Published Tuesday, 01 August 2023
Let go of the past.
Let go of the future.
Let go of the present.
With a heart that is free
cross over to that shore
which is beyond suffering.
Dhammapada v.348
Probably we have all heard about letting go of the past and letting go of the future, but here the Buddha is advising us to also let go of the present. How do we do that? We could start by paying attention to how balanced and at ease we feel in our bodies. Our bodies can tell us a lot about whether we are caught up in habits of clinging. Often out of unconscious fear we resist and we cling and in the process create stress. Before long we don’t even know we are doing it. Taking a long, slow, deep in-breath can help. Then an even longer, slower, out-breath. Allow your shoulders to drop and remember the Buddha’s advice to let go of the present.