LETTING GO · DHAMMAPADA 214

Holding More Lightly

From lust comes grief, from lust comes fear; he who is free from lust knows neither grief nor fear.

Dhammapada 214 · Chapter 16, Pleasure · trans. F. Max Müller · Read the full text at Project Gutenberg

Reflection

The verse begins, “From lust comes grief, from lust comes fear.” In its chapter, this image points toward the stress created by possessiveness. Its value is practical when it changes how you meet one choice, relationship, or difficult feeling today. Because this is a historic English translation, test the teaching in experience rather than treating its wording as a demand for belief.

Practice prompt

What are you gripping that could be held more lightly?