Pain is inevitable, but not all suffering is necessary.
We often create our own suffering.
A man has unsuccessfully tried to catch a monkey that was stealing food from his village. The animal was too smart and fast for him.
Just as he was about to give up, a wise old man shared a secret trick. Following the instructions, the hunter cut a portion off the top of the coconut, leaving a small hole in the center just big enough to fit a monkey’s hand. He placed peanuts inside the hole. And then he tied the coconut to a tree.
When everything was ready, he left. The next morning, just as the old man had advised him, the monkey was captured — his hand stuck inside of the coconut.
The monkey was a victim, not of the trap, but of his unwillingness to let go. The hole was big enough to release his empty hand, not a fist full of peanuts — he simply had to release the peanuts. But he didn’t.
The root of our suffering is attachment. When we can’t let go, we create self…
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