48. Letting Go & Seeing Clearly

Samatha-Vipassanā

When you see there’s high stress…

 

(And, this is like:

the stress in your mind

is also in your body,

and to be aware of that connection)

 

 

 

…that mental stress

comes with bodily stress also.

 

There’s bound to be tension in your body

with any kind of mental stress

and any kind of unwholesome states of mind.

 

As you learn to see this,

that’s what we call discernment

or Wisdom.

 

You see what is unwholesome.

You see the tension that is there,

and then you can let it go.

You just relax.

You release the cause of that stress.

 

Well of course, it’s your job (your work life)

but then, if it’s making you very agitated

and stressed out,

well, I don’t think there’s anything

that’s worth being a bundle of stress…

 

So, you can just relax

and really let that go.

 

Then awareness is

just going to open up naturally

as you do this,

and energy also.

 

Because, that’s what happens

when we let go of craving

which manifests as tension

and tightness in the body

and in the mind, is that:

We don’t notice how much energy

we spend on holding on to things!

That is the tension right there,

and that amount of energy is tremendous.

 

But, when that’s our default operating system,

we don’t notice it anymore so much.

 

That’s why the meditation practice

is very helpful

because it helps us

going layer after layer,

deeper into seeing:

“Oh!” what we’re holding on to.

 

As we learn to open up,

and let go of any tension,

any tightness,

there’s a really clean

and bright kind of energy

that naturally comes out,

along with awareness.