The Way to Let Go

All things should not be clung to.

Therefore, each person's way of practice is different, and their understanding of Dhamma varies. We don't fully comprehend all the teachings of the Buddha. If we summarize what the Buddha taught, the essence is that all things should not be clung to: “Sabbe dhammā nālaṁ abhinivesāya.” The first teacher to explore this topic extensively was Ajahn Buddhadasa. He was highly skilled, not ordinary at all. I (the speaker) have gone to pay respects to him many times.

Once, I went to see him to discuss his teachings because, in my practice, I read his books and interpreted them as saying not to cling to anything. This led me to think that Dhamma is simple—just don’t cling to anything. So, I adopted this attitude: don’t cling to the past, don’t cling to the future, there’s no heaven or hell, no deities or spirits. I ended up believing that there’s nothing at all if we don’t cling to anything. At that time, I read a lot of Ajahn Buddhadasa’s books and loved his teachings, especially the idea that nothing should be clung to. This led me to the mistaken view (micchā-diṭṭhi) that there is no next world, no beings in various realms.

At that time, I had not yet met Luang Pu Dune. I could only meditate and see celestial beings and spirits, but I dismissed these visions as mere perceptions and didn’t cling to them. One day, I met Ajahn Suchit Punyanupap, a skilled teacher who wrote "A Summary of the Tipitaka for the People." This book is another one that I recommend for all Buddhists to read. Who has read it? Raise your hands high! Most haven't read it. You can find it on the internet for free; go and read the teachings of the Buddha.

At that time, I was engrossed in Ajahn Buddhadasa's teachings, interpreting them to mean that there is nothing at all, just emptiness. Ajahn Suchit said that this was a wrong view (micchā-diṭṭhi); the Buddha did not teach like that. We misinterpreted Ajahn Buddhadasa's teachings—not because his teachings were incorrect, but because we misunderstood them. Ajahn Suchit quoted from the Pali scriptures, explaining in detail that the Buddha taught about this life and the next, and about celestial beings and spirits. He also emphasized that practice is necessary and that one should not merely let go passively.

I understood this after listening to Ajahn Suchit. I wondered why Ajahn Buddhadasa taught in such a way that led us to wrong views. Later, I went to pay respects to Ajahn Buddhadasa in Chaiya and asked him, "Ajahn, do you teach that everything ends at death?" I wasn’t accusing him; I was asking. He replied, "Do you think I’m a wrong-viewed person?" That made me realize my misunderstanding. The teacher was not teaching incorrectly; it was my interpretation that was flawed.

I then asked him, "Ajahn, if I read all your books, will I attain stream-entry (sotāpanna)?" At that time, I hadn’t met Luang Pu Dune yet. He clearly answered, "No, you won't." Even if you read everything I’ve written, you won’t attain stream-entry just by reading; you must practice. This showed that Ajahn Buddhadasa was a profound practitioner, not just an intellectual.

The teaching that all things should not be clung to doesn’t mean to think that one should not cling to anything at all; that’s just clinging to the idea of not clinging. The real understanding comes through practice. Even Ajahn Buddhadasa himself said that you won’t understand just by reading his books—you must practice.

So, how do we practice to see that all things should not be clung to? First, we must understand what is meant by "all things." It can be divided into wholesome things, unwholesome things, and things that are neither wholesome nor unwholesome. We should not cling to any of these, whether they are wholesome, unwholesome, or neutral.

From another perspective, there are physical phenomena (rūpa), mental phenomena (nāma), and phenomena beyond physical and mental phenomena, which is Nibbāna. These are different types of phenomena. When practicing, we don’t need to dwell on whether something is wholesome or unwholesome; we should understand physical and mental phenomena. This is very important because if we are preoccupied with rejecting wholesome and unwholesome things, we miss the deeper truth that there is no self. Without realizing that physical and mental phenomena are not-self, we will be stuck in the struggle of not clinging to wholesome or unwholesome things.

To truly let go of attachment to physical and mental phenomena, we must cultivate insight meditation (vipassanā). What are physical phenomena? We already know them—our bodies, material objects, people we love, pets we love, our homes, cars, and so on. These are all physical phenomena. Some physical phenomena can also be experienced by the mind, which is a bit harder to understand, so we’ll leave that aside for now. Simply put, it’s our bodies and the material things around us. Our attachment to these things is driven by desire, which leads us to cling to them.

All things should not be clung to.

In the past, there was a young man who went to study Dhamma along with me. He asked Luang Pu Tes, "Luang Pu, I want to renounce sensual desires, but my mind still clings to them. What should I do?" Luang Pu exclaimed, "Oh, if you're still attached, you can't renounce it!" You need to see the disadvantages, the suffering. We must see the suffering in order to let go. This applies not only to material things, the body, or sensual pleasures but to everything. When we see the disadvantages, we can let go.

