Let Go, Move on (Between Ignorance and Enlightenment)

Non-attachment, the letting go of our desires, is a central teaching of Buddhism. As long as we crave, we suffer. We need to learn to let go of our desires in order to eliminate the suffering that results from craving. This truth is simple to understand, but nowhere near as easy to practice. As Venerable Master Hsing Yun points out in this book, it is not just attachment to things, but even to our own views that prevent us from making progress. "Of all the sicknesses of the mind," he writes, "none is worse than wrong views." Prejudice, panic, envy, and moodiness are contrasted with respect, harmony, broadmindedness, tolerance, and flexibility. By developing right views, the Master says, we can learn to "view all sentient beings with compassion," and practice the "Three Goods" of saying good words, doing good deeds, and thinking good thoughts. By cultivating our speech, our bodies, and our minds, we can begin to rise above our own concerns and reach out to others with compassion and loving-kindness.