Letting Go: The Art of Releasing What No Longer Serves You
Tanzan and Ekido, a senior monk and a junior monk, were travelling together down a muddy road.
As they walked, they came to a river. The river had a strong current, and they needed to cross it.
As they stood there, they noticed a young woman dressed in a beautiful silk kimono.
She was trying to cross the river but struggled with the strong current. The woman was clearly in need of help.
The Request for Help
The young woman looked at the monks and asked, “Can you help me cross to the other side?” The monks glanced at each other, unsure of what to do.
But Tanzan, the senior monk, acted without hesitation.
“Come on, girl,” he said, and without further thought, he lifted her in his arms.
He carried her across the river and gently placed her on the other side.
Then, he continued walking without a word.
The Silence That Followed
For the next hour, then two hours, and even three, the two monks walked in silence.
Ekido, the junior monk, was brooding and couldn’t hold his thoughts in any longer.
Finally, when they reached their monastery, he blurted out,
“We monks are not supposed to go near women, especially not young and beautiful ones. Why did you carry her across the river?”
Letting Go of the Past
Tanzan smiled and replied, “Brother, are you still carrying that woman? I put her down hours ago.”
This simple response holds a powerful lesson.
Tanzan had let go of the situation as soon as he completed the task, but Ekido carried the burden of the event long after it had ended.
The Burden of the Past
We often do the same thing in our lives. Like Ekido, we hold on to things that are no longer relevant.
We cling to past experiences, grudges, and regrets, even when they no longer serve us.
The silence of Ekido was not peaceful — it was filled with inner turmoil. He was obsessed with judging Tanzan, instead of being present in the moment.
Doesn’t this sound familiar? We carry emotional burdens that were not even ours to bear.
We waste our energy on things that have already passed, and we are unable to let go.
Repression Versus Transformation
Tanzan had transformed the moment — he acted and then moved on. Ekido, on the other hand, repressed his feelings.
Instead of releasing his concerns, he allowed them to fester.
Repression happens when we resist life’s lessons and opportunities.
Transformation, like in Tanzan’s case, happens when we engage with life fully without clinging to the past.
Living in the Present Moment
How often do we replay incidents from the past over and over again?
How often do we demand explanations and justifications for things that have already happened?
This story teaches us that by holding onto the past, we miss the present.
We must learn to cross the valley, like Tanzan did, without carrying its weight beyond the moment
The Weight of Guilt and Regret
If you feel guilty about something, fix it. If you’re ashamed, learn from the mistake and don’t repeat it. Regret only means you’re carrying a limp from the past into your present.
We can’t change the past, but we can choose how we respond to it. Our attachment to past mistakes or grudges clouds our present experience and exhausts us.
Letting Go
Carrying emotional baggage is like dragging a heavy load through life. It slows us down, drains our energy, and prevents us from living fully in the moment.
By letting go of the past, we can experience peace. The way to peace is through detachment — not by ignoring life, but by fully engaging with it and then releasing it when it no longer serves us.
The Lesson of Alertness
Tanzan didn’t just carry the girl — he carried her with full awareness and alertness. This is what allowed him to let go of the memory of the event once it was over.
The moment you are fully alert, there is no burden. It becomes just a moment of action, nothing more.
The Importance of Witnessing
We should approach life like Tanzan did, with awareness and alertness. Whether we are crossing rivers or navigating our daily lives, remaining alert helps us let go of the unnecessary.
When we practice witnessing, we see things as they are without being weighed down by our thoughts, judgments, or memories.
An Example from Buddha's Teachings
There is a similar story where a monk asks Buddha what to do when he encounters women. Buddha advises him to avoid looking at them or touching them.
However, when the monk presses further, asking what to do if he must help a woman, Buddha says, “Be alert.”
This advice shows that avoiding situations is not enough. Real wisdom comes from being fully present and alert, not from repressing natural responses.
The Key to Freedom
Repression is not the answer. Closing your eyes to life’s challenges or avoiding difficult situations will not bring peace.
The key to freedom is alertness and awareness. By being present in every moment, we can let go of the past and experience true peace.
This Zen story is not just about monks and rivers — it’s a reminder for all of us to live fully in the present and to let go of the burdens that hold us back.