For example, if we're attached to jhāna and samādhi, we may feel immense bliss. However, if we practice well, we'll realize that the mind, even when absorbed in jhāna with great happiness, is still impermanent and can deteriorate. When we repeatedly see the three characteristics (impermanence, suffering, and non-self) in physical and mental phenomena, we'll see the lack of substantial essence in them. When we see there's no real essence, the mind will let go. Thus, making the mind let go of the body or the mind itself isn't a matter of mere thinking or commanding it to let go. The mind is anattā (not-self); it can't be commanded, but it can be trained.

So, we train the mind to learn the truth about the body and the mind, repeatedly practicing this. This learning about the truth of the body and the mind is called practicing vipassanā meditation. Vipassanā means seeing, not thinking or manipulating. Vipassanā is seeing the truth that all physical and mental phenomena are subject to the three characteristics. If we don't see these characteristics, it's not vipassanā; it's just samatha (calmness).

For example, if we focus on the breath, watching the breath in and out, this is just wind kasina. If we focus on the entire body, it's earth kasina. The result is just calmness without seeing any suffering or disadvantage. Or if we train the mind to be still and empty, only feeling happiness, we won't see the suffering and disadvantage. But if we see the body full of impermanence, constantly pressured by suffering, not under our control, unable to command not to age, not to get sick, not to die, then we will realize that the body isn't something precious.

If we love the body, delving deeper, it's because the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, and body bring us joy. Having eyes allows us to see pleasing forms; ears let us hear pleasing sounds; the nose, tongue, and body let us experience pleasing sensations. Humans and animals seek happiness through physical contact. But if we develop mindfulness, being aware of the body continuously, we will feel the body, such as the breath going in and out, all day long, and find it tiresome. We'll see that the body is truly tedious.

Or we can observe the elements: we eat food, then have to expel waste. Every day we're involved in eating and excreting, among many other things, making the body seem tiresome. Sitting brings discomfort, so we have to adjust our posture. Standing for long periods makes us tired, so we change position, sit down, or lie down. Even lying down for a long time is uncomfortable. If anyone thinks lying down isn't suffering, observe yourself: do you turn left and right while sleeping? Why do we turn? To escape discomfort, because staying in one position causes pain. By observing the body, we can see this.

If we focus on the breath, we'll see that the body breathing is a burden, a form of suffering. The body has to change postures—standing, walking, sitting, lying—because it's constantly pressured by suffering. The body needs to eat, expel waste, bathe, find clothes, comb hair, cut hair, dye hair—all of these are forms of suffering. From the time I was a layperson, I found the body tiresome. The body has responsibilities as soon as we wake up: we have to make the bed, clean it, then take the body to expel waste, bathe, and work. Every day is filled with fatigue. The body is constantly pressured by suffering—hunger, cold, heat, pain, fatigue.

When I went to cut my hair, all I saw was suffering. I didn’t care about the hairstyle, just cut it short to avoid cutting it frequently. In the past, without appointments, we had to wait, often for a long time, especially on weekends when everyone came to the barber. Waiting was tedious. Having hair felt like a burden—washing it, combing it, cutting it. These are all burdens. And it’s not just hair; it’s nails too. Has anyone felt bored cutting their nails? It's tedious—cutting fingernails and toenails, and they just grow back. From head to toe, it's all burdens.

With mindfulness, we learn the truth about the body, seeing the three characteristics in the body. Seeing suffering is easy; we can clearly see it. When we realize the truth that the body has nothing but suffering, the mind will let go. Why hold on to suffering? We used to love and cherish our bodies, but through practice, being mindful of the body, we see it as a burden, filled with suffering, uncontrollable, decaying. The mind will grow weary, and the attachment will lessen; it will let go. It can truly let go. If we haven't practiced enough, we may not understand how the mind can let go of the body, but it truly can.

When we are mindful of the body, we see that it's not anything special, just burdensome, filled with suffering. These burdens are suffering: "Bhāra hāve pañca khandhā"—the five aggregates are burdens. Anyone carrying these burdens can't escape suffering. An arahant is one who has laid down the burden, not clinging to the five aggregates, thereby being free from suffering. This teaching of non-clinging comes from seeing suffering and the three characteristics.

If we consistently observe the body, not getting lost, distracted, or indulging in the world, keeping mindfulness in the body, we’ll see suffering. Why struggle to make a living, finding food to nourish the body, pampering it so carefully, only to be betrayed in the end? The body is our lifelong companion, with us from birth. We take the best care of it, but in the end, it betrays us—getting sick, dying, and leaving us.

