, namely: matter; feeling; perception; mental formation; and consciousness; and the five sensual pleasures, namely

1 2

Udeani (2008) , p.176 Ibid , p.177 3 McLean (2005), p.246 4 Ibid, p.248

visible object, sound, smell, taste and touch.5 It is within Buddhisms line of thought that the grasping of the self is the main origin for suffering and in order to being suffering to an end one must get rid of its cause, which is the manner of grasping the self. It is the belief of Buddhists that the grasping man is greatly exposed to intend to execute unwholesome actions which in turn will result to his unwholesome state of rebirth. Hence, the real pursuit of non-attachment is not self-annihilation, for there is no self to annihilate; if at all, it is the annihilation of the ignorance, desire and attachment of self. As the Buddha said: In this respect one may rightly say of me that I teach annihilation. For certainly I do teach annihilation of greed, hatred, and delusion, as well as of the manifold evil and unwholesome things.6

5 6

Udeani (2008), p.177 Ibid, p.179

References: Udeani, C. (2008) Communication Across Cultures: The Hermeneutics of Cultures and Religions in a Global Age. Washington: The Council for Research in Values and Philosophy. McLean, G. (2005) Ecumenism and Nostra Aetate in the 21st Century. Washington: The Council for Research in Values and Philosophy.