"In the inevitable rising and falling, the cycles of expansion and contraction that come as you give birth to yourself, there may be moments to push, to strive toward a spiritual goal. But more frequently the task is one of leting go, of finding a gracious heart that honors the changes of life."
"In all practices and traditions of freedom, we find the heart's task to be quite simple. Life offers us just what it offers, and our task is to bow to it, to meet it with understanding and compassion. There are no laurels to acquire. Charismatic teachers and spritual attainments can become traps of striving in which we lose sight or our own Buddha Nature here and now."
For minds obsessed by compulsive thinking and grasping, you simplify your meditation practices to just two words------"let go".........
Instead of becoming the worlds expert on Buddhism and being invited to great international conferences, why not just "let go, let go, let go"? For years I did nothing but this in my practice. Every time I tried to understand or figure things out, I'd say "let go, let go, let go"until the desire would fade out. So Im making it very simple for you, to save you from getting caught up in an incredible amount of suffering. There's nothing more sorrowful than having to attend international Buddhist conferences. Some of you might have the desire to become the Buddha of the age,... radiating love throughout the world. Instead, just be an earthworm who knows only two words----"let go, let go, let go.".....
Though it sounds simple, letting go is also an advanced practice. It is demanded in the greatest trials of our lives and in our final moments.
It is here that the heart learns the secret "that to let go is also to embrace what is true." For one Buddhist teacher who had trained for years in monastery, a painful divorce and the death of one of her children catapulted her into profound grief and a reexamination of all her years of practice.
"I became overwhelmed. I would weep for days on end, not knowing how I could live, what to do. It was a teaching that no amount of meditation could help me through. I really had to face the suffering of the world and the suffering of my own mind. In those years I finally learned the necessity of letting go, of opening to the truth no matter what."
When the fall occurs we must give ourselves to it. The freedom of the heart was revealed to the Buddha only when he could touch the suffering of Mara with compassion. This is a secret taught in martial arts such as aikido: to enter into the energy of our opponent, to embrace his or her aggression and move together with it. In this embrace we reconcile and make peace with all things.
A playful statement by Emerson makes the point well: "When a dog is chasing after you, whistle for him." It is a truth of the heart that what we resist makes us frightened, hard, inflexible, and what we embrace becomes transformed.
When we honor Mara by name and invite him in for tea, the fear and confusion and conflict of descent become our allies. The vulnerability and humility of our heart become our safeguard. In letting go, trust is born; in releasing struggle, true strength is revealed; in a compassionate heart our love for sentient beings is fulfilled. We cannot stay on the summit, but we can find peace and oneness with all things. In meeting all the changes of the seasons with this secret embrace, wherever we are becomes holy gound, the seat of enlightenment."
(Chosen excerpts from the comforting book I am reading by Jack Kornfield)
Peace,
Anewme
Letting Go......
by anewme 17 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
-
anewme
-
mouthy
Please dont give mara my address been there did that
-
DHL
Anewme,
I want to give you a big "Thank you" for the "Letting go"-Post. It was like an answer on a question I asked myself yesterday.
Again, thanks a lot!
-
Robdar
Why is it that the Buddhists and new agers are always saying to "let it go"? As if this life is so awful that they do not want to be in touch with it? Our life is a gift. Our emotions a blessing. We should embrace, not run away. We are here now. To deny this, to turn our back on this existence is, imo, blasphemy.
-
DHL
Robdar, this was probably a simple misunderstanding. I totally agree with you that letting go (or refusing) existence wouldn't be right. But it can be quite helpful to conciously let go of an unwanted emotion (like anger) in a certain situation.
For example can I become very upset about what somebody says to me. Now I have two possibilities: I can stay in that upset mood and maybe give a heated answer that I would probably regret later on or I can decide to let go of the anger and to calm down. Would you consider anger a blessing emotion or mood that you would love to stay in for as long as possible? In my opinion it's ok to acknowledge being angry but I don't want to stay in that mood forever because it makes me feel bad and unable to enjoy my day the way I want to. Letting go in that sense means the same as saying: "What the hell!"
Of course, the best way of life would be to never feel a desire to get angry or upset about what other people say or do. But I have to admit I am still working on this one!
-
Sunnygal41
wonderful info, anewme. thanks for sharing it, it was a major theme in my life this past weekend.
-
yaddayadda
May i ask what the title of the book is? Try also reading 'The Secret of Letting Go' by Guy Finley. Superb.
-
Narkissos
If nothing is without passing,
Let it be and let it go are the two faces of the same coin.
-
hallelujah
Hi Anewme
Great excerpt and as always just at the right time when I've been holding onto struggles, views, etcetera etcetera. Now to apply it.
Does he give the reference for Emerson's quote? I'm doing an essay for Peace Studies and it looks like the real deal
Regards
Dan
-
Satanus
Of course, the best way of life would be to never feel a desire
This is a buddhist doctrine that i question. True, if attained, suffering ceases. However, it may be an act of abdication from living life. Otherwise, that article is quite good.
S