The way we do not cling to all things (dharmas).

The way not to cling to things: All things should not be clung to. This applies not only to physical forms but also to mental states. Mental states consist of the mind and mental factors, which include the mind itself that knows various objects, and mental factors such as feelings of happiness or suffering. The mind itself is not inherently happy or suffering; it becomes such due to the presence of these feelings. The mind also does not inherently possess qualities of good (wholesome) or bad (unwholesome); these qualities arise when associated mental factors, like faith or effort, come into play, or when unwholesome mental factors like greed, anger, and delusion take over.

Therefore, the mind in its nature is neutral, neither inherently good nor bad. It becomes good or bad, happy or suffering, based on the presence of these mental factors. When we practice, we should observe this carefully. Happiness is not the mind; happiness is something known by the mind. Similarly, suffering is not the mind; it is an experience known by the mind. Throughout the day, we experience various mental states—happiness, suffering, or neutrality. As we continue to practice, we begin to see that these states are separate from the mind itself.

At first, we may see, "The mind is happy," or "The mind is suffering." As we develop stronger mindfulness and concentration, we begin to understand more clearly that happiness and suffering are separate from the mind. We realize that the mind simply knows these experiences. Happiness and suffering are just mental states that come and go. This understanding helps us to differentiate between the mind and the mental states it experiences, leading us to not cling to any of them.

The same applies to wholesome and unwholesome states. Initially, we might think, "I am angry." But with practice, we can observe, "The mind is experiencing anger." With further practice, we realize that anger itself is not the mind but a separate phenomenon influencing the mind. This separation helps us to see that all these mental states, whether wholesome or unwholesome, are not inherently part of the mind.

When we observe the body, we can see that it is full of suffering—needing constant care and maintenance, and being subject to aging and illness. Similarly, the mind's attachment to things or people, driven by desire, is seen as futile because all things are impermanent and ultimately unsatisfactory. This realization helps the mind to let go, understanding that there is no lasting substance in any of these things, and thus not clinging to them.

In summary, the way not to cling to things involves observing and understanding the impermanent, unsatisfactory, and non-self nature of all phenomena, both physical and mental. This practice helps us to see that clinging only leads to suffering, and it guides the mind towards letting go of attachments and achieving liberation.

If our mind remains neutral towards happiness and suffering, it can let go.

"If our mind remains neutral towards them—if it stays neutral towards happiness—it can let go. Whether happiness comes or goes, the mind can accept it, as it has become neutral. When the mind is neutral towards suffering, whether suffering arises or not, the mind can accept it as well. Everything occurs according to causes and conditions, not as we command. When our mind becomes neutral towards happiness and suffering, we gain a certain level of wisdom.

In our practice, we should be aware of all mental states. If our mind is happy, we should know it; if it is suffering, we should know it; if it is indifferent, we should know it. We should also recognize whether our mind is wholesome or unwholesome. When our mind is wholesome, we should observe it and notice that even this is not the true mind. The wholesome states, like all things, are impermanent. For example, when we have a desire to listen to Dhamma, we feel a positive intention called 'chanda,' but this too is not permanent. After a long session, we might feel bored and want to stop. This shows that even wholesome states like chanda and effort (viriya) are not enduring; they are not permanent.

Some people may appear to practice diligently, like walking meditation, but if they are also distracted by things like checking their phone, they are not truly practicing. This is because their initial intention was wholesome, but it did not last. Even unwholesome states are not permanent; they change. For instance, when someone experiences heartbreak, they may feel as if their world has ended, but with time, these feelings pass. This shows that suffering, too, is not permanent.

Therefore, when happiness arises, we should not become overly attached to it because it is not permanent. Similarly, we should not hate suffering, as it too will pass. If our mind becomes neutral towards both happiness and suffering, it becomes more insightful and, eventually, lets go of attachments.

In our practice, we need to develop awareness of both body and mind with a mind that is stable and neutral, observing the impermanent, unsatisfactory, and non-self nature of all phenomena. This leads to a natural letting go of attachment to both body and mind. As we cultivate insight, we see that all phenomena, including both physical and mental, are impermanent, subject to suffering, and not under our control.

As we see the true nature of all things, our mind lets go. It does not cling to the impermanent world or its temporary happiness or suffering. We recognize that pursuing happiness is pointless, as it does not last, and that suffering, while inevitable, is also impermanent. With this understanding, the mind becomes neutral, and ultimately, we let go of all attachments, including the desire for nirvana. True realization comes when we see the nature of body and mind and are free from attachment to them, including the desire for nirvana. Only then does true wisdom arise."

The mind is empty because it is free from mental fabrications.

