I am Anatta.

Not my real name, of course; Anatta is the Buddhist idea that no substantial self actually exists.

I chose that name because I don’t want attention.

It’s not about me.

It’s about the writing and the message.

What Makes Me Different?

I spent many hours in float tanks practicing Lamrim in total sensory deprivation.

This is not an ordinary life experience.

It’s shaped every aspect of who I am.

I hope that piques your curiosity.

My Spiritual Awakening

I dabbled in Buddhist practice for about 20 years.

However, when I started practicing Lamrim in the float tank, my practice blossomed.

I might never have gained realizations beyond the intellectual without this preparation.

Even after hundreds of hours in deep meditation, I still struggled with worldly concerns.

That all changed for me in a rather dramatic fashion.

Please Respect my Anonymity

I am a ghost.

Invisible.

A voice of Light with no material substance. No ego to grasp onto.

The spotlight should never be on me.

My Muse is Polyhymnia, Goddess of Hymns and Sacred Poetry. Channeling Polyhymnia’s voice is a tremendous writing experience.

I cherish it.

I honor it.

Desiring fame, her voice would fall silent. I don’t want that.

That’s the Spiritual Teacher’s Paradox. If you Want it, you can’t have it.

It’s the downfall of every Spiritual fraud.

If my identity were to become widely known, my Muse would flutter away, chased by my Desire for fame.

I don’t want that.

If you like my writing, neither should you.

It’s not impossible to figure out who I am. But if you do, please keep it to yourself because I will never acknowledge it.

Even if it means I must lie to misdirect you.

Don’t make me a liar.

Please respect my anonymity.

I am not establishing a brand, acquiring fame, or planting ideas about who I am in your mind.

I don’t wish to impress anyone, signal virtue, seek accolades, or aggrandize myself in any way.

Anonymity allows me to tell my story from my heart and express my perspective even when unpopular.

Particularly when unpopular and the dogs of Political Correctness want to pounce on me and eat my flesh.

Ordinary Sacred Text

Have you noticed that writers of religious material try to sound all peaceful and religious, inflated with air, floating, rising above it all.

It’s a fraud.

Arrogant Pride. Nothing more.

If you channel real Power, it enables every part of you, including a devilish sense of humor; at least, that’s what happened to me.

I suppress no part of me.

If I feel Light, you will too. If I feel Dark, you will too.

And I will take you to very bright Light and really, really Dark places in your Mind.

I’m not hiding any part of me out of fear of your reaction.

Judge me. Hate on me. Love Me.

I will drink it all in and give you Love in return.

My Heart is alchemy in motion.

My Son and My Family Are My World

I am the father of a young man with autism.

As he grew up physically, I grew up emotionally.

He is the focus of my spiritual practice.

Without him, I would have remained a self-involved, narcissistic egomaniac obsessed with worldly pursuits.

I love him.

I owe him everything. He inspires me.

My journey to accepting my son’s condition revealed my purpose for being.

The quest for complete acceptance is transformative, and it’s not what many special needs parents think it is.

I haven’t come to terms with something terrible or learned to endure some great hardship.

Quite the contrary, I recognize that I am uniquely blessed with a lifelong relationship full of special joys few others will ever experience.

In fact, the only others who will ever really know the joys of my life are other special needs parents — at least those who’ve come to appreciate the gift.

That is the core message I want to share with other parents who find themselves with the unexpected treasure of a special needs child.

Your child is perfect as-is.

My compassion for special needs children provides the drive and energy for my writing.

My love for my son is deep and abiding, and I extend my feelings for my own son to others like him.

My compassion for my son is mixed with attachment, but my compassion for other special needs children is pure.

I’ve spent many hours contemplating the problematic lives of special needs children.

True stories of horrific sufferings inflicted upon special needs children are sadly familiar.

Special needs persons, often completely helpless, rarely get what they want, and some can’t even communicate their needs, which often go unmet.

They are sometimes rejected by family, abused, neglected, shut away, and hidden in shame.

They often live lonely lives shunned by others bathing in toxic shame.

Many lack social skills, but they have no lack of desire for social contact. They want friends, lovers, and family like everyone else, but they have more difficulties fulfilling their desires.

These are unpleasant truths to think about, and it’s easier to turn away.

Compassion arises strongly when I contemplate these truths, particularly for helpless children.

Out of that compassion, a strong desire emerges to lessen the suffering of special needs children.

That’s why I write.

Please see my finest work: The Unbridled Joy of Special Needs Parenting

Contact Me, but only from your Heart

If you want to reach me, I am at

selflessanatta@gmail.com

I will only respond to requests from the Heart.

If you seek money, fame, or worldly concerns, I won’t hear you because I can’t help you in those areas.

Please don’t waste my time with such requests.

~~wink~~

Anatta

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Anatta's writing on Autism Parenting, Spirituality, and Buddhism.

People

I am a devoted father blessed with an adult son with autism. He is the focus of my spiritual practice, and he inspires me with his love and companionship.