Letting go

On the cultivation of insight/wisdom
D1W1
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Letting go

Post by D1W1 »

Hello all,

I'm not sure if this is considered Vipassana, Samatha, loving kindness or something else.
The short question is, how do we practice letting go in the meditation? Letting go of, greed, hate, fear, etc. Thanks all.
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Sam Vara
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Re: Letting go

Post by Sam Vara »

D1W1 wrote: Mon Jul 23, 2018 8:58 am Hello all,

I'm not sure if this is considered Vipassana, Samatha, loving kindness or something else.
The short question is, how do we practice letting go in the meditation? Letting go of, greed, hate, fear, etc. Thanks all.
Here's one method. When you notice greed, or hate, or fear, etc. in your mind, simply be aware that it is there; and then return your attention to the object of your meditation (for example, the breath). Don't dwell on or think about the negative quality, other than acknowledging that it is there. Don't explore the negative quality, allowing your mind to confirm it by grasping at particular details. Or if you do, acknowledge that, and then return to the object of the meditation. Just allow the negative thought or feeling to pass by, without bothering it with your concern. It can take a long time to do this, because it goes against what the mind has been conditioned to do. And sometimes it feels easy and obvious, whereas on other occasions it can appear to be impossible, and then that gives rise to frustration. But persist with it, and see what happens...
budo
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Re: Letting go

Post by budo »

When you're in meditation, anything that's not the object of meditation is greed. Let go of it and return to the object of meditation.

Greed means you're trying to have something, trying to take something. Whether it's pleasure from thinking, day dreaming, etc.. when you have no greed, you have no cravings, no aversions, no hatred, no fear, and you have no restlessness.

So anything that you do that takes you away from the object of meditation is greed.
auto
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Re: Letting go

Post by auto »

Greed is passion obsession what is abandoned regards to pleasant feeling.
The pleasure what rises in jhana will let you abandon passion obsession because regards to 1st jhana pleasure, passion doesn't get obsessed.

Dwelling in jhana you can abandon greed because in jhana it is not obsessed.
paul
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Re: Letting go

Post by paul »

The term ‘letting go’, is favoured by those who advocate passive mindfulness and does not convey a true representation of the task. In fact abolishing greed or hate involves all the four right efforts:
1. to prevent the arising of unarisen unwholesome states;
2. to abandon unwholesome states that have already arisen;
3. to arouse wholesome states that have not yet arisen;
4. to maintain and perfect wholesome states already arisen.

Abandoning unwholesome states already arisen involves substituting the opposite, in the case of sensual desire, the meditations on the impermanence of the body as described in the Satipatthana sutta should be employed and made a separate subject of meditation. That strengthens the opposite and when evil, unskillful thoughts arise it is easier through appropriate attention (yoniso manasikara) to divert thinking to the already-established theme of impermanence of the body.

"There is the case where evil, unskillful thoughts — imbued with desire, aversion, or delusion — arise in a monk while he is referring to and attending to a particular theme. He should attend to another theme, apart from that one, connected with what is skillful. When he is attending to this other theme, apart from that one, connected with what is skillful, then those evil, unskillful thoughts — imbued with desire, aversion, or delusion — are abandoned and subside. With their abandoning, he steadies his mind right within, settles it, unifies it, and concentrates it. Just as a skilled carpenter or his apprentice would use a small peg to knock out, drive out, and pull out a large one; in the same way, if evil, unskillful thoughts — imbued with desire, aversion, or delusion — arise in a monk while he is referring to and attending to a particular theme, he should attend to another theme, apart from that one, connected with what is skillful. When he is attending to this other theme, apart from that one, connected with what is skillful, then those evil, unskillful thoughts — imbued with desire, aversion, or delusion — are abandoned and subside. With their abandoning, he steadies his mind right within, settles it, unifies it, and concentrates it.”—-MN 20
Spiny Norman
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Re: Letting go

Post by Spiny Norman »

D1W1 wrote: Mon Jul 23, 2018 8:58 am The short question is, how do we practice letting go in the meditation? Letting go of, greed, hate, fear, etc. Thanks all.
I'm still not convinced that "letting go" is something you can actively do, it's more like the result of insight.

For example I found it difficult to let go of my craving for ice-cream until I realised it was making me put on weight. :tongue:
Buddha save me from new-agers!
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Aloka
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Re: Letting go

Post by Aloka »

.

There's a series of talks by Ajahn Amaro,"The Art of Letting Go" which might be worth checking out:

https://www.abhayagiri.org/talks/collec ... jahn-amaro


:anjali:

.
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acinteyyo
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Re: Letting go

Post by acinteyyo »

I also found this 8 min. explanation by Ajahn Amaro quite helpful.

"Letting Go in a balanced way"


best wishes, acinteyyo
Thag 1.20. Ajita - I do not fear death; nor do I long for life. I’ll lay down this body, aware and mindful.
paul
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Re: Letting go

Post by paul »

“Letting go” in the context of this talk is a simplistic catchphrase which does not explain the true process of emancipation. This is revealed in the talk where it is said that the noble eightfold path is “a complicated or refined way of basically telling us to let go”. To say the noble eightfold path is ‘complicated’ or 'refined' goes against the Buddha’s explanation that he has only taught what is necessary (SN 56.31). “Letting go” refers to the end result of an operation. Just as a doctor cannot remove a tumour without an operational procedure, so the hindrances require the task of right effort to be completed to succeed. To say “letting go is the engine of liberation”, confuses the end result with the procedure necessary to achieve it. The engine of the noble eightfold path is right effort:

“The starting point is the defiled mind, afflicted
and deluded; the goal is the liberated mind, purified and illuminated
by wisdom. What comes in between is the unremitting
effort to transform the defiled mind into the liberated mind.
The work of self-cultivation is not easy — there is no one who
can do it for us but ourselves — but it is not impossible. The
Buddha himself and his accomplished disciples provide the living
proof that the task is not beyond our reach. They assure us,
too, that anyone who follows the path can accomplish the same
goal. But what is needed is effort, the work of practice taken
up with the determination: “I shall not give up my efforts until
I have attained whatever is attainable by manly perseverance,
energy, and endeavor.”
The nature of the mental process effects a division of right
effort into four “great endeavors”:
1. to prevent the arising of unarisen unwholesome states;
2. to abandon unwholesome states that have already arisen;
3. to arouse wholesome states that have not yet arisen;
4. to maintain and perfect wholesome states already arisen.”

