When we hear the words ‘letting go’, it’s easy to underestimate the power they hold. Imagine if you could really let go of all your problems (no matter how big or small). There’s a freedom that would come from suddenly dropping everything that bugs you - realising it didn’t really matter anyway. This act of letting go is a simple (and powerful) thing but how to actually do it?
Recently, I watched an interview with the psychological illusionist Derren brown where he spoke about the philosophy of Stoicism. He talked about developing an attitude that anything out of our control is simply... fine. When we really let this idea seep into us, a profound sense of freedom begins to arise.
In Buddhism, this attitude can be arrived at by contemplating change. One of the core teaching of Buddhism is on the nature of impermanence and taking the steps to embracing the transience of life. Change is everywhere. Our experiences, appearances and thoughts are all constantly fleeting. When we stop clinging to experiences (good and bad) and see the impermanence of them, it's a lot easier to let go of life's problems.
So, from a Buddhist perspective, letting go is about embracing transience and coming to terms with change. There’s a real freedom to be found when we realise that life’s problems aren’t as solid and fixed as they seem. This too shall pass!
- Luke, writer at Lotus Zen.