Certainly! Here's the translation:

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**Therefore, if we truly practice, reaching the point where we truly understand the Dhamma, we will see that Nibbana is simply the realization that form, feeling, perception, mental formations, and consciousness arise and pass away. There’s no need to say what Nibbana is like because, in reality, Nibbana is right before our eyes. When the mind is driven by craving, it becomes obsessed with its activities; it doesn't stop, it doesn’t become empty.**

**Venerable Ajahn Dune spoke of the state of mind that touches upon Nibbana as being empty, bright, pure, ceasing mental fabrications, ceasing to seek, ceasing mental activities—nothing remains, not a single thing.**

**The Buddha taught in the scriptures that in Nibbana, there is no sun, no moon, no day or night, no infinite space (ākāsānañcāyatana), no boundless consciousness (viññāṇañcāyatana), no nothingness (ākiñcaññāyatana). These teachings are profound and difficult to understand; one must practice to comprehend them. Otherwise, one might lean towards nihilism, believing that nothing exists here or there, similar to what I once thought. Reading the texts led me to believe that nothing should be held onto, nothing exists. But this is clinging to non-existence, wanting there to be nothing, which is still a form of attachment. However, if we practice to the point where we can let go of both body and mind, the mind will not truly abide in Nibbana because it is still engaged in activities. But if we have true insight into the mind, seeing it as subject to the three characteristics of impermanence, suffering, and non-self, then this is called true wisdom that eradicates ignorance.**

**The moment ignorance ceases, craving ceases; when craving ceases, becoming ceases. Our mind continuously creates becoming, constantly. It creates all the time—one moment as a good person, another as a bad person, as a parent, as a child, as an employer, as an employee, as a hungry ghost, as an animal. When we are daydreaming, we are in the state of an animal. The mind creates these states, clinging to them.**

**If the mind has mature wisdom and fully comprehends the Four Noble Truths, seeing the five aggregates as suffering, it no longer clings. When the mind lets go, it becomes empty; the body becomes empty, the universe becomes empty. Even though everything exists, it is empty—it is empty of self, beings, persons, and individuality. It is empty because the mind has transcended fabrications. The world continues to dance and move as it does, but the mind is free from fabrications, so it is empty. A mind that is not empty is still engaged in fabrications. The mind fabricates because it does not know the truth, which is the state of becoming.**

**We must eradicate ignorance through meditation, which is the mistaken belief that the five aggregates are something valuable and precious. We must meditate until we see that they are suffering. Once ignorance is eradicated, the desire for the body and mind to be happy disappears, and the desire for them not to suffer also disappears. The mind becomes free from desire and no longer creates becoming. If the mind is still creating becoming, it is constantly fabricating, attaching, and embellishing—fabricating continuously.**

**Observe closely; this Dhamma is refined. It is not obscure but profound. If it were obscure, we would not know or understand it. But this is merely profound. Please be diligent in your practice, regularly knowing the body as it truly is and knowing the mind as it truly is. When lacking strength to know the body and mind, seek tranquility. Don't be distressed. If you cannot clearly see the mind, then observe the body. If observing the body causes restlessness, don't worry. If the mind becomes restless, seek tranquility through methods like repeating 'Buddho' or focusing on the breath. Keep the mind on one object, and it won't become restless. In no time, the mind will regain its strength.**

**With renewed strength, continue to observe the truth of the body and mind. If we follow this path, it shouldn't take too long because those who choose to walk this path are not starting from zero. One must have sufficient merit and parami to be interested in the Dhamma. Consider, in a world of 7-8 billion people, how many are truly Buddhist? Not even 1 percent. Even in Thailand, many people go to temples, but they go for lottery numbers or blessings, which are not truly Buddhist practices. Is there anyone who goes to a temple and gains mindfulness and wisdom? Very few. Those who strive to listen and understand the teachings to cultivate mindfulness and wisdom are rare.**

**When given the opportunity, do not neglect it. Do not let time pass until you are old, out of energy, and unable to practice. Persist in your practice now. Continuously observe the body and mind. Do not get lost in the world. The world offers nothing of substance. If you practice well, you will understand that the world has nothing but suffering and uncertainty. Therefore, be determined. One day, you will taste the flavor of the Dhamma, which surpasses all other tastes. The Buddha said that once you experience the taste of the Dhamma, no other taste will hold any value. The taste of sensual pleasures, the taste of absorption, all are intertwined with suffering.**

**Today, I have taught you this much. Is it too difficult? If it is, you may need to listen multiple times. Be diligent, be patient, and focus. One day, you will be free from suffering. Life will become increasingly joyful without relying on others or anything else. You will attain true self-mastery, true freedom. Your mind will no longer be bound by anything, and you will experience true liberty. May you all progress in the Dhamma.**