—-“The Noble Eightfold Path”, Bikkhu Bodhi.
Last edited by paul on Sat Oct 06, 2018 3:57 am, edited 2 times in total.
SarathW
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Re: Letting go

Post by SarathW »

To understand this topic we should investigate the Pali word for Letting go:

In the Suttas paṭinissagga and its synonym vossagga are the words that usually get translated ‘relinquishment’, ‘letting go’ and suchlike. What is relinquished is appropriation (ādāna) which is a term for taṇhā and upādāna.

viewtopic.php?f=13&t=16201&start=15#p344574
“As the lamp consumes oil, the path realises Nibbana”
WorldTraveller
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Re: Letting go

Post by WorldTraveller »

D1W1 wrote: Mon Jul 23, 2018 8:58 am Hello all,

I'm not sure if this is considered Vipassana, Samatha, loving kindness or something else.
The short question is, how do we practice letting go in the meditation? Letting go of, greed, hate, fear, etc. Thanks all.
How about the Right Thoughts of the Eight Fold Path? Under the Right Thoughts, we find giving up the thought world of greed and hatred:

1) Non-sensual thoughts (nekkhamma-saṅkappa) as opposed to sensual thoughts (kāma-saṅkappa).
2) Thoughts free from ill will (avyāpāda-saṅkappa).
3) Thought of harmlessness (avihiṃsā-saṅkappa).

Nekkhamma also means giving up the world; renunciation.
paul
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Re: Letting go

Post by paul »

Further explanation:
“Understanding the four truths in relation to one’s own life gives rise to the intention of renunciation; understanding them in relation to other beings gives rise to the other two right intentions. When we see how our own lives are pervaded by dukkha, and how this dukkha derives from craving, the mind inclines to renunciation —to abandoning craving and the objects to which it binds us. Then, when we apply the truths in an analogous way to other living beings, the contemplation nurtures the growth of good will and harmlessness. We see that, like ourselves, all other living beings want to be happy, and again that like ourselves they are subject to suffering. The consideration that all beings seek happiness causes thoughts of good will to arise — the loving wish that they be well, happy, and peaceful. The consideration that beings are exposed to suffering causes thoughts of harmlessness to arise —the compassionate wish that they be free from suffering. The moment the cultivation of the Noble Eightfold Path begins, the factors of right view and right intention together start to counteract the three unwholesome roots. Delusion, the primary cognitive defilement, is opposed by right view, the nascent seed of wisdom. The complete eradication of delusion will only take place when right view is developed to the stage of full realization, but every flickering of correct understanding contributes to its eventual destruction. The other two roots, being emotive defilements, require opposition through the redirecting of intention, and thus meet their antidotes in thoughts of renunciation, good will, and harmlessness.”—-“The Noble Eightfold Path”, Bikkhu Bodhi.
paul
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Re: Letting go

Post by paul »

The term ‘letting go’ can be deceptive and here Ajahn Jayasaro at 38 min explains when it goes beyond a response of equanimity and necessitates one of warrior action:

SarathW
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Re: Letting go

Post by SarathW »

Buddhism is not about letting go/quote]

“As the lamp consumes oil, the path realises Nibbana”
Pasindu
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Re: Letting go

Post by Pasindu »

Letting go is an operation of various different skills and abitities. Like fighting a battle, it is difficult to do all tasks with one weapon. A sword is not ideal for stopping projectiles while a shield is not ideal for attacking. So It is a matter of facing each different sinful thought with the right type of meditation. Wrong type of meditation may not be effective against a particular sinful thought. Buddha has adviced, if our mind is chaotic at the moment, then do not do a vipassana meditation, do a samatha meditation instead. If our mind is bored/sleepy at the moment, don't do samatha meditation, do vipassana instead.

eg: If you have lustful thought, Loving kindness meditation is not ideal at the moment as it may end up increasing the lust. Asubha meditation is better.

If you have hateful thought, vipassana meditation is not ideal at the moment as your mind is too clouded to explore deep dharma facts. It may end up increasing your anger. So loving kindness is better.

Also, you also need to attain some qualities before practicing letting go. Because buddha introduced two noble truths that comes before letting go. They are suffering, and reason for suffering. If you bypass these and tell your mind to let go, mind will fire back "why should I?" If you don't have an ironclad answer to this, you can't fully let go.
  • Attain faith in Buddha- Buddhanussathi
  • Attain faith in Dharma- Dhammanussathi
  • Attain faith in Monks- Sanghanussathi
  • Attain Mindfulness- Sathipattana
  • Attain Perseverance- Marananussathi
  • Letting go of Lust- Asubha meditation
  • Letting go of Hatred - Loving kindness
  • Letting go of Ignorance - Vipassana
We each have these qualities to some degree. (due to practice throughout samsara) It is just a matter of identifying the areas we are lacking and improving them. Good luck!
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