Asakti in Hindu philosophy is the attachment or inclination towards
a person or object. Asakti is essential and beneficial in some matters and in
some others undesirable and harmful.
All noble, sane and good traits of human behavior are useful
and conducive to knowledge, meditation, devotion, duty, and attachment to such
traits is commendable. But attachment to vices is injurious under all
circumstances and in all walks of life.
Vices make a person vile and vicious in all respects.
Excessive attachment to noble virtues is also however, denounced
by the ancient Hindu philosophers.
Anasakti or non-attachment is the golden key to a successful
life in the world. One can make a bold statement that attachment is human,
non-attachment is divine.
Non-attachment to noble as well as ignoble causes,
especially for the fruit thereof, virtues and vices, even one’s own family
members and relations, wealth, name and fame and even to one’s own perishable
body, is to be preferred to undue or excessive attachment.
For a happy and peaceful life, as well as for realizing
spiritual aims, asakti is definitely harmful and should be abandoned positively.
This is also the message of the Bhagavad Gita, as interpreted by Mahatma Gandhi
who upheld anasakti yoga.
Source - Encyclopedia of Hinduism Volume I page 447 - IHRF