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Letting go requires effort!

betaboybetaboy Veteran
edited June 2011 in Buddhism Basics
Let go. It also means 'do not cling'. Which in turn means you keep watching so that you don't cling - and this watching requires constant effort. So in a way letting go requires a great deal of effort. Isn't this a paradox?

Comments

  • compassionate_warriorcompassionate_warrior Veteran
    Not really. If it were easy or automatic, we wouldn't need teachings and the Dharma. The world would tend towards being a heavenly realm on its own.
  • santhisouksanthisouk Veteran
    It may sound that way, but actually letting go requires a degree of devotion and great effort. An effort that is difficult for the common folks really. The act of non-clinging means non clinging to all physical and mental factors. Touch, taste, smell etc. We have to "detach" as in not to become attached to those physical and mental sense pleasures. To reach complete detachment of the self and the world requires constant total awareness of everything. It's this awareness that makes us see.."Oh I should not do this..This leads to suffering".

    with metta
  • JeffreyJeffrey Veteran
    edited June 2011
    We need to see clearly. Since the mind is spacious that happens. Time is a mental construct (as we think about it not realizing that it is a thought).
  • JeffreyJeffrey Veteran
    There is not one self-existent thing that turns into another self-existent thing. It is always spacious we just don't notice.
  • VincenziVincenzi Veteran
    edited June 2011
    Not really. If it were easy or automatic, we wouldn't need teachings and the Dharma. The world would tend towards being a heavenly realm on its own.
    there's potential for a much stronger clinging/attachment in heavenly realms... but it is worth it because the avarage/standard friendship is much better than in humanly realms :)
  • VincenziVincenzi Veteran
    There is not one self-existent thing that turns into another self-existent thing. It is always spacious we just don't notice.
    spacious or a continum?
  • JeffreyJeffrey Veteran
    what do you mean by a continuum? I think what I mean by spacious is that there is no boundary between one thing and another. There is an appearance but upon analysis we cannot find a moment in time because each moment can be divided smaller. There is a continuity, but each moment is infinitely small. Being infinitely small only the mind can connect the insubstantial moments into a continuity.

    Its all spacious thinking.
  • JeffreyJeffrey Veteran
    it does require effort. thats what we feel.
  • compassionate_warriorcompassionate_warrior Veteran
    edited June 2011

    there's potential for a much stronger clinging/attachment in heavenly realms... but it is worth it because the avarage/standard friendship is much better than in humanly realms :)
    lol! poor Vincenzi--still smarting after your disillusionment. Here's some advice for you to try once you get to Italy: look for East Europeans. They make great friends. They really know what friendship is all about, and they're very warm people, generally speaking. Polish, Russians (be careful--some can be quite cynical, but some are all heart), Romanians, Bulgarians. There are Italians of Romanian descent, too--they're great. I know nothing about Italians per se, though. Maybe they're similar to E Europeans, idk. Good luck.

  • JeffreyJeffrey Veteran
    edited June 2011
    We have emotions and moods and things but when we try to zero in on them it is just a twinge in the body. Sometimes wrenching with feeling, but mostly it kinda dries up.
  • VincenziVincenzi Veteran
    edited June 2011
    @compassionate_warrior

    what disillusionment? the quote is a conclusion from my past life. it is in contrast with this life... but that's not the point; and actually I have being much more content with realising that almost all my inner turmoil came from this nostalgia (it is better becoming more free from suffering, if you know what to weed out).

    for some reason, I like romanians after italians (speaking of women; I know none romanians).
  • footiamfootiam Veteran
    Letting go of things that you like requires effort. I am not sure about letting go of the things you hate.
  • compassionate_warriorcompassionate_warrior Veteran
    @compassionate_warrior
    what disillusionment?.
    Sorry I wasn't clear. You said heavenly realm friendships are better than human realm friendships. It sounded like you were still feeling a little disillusioned about friendship after your break-up with your friend.

    Yeah, Romanians are great! But I don't know about the women, either. Maybe in the end, people are people. A true friend who sticks with you through thick and thin is a rare gem.
  • VincenziVincenzi Veteran
    @compassionate_warrior

    gladly, I'm not disillusioned... I expected more, but everyting is everchanging... mostly all this are annotations on the path.
  • compassionate_warriorcompassionate_warrior Veteran
    Yes, it's true; life is all about change, and they say change is dukkha, but it doesn't have to be. Carry on. :)
  • zenffzenff Veteran
    edited June 2011
    Let go. It also means 'do not cling'. Which in turn means you keep watching so that you don't cling - and this watching requires constant effort. So in a way letting go requires a great deal of effort. Isn't this a paradox?
    I’m not sure I fully understand the question; but it’s an interesting one I think.
    You feel like “watching” takes a great deal of effort?
    I don’t know. When you’re not asleep you watch. It happens naturally.

    Letting go of addictions takes effort. So dropping the smoking, the drinking and the drugs abuse are serious business.

    Changing habits (which do not involve addictive substances) does not take much effort usually. Set an alarm clock. Tell people what habit you’re trying to break. A few simple measures is all it takes. New habits are settled in a few days time.

    Dropping ideas is not much of an effort. Just don’t know.
    Stay here and now; don’t add so many words, concepts and preferences.

  • betaboybetaboy Veteran
    Could people pm each other for their OT chat and not derail this thread with their personal matters? Thank you.
  • compassionate_warriorcompassionate_warrior Veteran
    OK, no Romanians for you, betaboy.

    Letting go requires effort. (Notice how Vincenzi's letting go of a relationship or of expectations for the friendship he had is requiring effort, a good, practical example.) Reaching Enlightenment requires effort, and it's worth it. But the watching yourself becomes second-nature after awhile.
  • personperson Don't believe everything you think The liminal space Veteran
    Let go. It also means 'do not cling'. Which in turn means you keep watching so that you don't cling - and this watching requires constant effort. So in a way letting go requires a great deal of effort. Isn't this a paradox?
    Clinging is a mental habit. When we meditate and let go we're changing that habit. So it takes effort to make yourself do something else, but its not something you have to change by force, just by repetition.
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