Letting Go Leads to Freedom
We are so self centered it’s difficult to see it. Of course we once believed that the sun revolves around the earth. It sure ‘seems’ that way. If you sit in a Kuti (a small one room building), with 4 walls and a widow in each wall, all day the light of the sun makes its way around from the east facing widow through the south facing widow and finally the west facing window. It would appear that the sun is revolving around the earth. But TODAY we know better. We KNOW that the earth is revolving around the sun and that the earth is spinning as it revolves. It is through this spinning that the sun APPEARS to be revolving around the earth. Since we KNOW we can make sense of it but our simple ability to observe with our senses would never be able to discern this.
The same is true of this idea that it’s all about me and my comfort. But when we can move past this me & mine, this ‘self’ing we find that we are much more able (likely) to find the satisfactoriness or contentment we have been seeking all along.
We strive to have the perfect job, spouse, life in an attempt to feel satisfied to feel good about ourselves, our efforts. But it just this STRIVING that brings us so much pain. It actually moves us in the polar opposite direction of the one which we are/were trying to head. Instead of moving us toward liberation, peace, freedom, SERENITY we are caught in the trap of suffering, despair and these other unpleasant states of mind that lead us to controlling behaviors.
But if instead…we give up control. We LET GO!!!! We let go of the illusion that we have control. We let go of this small view of self. We find liberation, freedom, serenity. When we STOP trying to control and learn to accept life on life’s terms. Sure, it is unfair! We may not always like it. But that’s just how it is. ACCEPTANCE. This suffering, this unsatisfactoriness isn’t directed at us. It isn’t personal. It isn’t about you or me or anyone! It is just life happening, unfolding in all of its pleasant- and unpleasant- ness.
It’s just life! The good, the bad & the ugly. Can we welcome and embrace them all? As suggested by Rumi in the Guest House. Turn towards them to see and feel them as they really are? Allowing the judgement of good or bad to fade away. And allowing them to just BE. Pleasant, unpleasant & neutral.
The self – this satisfaction craving being – begins to melt away and things are just as they are. And it is all OK. And then we find serenity. We feel serene when we stop fighting with reality. It is what it is!
Let go of this limited idea that in order to be happy this list of conditions needs to be met. It is in this list that suffering lays!
Augusta Hopkins
Bhavana Society
4 August 2013