LETTING GO · DHAMMAPADA 212
The Ease of Letting Be
From pleasure comes grief, from pleasure comes fear; he who is free from pleasure knows neither grief nor fear.
Dhammapada 212 · Chapter 16, Pleasure · trans. F. Max Müller · Read the full text at Project Gutenberg
Reflection
The verse begins, “From pleasure comes grief, from pleasure comes fear.” In its chapter, this image points toward the stress created by possessiveness. Notice the difference between enjoying an experience and requiring it to provide lasting security. Because this is a historic English translation, test the teaching in experience rather than treating its wording as a demand for belief.
Practice prompt
Allow one feeling to leave in its own time.