Unexpected Freedom

‘… and I know I should let go’Until we’ve been through such an experience, we are notfamiliar with the dynamics of this process as it is happeningwithin us. As a result we can be deceived by the apparentenormity of the ‘problem’. This is where good friends whohave walked the path a little longer or a little further, canwisely and sensibly point out, ‘Just wait a while before youdecide you’re doing the wrong thing. Stay with it for a whileand perhaps it will change.’ Of course, it does change in time.Fixed IdentityAnother reason that letting go doesn’t happen is thatsometimes our habits of clinging to various experiences –impressions, ideas or feelings – become the structures of ourown sense of who we are – often quite irrationally so. Ouridentity is based on habits, and if these habits are of denialor avoidance our personalities become irrational on somelevel. Although we’re doing something that may be selfdestructiveand better let go of, some old resentment or someold fear might prevent us from looking at it fairly andsquarely. Even though facing it may be the right thing to dowe don’t feel able to let go of our habit of clinging becauseit’s become part of who and what we feel ourselves to be.The rational mind, though it may recognise and be ableto describe the nature of our complex, cannot change thehabit patterns by itself. To do this requires a much morefocused application of effort in terms of both the practices ofmeditation and morality. Meditation is the means by whichwe undo habitual patterns but it cannot be effective withouta foundation of morality.If we go into these practices with some determinationand contemplate what we’re stuck on – how it would be wise,useful and skilful to be able to let go of this clinging business173