Episode 159 - Let Go Of The Past Present and Future

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">One way of practicing non-attachment can be expressed with the popular phrase, “Let go.” In verse 348 of the Dhammwpada, Buddha says, “ Let go of the past, </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">let go of the future, let go of the present.” But what does it mean to let go? When we are attached to something, we are attached because of the way we’re thinking about it. For example, we don't suffer today because of what someone did to us in the past, but because of the resentment we are have thinking about it. If we worry about not having enough money in the future, it's not because that will actually happen (for how would we know), but because of how of we're thinking. To stop the suffering that comes with attachment to things of the past, present, and future, we first identify the obsessive or painful way we think about them. Then we find a new way to think about them that beings us peace and contentment rather than pain and longing. I like to call the practice:</span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Let go into peace.”</span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This practice of non-attachment involves mindfully noticing the disturbing way of thinking, then replacing it with a beneficial way of thinking. In the example above with a past resentment, when we catch ourselves thinking about what someone did and it causing a painful feeling to arise, we change our thoughts to compassionate ones about that person who harmed us. We let go of resentment into something beneficial, compassionate. </span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Some ways to practicing letting go into something beneficial:</span></p> <p> </p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">Let go of the past: forgive yourself, forgive others. Let go into lessons learned.</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">Let go of regrets and guilt. If we understand impermanence, we know we’r