Another way to embrace the mystery and beauty of life is to learn the art of letting go of all that stands in the way of our inner development: for example, a belief that does not serve the common good, an argument that serves no purpose except saving face, a relationship that is toxic, a grudge that depletes our being. By letting go, we release our inner clutter and cultivate inner spaciousness. Most important, we prevent ourselves from being trapped like the monkeys in South Asia, where hunters carve a small hole in a hollow coconut and fill it with fragrant food to entice their prey. The coconut is then tied to a tree. By straightening its fingers the monkey can squeeze its hand into the hole to get the food, but once it clutches the food, its fist is too large to pull out of the hole. The monkey is trapped! It shrieks and jumps up and down hysterically, but never realizes that simply by letting go of the food, it could pull out its hand and escape. How many peculiar situations do we find ourselves in because we cannot let go of our attachments?
What ingrained beliefs do you have that may be harming your soul because they do not serve the common good? Continue to shine the light of awareness on them.
What are some attachments that you need to let go of? Write them down and give yourself permission to look at them. Embrace any feelings that arise, including those that prompt laughter and tears. Choose one attachment and create a tender ritual of releasing it to Spirit. Move on to the next attachment when you are ready. With each successive ritual, it becomes easier and easier to let go.
— Jamal Rahman in Sacred Laughter of the Sufis