Extreme risk-taking = non-attachment?

Invincible_summer

I just sawthis photo page of Mustang Wanted, a really, really gutsy Ukranian guy who likes to climb up tall things and hang off them for fun.

I was just thinking - this guy's apparent lack of fear (or at least great control over the emotion and the physical manifestations of it) is astounding. It almost exemplifies having "let go" (obviously not literally!) and not being attached to the self (in a certain manner anyway).

Could death-defying stunts be considered an expression of non-attachment?

black_tea

Some people also love the adrenalin rush -- it doesn't necessarily come from any letting go of the ego.

karasti

It's possible, but who knows without knowing the guy. I think that sometimes people who experience life changing events, do know how to let go and let be, so to speak. They are then more likely than they were before, to try more daring challenges. Once you face your biggest fear head on (death, for example) the little things aren't so scary anymore. Some people have a genetic thing that actually causes them to lack fear, in some ways that can be dangerous.And some like @black_tea mentioned, might be doing it for the ego boost, to show off to say they can do it and so on. Just depends on the person, but it is possible.

vinlyn

Invincible_summer said:

I just saw of Mustang Wanted, a really, really gutsy Ukranian guy who likes to climb up tall things and hang off them for fun.

I was just thinking - this guy's apparent lack of fear (or at least great control over the emotion and the physical manifestations of it) is astounding. It almost exemplifies having "let go" (obviously not literally!) and not being attached to the self (in a certain manner anyway).

Could death-defying stunts be considered an expression of non-attachment?

I'd say the opposite.

Jason_PDK

Non attachment isn't not caring about your life. It's simply not letting attachment to it take over you and being able to let go (when your time comes).

Doing stuff like that is just crazy IMO. I think there's a healthy balance, being unattached enough to life so you're not afraid you're going to die every time you go outside but being attached just enough so that you don't kill yourself from doing stupid stuff. Just my two cents
(He's probably doing that for the adrenaline rush though)

karasti

I don't know his motivations for what he does, but I'd venture that he's more at risk of serious injury or death in the car he drove in to get to the tower, than he is from climbing the towers. We all assume risk, we just don't think about it. We put inherent trust of some degree in every other driver who shares the road with us. I trust myself a whole lot more. I had a tree fort, as a kid, that was 5 levels and 40-60 feet high (depending on the level.) I'm sure my grandparents thought it was death defying, lol.

lamaramadingdong

Invincible_summer

I should clarify that I'm not suggesting that this Mustang Wanted guy is practicing non-attachment. I'm using him as an example to posit the question asked in the OP.

But it seems that everything just boils down to intent, doesn't it?

Even with meditation, if you go into it only because you want to relax or because you want to gain supernatural powers or something, that's not a very pure intent. You're not going to make any meaningful progress.

Much like if someone walks tightropes over canyons just for the thrill and doesn't take anything away from it, they're missing out on an opportunity to learn something, IMHO.

Also, the bliss one may experience during meditation can be a side-effect that brings people back to the cushion. Not the best reason to meditate, but it may be the fuel that brings them further along the path. Maybe the same can be said about extreme sports: the adrenaline rush may be the initial reason why they do it, but it's possible that something deeper is taken away in the end.



@Jason_PDK: I know that non-attachment isn't not caring about life... but "not caring about life" is, to me, more like pessimism/nihilism. Life has no point, doesn't matter if I die, etc.

In this particular context, I think that "non-attachment" or "letting go" can be interpreted as a person being so not overcome by their "Self" that they do things many would not even dare to do.


But of course, it's hard to tell what another person is thinking. And of course, many of these people are adrenaline junkies... but I guess what I'm trying to say is that perhaps there's a lesson in "letting go" that can be learned from such activities.

jll

adrenalin junkies are addicted to the rush.
far from being detached.

Invincible_summer said:

I just sawthis photo page of Mustang Wanted, a really, really gutsy Ukranian guy who likes to climb up tall things and hang off them for fun.

I was just thinking - this guy's apparent lack of fear (or at least great control over the emotion and the physical manifestations of it) is astounding. It almost exemplifies having "let go" (obviously not literally!) and not being attached to the self (in a certain manner anyway).

Could death-defying stunts be considered an expression of non-attachment?

lobster

If you have a tendency, to hang out in tall places. You are attached.
If you have a tendency to be virtuous, skhanda full or scandalous, you are attached.
If you are an alcoholic, drinking or abstaining, you are attached.
You are attached to youth or beauty or breathing or being. All Attachments.

That does not mean whilst hanging out, you let go.
Just be aware. To exist one is attached . . . comes with the territory . . .

:wave:

pegembara

I wonder how would he react if asked to just sit still and watch his mind.

lobster

. . . hopefully he would learn to let go . . . but not get attached to the concept . . . could be dangerous given his proclivities . . .

Invincible_summer

Again - I'm simply using this guy and such stunts as an example. I wanted to set the tone by giving an extreme example, but apparently that was a bad choice.

I suppose what I'm really trying to get at - extreme sports aside - is: do you think that some form of frightening experience could be an appropriate gateway to developing non-attachment, or learning to "let go?"

I'm not saying everyone should hang off of the tallest building they can find - fear is relative. But perhaps facing such fears head-on could be beneficial. After all, some Buddhist traditions have skeletons hanging around and suggest meditating around corpses and whatnot.

lobster

There is a story of a enlightened zen master . . . maybe someone will remember who. He went to see another master who was happy to meditate with him. However the second master decided the location. Standing toes on the edge of a steep cliff. Heels dangling in the void. The enlightened master was terrified and needed a few more years of training before attaining equanimity . . .

So yes one can find extreme fears to face, some of us have yet to face our friendly bits . . . our fear demons come later . . .

ThailandTom

I have seen this guy or some other Eastern European group who have done work outs at crazy heights, one arm pull ups and stuff. Some people just get a buzz from stuff like this, I get a buzz from riding a motorbike through Thai traffic as fast as I can in between cars and gaps of all natures, to each their own.

ThailandTom

These guys I was talking about, (sorry about the soundtrack I did not choose that).

Sabby

Before i got into buddhism, i was depressed to a certain extent, and i didn't really have much care for my life. I would not think twice about dangerous situations, because hey, what's the worst that could happen, i would just die, no biggie.

Now i understand the importance of my life and the preciousness of being a human.

can no longer laugh in the face of danger like Simba. ha ha ha ha!

Zero

Invincible_summer said:

do you think that some form of frightening experience could be an appropriate gateway to developing non-attachment, or learning to "let go?"

Every experience is such a gateway.

karasti

Of course it can. How many people experience life threatening accidents or illness to survive and explain how much it changed their life? For most people it doesn't get much more frightening than the thought you are ill and could die tomorrow. Of course, that is true of every person no matter their circumstance but we tend to ignore that fact. But like @Zero says, we have the chance to make any moment be that moment for us.