Zen story/koan: Hold on to let go. Let go, to hold on.
By emptychair
@innertalks (23746)
Australia
July 6, 2021 12:15am CST
The Zen master, Afrek Lerboski, used to tell people to hold on just for a little bit more, before letting go. Most people let go far too early.
His youngest, and newest student, Boofler Fredlker, would remonstrate with the master, and say to him,
"No, it is actually the other way around. One should let go as soon as possible, and then you will hang on to what is still right within you."
The master gave an example of an elephant trying to uproot a small sapling with its trunk, wrapped around it.
He said that,
"The elephant must hold on to the sapling strongly until it lets go of its hold in the ground."
"When we do not hold on strongly enough our minds flitter off on their own, whereas they should always be more tempered to our heart, and hanging on to our trueness of soul as it lives within there too."
"But that's what I said too."
the young student whimpered, in a mild protest of defiance.
"Yes,"
said the master,
"To hold on is to let go, and to let go is to hold on."
"So, let go of me, to hold onto my truths, within you, but then realise too that if you had held onto your truths, you would not have let go of them either."
"When you let go of the outer you, you will find the inner you, but if you let go of your inner you, learn to not do that, but try to hold onto that part of you always."
"Oh,"
said the boy, and "Oh" again.
"Ah", said the master, and "Ah" again.
Love lets go to hang on, then hangs on to let go. Let your heart lead the way, rather than your mind. Let go of your mind, hang onto your heart.
Photo Credit: The photo used in this article was sourced from the free media site, pixabay.com
Hold on to letting go, but not too strongly, lest you let all else go too. Some things must not be let go of.
6 people like this
5 responses
@DocAndersen (54399)
• United States
6 Jul 21
ah to let go, to allow the world around you to fill you. There is no darkness when we hold a light.
2 people like this
@innertalks (23746)
• Australia
7 Jul 21
Can there be darkness for us still, if a light shines upon us, from without us?
Yes, and no.
We can be blind to that light, or we can allow it to further light our own light, or candle, for us too.
Our own light can shine brighter when we allow it to shine in unison with other's lights too
@DocAndersen (54399)
• United States
7 Jul 21
@innertalks "why my god did you give me ears to hear your voice, but not the skill to create it" Salarai, Amaadues.
simple easy
we can't see light that shines on us, when we are not aware.
2 people like this
@innertalks (23746)
• Australia
7 Jul 21
@DocAndersen Are we ever not aware though?
We always feel these things at some level of ourselves. It is more connecting to the awareness, and valuing it as being there.
If we cannot see the light, we can still feel it as being there in other ways too.
@Nakitakona (59987)
• Philippines
6 Jul 21
There are things that you must let them go to make life good if not better.
I come across with this statement. "Some people are like clouds when they disappear its a brighter day"
2 people like this
@innertalks (23746)
• Australia
7 Jul 21
Yes, if we hold onto our clouds, our lives will be continually rained on then too.
2 people like this
@Nakitakona (59987)
• Philippines
7 Jul 21
@innertalks That's right. We don't have perfect clouds for our lives.
2 people like this
@innertalks (23746)
• Australia
6 Jul 21
Yes, a happy medium is needed, not an obsession to let go of all, nor an obstinance to hold onto all.
1 person likes this
@just4him (323168)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
7 Jul 21
@innertalks Yes, it can. The world is full of distractions.
1 person likes this
@innertalks (23746)
• Australia
7 Jul 21
Thanks. That's well put. Perhaps God, is the only person, that we should hold onto, as when we hold onto anything else, we put that before God, and it can become then a distraction for us then too.
1 person likes this
@Shiva49 (28402)
• Singapore
6 Jul 21
We need to retain the essence of our journey rather than be anxious to let go seeking better pastures.
Mind is like a monkey jumping from one branch to another but the heart stays more rooted and retains the gist of our experiences.
Mind control is needed for better balance and meaning in our lives.
1 person likes this
@innertalks (23746)
• Australia
6 Jul 21
That's well put, siva.
Yes, we need to stick with the essence of who we are, and listening to our conscience, as you do, helps us to do just that.
1 person likes this
@innertalks (23746)
• Australia
6 Jul 21
@Shiva49 Yes, our mind can go off in a tangent, or slip along on a banana skin of a whim at times, yes, the heart, and the soul, plus God's hand at the helm, all help to guide our ship in the right direction, whereas our mind, on its own, would probably get us shipwrecked in the end.
@Shiva49 (28402)
• Singapore
6 Jul 21
@innertalks Thanks Steve, no meaning in getting kicked around.
"A rolling stone gathers no moss" is the age-old saying and our mind gets easily influenced unless our heart kicks into action to steady it!
1 person likes this
