By Jack Kornfield

The unawakened mind tends to make war against the way things are...My teacher Ajahn Chah described it, "We human beings are constantly in combat, at war to escape the fact of being so limited, limited by so many circumstances we cannot control. But instead of escaping, we continue to create suffering, waging war with what is good, waging war with what is evil, waging war with what is too small, waging war with what is too big, waging war with what is too short or too long, or right or wrong, courageously carrying on the battle."

When we step out of the battle, we see anew, as the Tao te Ching says, "with eyes unclouded by longing." We see how each of us creates conflict. We see our constant likes and dislikes, the fight to resist all that frightens us. We see our own prejudice, greed and territoriality. All this is hard for us to look at, but it is really there. Then underneath these ongoing battles, we see pervasive feelings of incompleteness and fear. We see how much our struggle with life has kept our heart closed.

When we let go of our battles and open our heart to things as they are, then we come to rest in the present moment. This is the beginning and end of spiritual practice. Only in this moment can we discover that which is timeless. Only here can we discover the love that we seek. Only in the reality of the present can we love, can we awaken, can we find peace and understanding and connection with ourselves and the world.

Let go.

-A Path with Heart.