The teachings of Ajahn Chah.

 The teachings of Ajahn Chah.

The teaching that people least understand is the teaching of letting go or working with the empty mind. When we conceive this in worldly terms, we become confused and think that we can do anything we want.

It can be interpreted in this way, but it's real meaning is closer to this : It's as if we were carrying a heavy rock. After a while we begin to feel its weight, but we don't know how to let go. So we endure this heavy burden all the time. If someone tells us to throw it away, we say, "If I throw it away, I won't have anything left!" If told of all the benefits to be gained by throwing it away, we would not believe it, but would keep on thinking, "If I throw my rock away, I will have nothing." So we keep carrying this heavy rock until it becomes so unbearably heavy, that we just have to drop it.

Having dropped it, we suddenly experience the benefits of letting go. We immediately feel better and lighter and know for ourselves how much of a burden carrying a rock can be. Before we let go of the rock, we couldn't possibly know the benefits of letting go. Later on we may start carrying burdens again, but now we know what the results will be, so we can now let go more easily. This understanding - That it's useless carrying burdens around and that letting go brings ease and lightness - is an example of knowing ourselves.

Our pride, our sense of self that we depend on, is the same as that heavy rock. Like that rock if we think about letting go of self, we are afraid that without it there would be nothing left. But when we can finally let it go, we realize for ourselves the ease and comfort of not clinging.

~ Ajahn Chah