That looks heavy. Why don't you put it down?

I want to share a story about a man was bored and weary and felt his life had no meaning. He had turmoil and suffering in is heart. He was unhappy for a long time. He couldn't find a way to get out of this feeling. He went to very wise monk to seek clarity and answers.  He told the monk about the turmoil in his heart and in seeing this man's dilemma, the monk simply asked him to put on a backpack and walk with him along side a river. The man had great faith and much confidence in the monk and put on a backpack and they began to walk together beside the river.

The monk told him, "Do you see the stones along this path? For every step you take, pick up a stone and put it in your backpack." The man agreed and did exactly what he was told even though he did not understand the monk's intent. While he was walking and putting stones into his backpack, he started thinking with confusion in his mind, "Why am I doing this? It's a waste of time. I want to overcome suffering in the heart so why is he telling me to pick up stones? How is picking up stones going to benefit me?" and he thought this for a long time. He continued to pick up stones until he was tired and weary, and his thoughts about why he was doing this had reduced. He didn't even know why he was picking up stones anymore but he kept doing it. 

After a long while, monk noticed that the man was having trouble carrying the weight in his backpack. He was sweating and had labored breathing. The backpack became very heavy. At that point, the monk thought it would be a good opportunity to enlighten and teach the man.  The monk asked the man how he felt and the man said, "My backpack is so heavy. It gets heavier and heavier and I almost can't lift it."  The monk said to him, "That looks heavy. Why don't you put it down?" The man was so relieved to hear those words and with a sigh of relief, the man put down the backpack and the weight lifted off his shoulders.

The monk had a subtle smile and said, "Do you know the reason why your heart is unable to be happy? Because you are carrying too many things." He took a stone from the backpack and said, "This stone represents money and power," and he threw the stone into the river. The monk took out another stone and said, "This stone is your anxieties," and he threw it into the river. He continued, explaining all the stones in the backpack, "This stone is loneliness, this stone is worry, this stone is thinking about the past and future," and threw it in the river.

The man contemplated what the monk said and when he picked up his empty back pack which had become so light, he was enlightened: doing the action of putting down the heavy backpack and unloading it, he had instantly become more happy. He remembered that when he picked up more stones and carried it around, it brought a heaviness to his heart. He realized that if he could just put the weight down, happiness was before him and in abundance. This man gained insight and paid respects to the monk who had given him deep understanding.

After hearing this story, I thought, "How wonderful would it be if we put some things down that we have been carrying? Putting things down such as letting go of rank and status that makes us anxious, letting go of loss, letting go of relationships that brings us pain and suffering, letting go of turmoil that has been existing in our heart for a long time, letting go of different feelings and experiences in the past that cause us pain, letting go of suffering, sadness, loneliness and all forms of sorrow." We have accumulated so much emotional baggage and continue to pile more stones in our backpack without even being aware of how heavy it's getting. There are so many things we carry around that we just need to put it down. By putting these things down, or letting it go, it makes our lives easier and bring us joy and ease.

There are days I feel tired, unhappy and being held back. I can see that monk saying to me as I carry my backpack, "Gee, that looks heavy, why don't you put it down?" In my mind, I take off my backpack and put it down. There are a lot of stones in there. I explore what stones I am carrying in my backpack. I have carried past experiences that created pain long ago and worries about a future that hasn't even happened yet! I choose to bring all that with me into the here and now.  In my moment of enlightenment, it is time for me to put it down and leave it. I don't need to carry unnecessary emotional weight anymore. 

When I visualize putting down my backpack full of stones, I physically feel as if the weight is lifted from my shoulders and I instantly feel lighter and free. I can stand up straight and take a deep breath. I let go of suffering and turmoil. I choose to leave my backpack, walk away from it. Then, I can move forward in the day and into the future with more lightness, clarity and walk my path with ease.