Imitate Anatman

 

Question from redditor:

 

From your own experiences, what are some things that you do every day to detach from the individual self?

 

Kyle Dixon/Krodha:

 

Anātman is only known by awakened āryas. There’s nothing in your relative life that needs to be done to “detach.” That is not how awakened insight functions. The perception of a self is always present for non-āryas. Just live virtuously and practice the dharma, and then at some point you will hopefully awaken to know anātman, and at that time you will have to learn how to cultivate that awakened equipoise.

 

But there is nothing to do to be “more selfless,” in the sense of according with anātman. That is not how it works. Anātman is based on insight, it is experiential like tasting sugar.

 

That said, one tip that has been beneficial for others, is trying in your practice and meditation, to begin to imitate anātman by trying to notice that in seeing there is just the seen, in hearing just sounds, etc., no background seer or hearer. That is a way you can begin to prime your mind when practicing or even in daily life.