Fear of Letting Go

Change is often difficult to accept, despite the reality that change is always happening in our lives regardless of how we feel about it. All things are impermanent, yet we cling to the familiar even when we don’t like it, or when we know there is a better alternative, or that it is doing harm, or that it no longer serves its purpose.

On January 1, the US banned production of 40 and 60 watt incandescent light bulbs, joining many other countries in phasing out the bulbs due to their energy inefficiency. People complain that the new CFL’s and LED’s are more expensive and do not give off the same warm glow, but they last many times longer and have a far less negative impact on the environment. We’ll get used to them, just as people got used to not using candles and kerosene or oil-lamps for everyday lighting.

Our local government has also begun banning single-use plastic carryout bags at stores, and requires a ten-cent charge for paper bags. This will help to reduce not only environmental impacts, but also ubiquitous litter and danger to wildlife that, for example, ingests or gets tangled in discarded plastics. While some people may temporarily miss the convenience of these bags, this mass lifestyle change is not really onerous and again, we’ll get used to it if we haven’t already done so. I’ve received plenty of those reusable bags at conferences and from advertisers and have actually grown rather attached to them as my grocery bags.

Both of these examples point up our predilection for and sense of entitlement to having things for our own convenience and comfort, regardless of the harm or difficulty we cause to ourselves and to other beings.

We’re comfortable with what we know, even when it doesn’t make sense. Did you know that it costs two cents to manufacture a US penny? Several countries have already done away with the coin, simply rounding down, or up to the nearest nickel. Electronic transactions remain the same as always. Mayhem has not occurred and the decision has proven beneficial where implemented. Fear of the unknown can be crippling in many ways. What starts out as something useful can become a burden when conditions change.

There is a famous Buddhist story about a man who needs to get across the river to the other shore. With great effort, he builds a sturdy raft and crosses over. Does he continue to drag it along with him now that he has attained his objective? This parable is actually about attachment to the teaching itself, rather than using the teaching to realize awakening. The way we used to do some things in our lives fit the conditions of the past, but do the same methods help us reach new objectives under changed circumstances? Do we become attached to the way we do things rather than focusing on achieving a goal in the best way possible with all the current information available?

For better of for worse, the invention of the incandescent light bulb launched a revolutionary change in society, creating night-life and enabling businesses to operate around the clock. Compared to modern light bulbs, though, they are vastly inefficient. Plastic bags seemed like a great idea at the time, facilitating consumerism, but now we know the real price of throwaway convenience. We used to be able to purchase things literally for pennies but now? Like the proverbial raft, all of these items played a role in where we are today and we can appreciate that they existed, for they are a part of who we are, but we are not static beings and life doesn’t stand still either. Like it or not, we are always in the dynamic process of becoming, along with everything else.

What’s amazing is that life has always come together to support people just as they are, according to the times that they are in. Namo Amida Butsu is an active, organic process that includes all of us. Ignorant or wise, good or evil, rich or poor, young or old, all are carried in the flow of life and all receive immeasurable benefit from unseen, unnoticed interbeing. We don’t need to cling to the past for our wellbeing. If we would simply let go and not be afraid to try something new, we could really appreciate what is there for us in each moment. It’s just right for us, just as we are, just as it is, right now.

Gassho,

Rev. Patricia Usuki