Wednesday, April 25, 2018

A Finely Tuned Instrument

April 25th, 2018


A Finely Tuned Instrument

I wrote a recent post on finding the balance between holding love too tightly and too loosely.

As I reflected upon this idea more, I came to realize that the same concept holds true for our experiences, thoughts, and feelings.

It reminds me of a one of Buddha's interactions with a musician.

The musician came to Buddha seeking wisdom and counsel.

Buddha asked the musician, "What occurs when you tune your instrument too tightly?"

The musician almost instinctively replied, "The strings break."

Buddha went on to ask, "And what about when you string your instrument too loosely?"

"No sound is produced when the strings are too loose; the instrument does not play properly," the musician explained. "The instrument produces its best sound when it is not too tight and not too loose."

The Buddha smiled and observed, "You already possess the wisdom you seek."

This same principle applies in terms of our experiences, thoughts, and feelings. Do not hold onto them so tightly that you grown anxious, perturbed, and attached to them. Yet, it does not serve you to ignore them, deny them, or otherwise numb or distract from them.
Image result for grasp too tightly .  Image result for balance quote

1 comment:

  1. Hi Pratibha, loved reading your articles on psychcentral and the titbits of wisdom you share on here. I could not find a contact form though which is why I am using this comment form to get in touch. I run a mental health blog and would love for you to write a few guest articles for my blog as a paid gig. My email is orbitingweb@gmail.com if you would like to discuss further. Please feel free to delete this comment. Thank you! Mukesh

    ReplyDelete