Three Meditations to Practice Non-Attachment and Let Go of the Self

The so-called self is a construct of words and memories, of fantasies which have no existence in immediate reality. The block or stoppage which so many of us feel between words and action, between symbol and reality is actually a case of wanting to have one’s cake and eat it.- Alan Watts

Who are you? Are you a man, woman, or gender-neutral? Are you straight or queer? Are you Black, White, Asian, or Latino? Are you a Christian, a Muslim, a Buddhist, or a Jain? Do you have a high school diploma or did you graduate from university? Did you grow up in the U.S. or another country?

When I ask a person “who are you?” these are the questions I usually get answered. All of these questions feel very relevant when talking about one’s self. And there was a time that I would have similarly answered the questions.

But do the answers to the questions above really answer the question of who you are? You might disagree, but in my experience, they do not. None of those answers help fully answer the question of what it feels like to be in this sensitive human body. None of those answer what it means to be self-conscious and know that one day we will die.

Of course, measures of identity like race do affect how we experience reality. Any cursory observation or study of…