Leave behind those baggages

A poignant story from the Zen tradition.

"There was an old monk in China who practiced very hard meditation for many years. He had a good mind, became very quiet, had good meditation, but yet never came to touch in himself that end of "us," or "I" and "others." He never came to that source of complete stillness or peace out of which genuine change in the world can come. So he went to the Zen master and said, "May I please have permission to go off and practice in the mountains? I've worked for years as a monk and there's nothing else I want but to understand this: the true nature of myself, of this world."

The master, knowing that he was ripe, gave him permission to leave.

The monk left the monastery and took his bowl and his few possessions and walked through the various towns to the mountains. He left the last village behind and was going up a little trail into the mountains.

Coming down the trail, an old man appeared before him, carrying a great big bundle on his back. This old man was actually the Bodhisattva Manjusri, who is said to appear to people at the moment they are ripe for awakening and is depicted carrying the sword of discriminating wisdom that cuts through all attachment, all illusion and separateness.

The monk looked at the old man, and the old man said, "Say friend, young monk, where are you going?"

The monk told his story. "I've practiced for all these years and all I want now is to touch the center point, to know that which is true."

The old man looked at him and his look was kind and wise. So the monk said, "Tell me, old man, do you know anything of this enlightenment?" At which point the old man simply let go of the bundle; it dropped to the ground and the monk was enlightened.

That's all. Just put it down. Drop everything: I, my, what I want to be, what I'm going to get, what will happen. Just be here.

The enlightened monk looked at the old man again, and said, "So now what?"

The old man reached down and picked up the bundle again and walked off to town.

Here's the complete teaching in this story. It's to put everything down - all I, all me, all "us." To put it down means also to acknowledge it from where it starts: to see sorrow, suffering, pain, to see that we're all in it together, to see birth and death. If you're afraid of death and suffering and you don't want to look, then you can't put it down. You will push it away here and you will grab it there. See the world directly - use any way that you want to do it, but do it. Then you can put it down.

Once you put it down, then with understanding and compassion you can pick it up again."


As the year draws to a close, put everything down, leave behind all baggage and pick up the pieces afresh.

May you all see the light of wisdom