Date: 07/19/2025 07/20/2025
Location: Star River Meditation Center
Teacher: Yunquan Huang
Dharma Knowledge
The True Meaning of Letting Go
The phrase “letting go” appears frequently in Buddhist teachings, yet it is also one of the most misunderstood concepts. Many people assume that letting go means giving up, being indifferent, or escaping from responsibilities. Some even think Buddhism encourages detachment in the sense of emotional coldness or passivity. In truth, letting go in the Dharma is not a passive or careless act—it is a clear, wise, and liberating response that arises from deep insight and understanding.
To begin with, letting go is not the same as giving up. It is not about rejecting or suppressing life, but about seeing clearly and releasing our attachment to things that cause suffering. What causes pain is not the presence of things—relationships, achievements, possessions—but our clinging to them: our belief that they must stay the same, our fear of losing them, our sense of identity wrapped around them. Letting go is not about throwing things away—it’s about no longer being held by them.
True letting go happens not in the external world, but in the heart. A person may live with wealth, relationships, and social roles, but without attachment, they are free. Another may live a minimalist life yet still cling tightly to pride, regret, or control. The Dharma teaches that real letting go begins when we loosen the grip of ego—when we stop insisting that the world conforms to “my” expectations, desires, and fears.
Letting go is not inaction—it is wise and intentional action. It is not indifference, but non-attachment. It is not fatalism, but a response born from understanding impermanence, interdependence, and non-self. A person who has let go does not avoid responsibilities; they take them on, but without being entangled in outcomes. They do not stop caring; they care without controlling. They do not stop striving; they strive without obsession.
A simple image helps illustrate this: imagine holding a cup of boiling water. You are in pain, but you don’t let go because the cup is “yours.” Letting go doesn’t mean throwing the cup in anger or denying the heat. It means seeing clearly that clinging causes pain—and then gently, wisely releasing it. Forced letting go, without understanding, can cause suppression and rebound. Letting go rooted in awareness is soft, natural, and freeing.
Letting go is often a gradual process: seeing → understanding → loosening → transcending. First, we become aware of attachment. Then we observe the suffering it brings. Gradually, through insight, we loosen the grip. Eventually, it releases itself. Like a leaf falling when the time is right, real letting go does not feel like loss—it feels like liberation.
Throughout his life, the Buddha taught us to let go. Let go of the belief in permanence—because all things are impermanent. Let go of self-centered views—because all things are selfless. Let go of aversion and craving—because peace lies in the middle way. Let go of fear of death—because awakening transcends birth and death. Every teaching, every practice, points to the same door: freedom through letting go.
Therefore, letting go is not weakness, but strength; not detachment, but wisdom; not numbness, but compassion. A person who has truly let go becomes more tender, more present, more capable—because they are no longer bound by fear, ego, or control. Letting go does not lead to emptiness, but to fullness of heart.
Letting go is not about losing—it’s about no longer losing yourself in things you cannot control. It is not about having nothing, but about being free even when you have something. When we truly let go, we realize that life has never been elsewhere—it was always here. We just needed to loosen our grip, and let it be.
