(Photo by Teh Siau Ching)
Someone asked, “Is there a shortcut to letting go in life?”
The Master answered:
The ability to let go doesn’t come naturally. It takes a lot of experience and practice to be able to do so. Just like walking, there has to be a ground for the feet to step on in order to walk; without any ground, the feet would be floating in the air.
I give you another example: There was a king who loved his daughter very much and looked forward to his daughter growing up quickly so that he could see how beautiful she turns into. Finally, his daughter turned eight years old, but the king felt that too long a time had passed and yet his daughter was still so young. So, the king posted a bounty notice, hoping to find a learned and highly skilled person who could make her daughter grow up quickly.
A wise man removed the notice from the wall and came to see the King. The wise man told the king that he had a wonderful way to fulfil the wish of the king. However, the king must provide the right environment and comply with one condition for that to happen. The king granted his request. The wise man then requested the king to hand over the daughter to him and the king would not be able to see his daughter for the next ten years. If the king could fulfil the request, he promised to groom the daughter into the appearance which the King wanted. The king agreed happily. Ten years later, the wise man returned the king’s daughter to him. After seeing the daughter whom he had not met for ten years, he sighed and exclaimed that his daughter had really grown up!
“This story tells us that if one truly believes that not meeting each other for ten years can “speed up” the growth of a child, then by doing so, ten years will soon pass! It is the same as volunteering with Tzu Chi and you will forget about the passing of time nor be aware of when you can let go when you are busy serving others. Therefore, the state of being free and detached is attained without one knowing it!”
Some people also said that they are so troubled that they have difficulty falling asleep at night. Master Cheng Yen’s simple remedy to this is to stay pure at heart and have less desire.
Translated by Tzu Chi Singapore translation team
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