Have you ever felt like you’re not feeling anything at all?
That strange state of nothingness—neither joy nor sorrow—just stillness?
We often mistake this as the absence of emotions. But what if this, too, is a feeling in itself? What if detachment is not an escape from emotions, but a different kind of emotion altogether?
Every Feeling Has a Form
Our minds are like highways, and feelings are the vehicles that ride on them. Some are fast, loud, and demand attention—like excitement, anger, or grief. Others are subtle, like calmness, silence, or detachment. But just because a car moves quietly doesn’t mean it isn’t moving. Similarly, just because detachment feels like “nothing,” doesn’t mean it is empty.
Detachment has its own flavor. Just like attachment is accompanied by longing, hope, and fear of loss, detachment comes with acceptance, neutrality, and clarity. It’s not coldness—it’s comfort in letting go.
The Car and the Road: A Metaphor
Imagine every emotional state as a car on a road.
When you’re in the car of attachment, you’re highly invested in how the ride goes. A bump on the road, a scratch on the body, or a muddy puddle feels personal. You feel pain when the car struggles, because you think you are the car.
But when you sit in the car of detachment, you still experience the journey—but with a different awareness. You know you are not the car. You are just traveling in it. So even if the road is rough or the vehicle breaks down, you don’t panic. You understand that this ride is temporary. Another car will come. Another road will appear.
The Truth About Liberation
We are often told that liberation (or mukti) means becoming free from feelings, from desires, from attachments. But true liberation isn’t about escaping life. It’s about seeing it differently.
Freedom is not the absence of feelings.
Freedom is knowing you are not bound by them.
Even in detachment, there is feeling. There is softness. There is life.
Liberation is not about killing emotion—it’s about witnessing it without becoming it. It’s not about rejecting the journey—but about remembering: you are not the car—you are the traveler.
Conclusion
So the next time you feel like you’re feeling “nothing,” pause. Observe. You might just be experiencing a higher form of emotion—one that doesn’t scream but gently reminds you:
You are passing through. Let go. Be still. Keep moving.