Letting go.
- clearstreamzendo
- May 11
- 2 min read
This week’s topic for reflection is letting go. Letting go involves being open to letting in. Letting go may not be possible sometimes and may not even be a good idea. It might be easier to allow the space to be open to what is hard to take in or experience than letting go. Let it in and then let go of the position you usually take. This might mean letting go of being right or being in control. You might need to model this for awhile before others get the idea. Letting go allows for the flow of giving and receiving.
Letting go can mean being honest and real. Let it out. Speak your truth from the heart. It’s a good policy to remember there are consequences to everything we do so be careful and responsible. Be careful about blaming others about how you feel or how you are.
It seems to me that everything has already let go and is changing or evolving. It’s my holding on or my looking at things in the same old way that needs to get with the program of change. This requires letting go or holding more lightly my habits and beliefs. For example I hold onto the idea of being physically like I was twenty years ago. The reality is I’m in my seventies and my body is not as resilient and capable as it used to be. In one way or another my body always wins the competition of how old I am. In this case it means going at a slower less ambitious pace. This can open up the potential for greater appreciation and enjoyment, more sharing both giving and receiving.
Letting go requires discipline or following through to the end. This does not necessitate being rigid about a set goal. There needs to be flexibility in the path not being a straight line to a predetermined specific end point. The end point may not be reached or may not be reachable. Seeing the path clearly involves knowing the nature of the path. Going straight down a winding path means stay on the path even as it twists and turns in unpredictable ways. Staying true to truth even when you don’t know which choices you will need to make. There is a letting go and opening up to what is that is needed in order to move forward. We create the need for letting go by being stuck. Letting go of being stuck creates the ability to respond spontaneously. Being stuck in habit and projection eliminates the potential to respond appropriately to what is within the moment. Let go and let in. Give and receive. Together.
Here’s my poem, “Letting go.”
The breeze moves rapidly through responding trees,
Clouds flow willingly through the empty sky.
Sunlight awakens everything to renewed life,
All of my friends using everything at hand.
Clean clothes are hung on the line to dry,
Welcoming the new day.
Please join us for morning Zoom zazen from 7:00 to 7:30 Tuesday and Thursday, and Sunday morning Zoom zazen and discussion of the topic for reflection blog from 8:00 to 9:00 Pacific Time. Here’s the Zoom link:
Meeting ID: 811 6100 3357
Passcode: 278259
Gassho,
Futai
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