Zen Quotes About Letting Go
12 real, sourced lines — every attribution checked
Letting go is the most misunderstood instruction in Zen — it is not losing something, but putting down what was heavy. These sourced lines, from Tang-dynasty masters to modern teachers, all point at the same open hand.
The quotes
“Letting go gives us freedom, and freedom is the only condition for happiness.”
“People have a hard time letting go of their suffering. Out of a fear of the unknown, they prefer suffering that is familiar.”
“You must love in such a way that the person you love feels free.”
“The true purpose is to see things as they are, to observe things as they are, and to let everything go as it goes.”
“If you want to obtain perfect calmness in your zazen, you should not be bothered by the various images you find in your mind.”
“To seek is to suffer. To seek nothing is bliss.”
— Huang Po
“Do not seek truth, only cease to cherish opinions.”
— Sengcan
“The Great Way is not difficult for those who have no preferences.”
— Sengcan
“When love and hate are both absent, everything becomes clear and undisguised.”
— Sengcan
“Don't hate what arises in your mind, and don't love it either; just let it be.”
“If you want to find the meaning, stop chasing after so many things.”
— Ryokan
“Put it all down. Put down your opinions, your conditions, your situation. Then your mind is clear like space.”
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