In Zen Buddhism the phrase, “letting go” or words to that effect means to let go of the conditioned in order to reveal the unconditioned which is our true nature or the same the enlightened Mind (bodhicitta).
So what are the signs or marks of the conditioned and the unconditioned. According to the Buddha they are as follows:
“Bhikkhus, there are these three characteristics that define the conditioned. What three? An arising is seen, a vanishing is seen, and its alteration while it persists is seen. These are the three characteristics that define the conditioned. “Bhikkhus, there are these three characteristics that define the unconditioned. What three? No arising is seen, no vanishing is seen, and no alteration while it persists is seen. These are the three characteristics that define the unconditioned” (A. i. 152).
Since students of the way have never realized the unconditioned face-to-face, who also unconsciously conceive of it, thus making it a mental impression or representation which is never other than conditioned, it stands to reason that the student must first comprehend what the conditioned is. Only then can letting go be understood, which is the best way to proceed.
Letting go reminds me of the Advaita Vedanta expression, neti neti, which in Sanskrit means “not this, not this” but for our purposes it would mean the setting aside of the conditioned. Switching gears, I need to say that there is no need to posit the unconditioned thinking, for example, it is awareness. This would only make the unconditioned, conditioned. The unconditioned in its own right is far deeper and more subtle.
Everything about our human condition is conditioned. Every thought, feeling and emotion is conditioned—every tear and peal of laughter. We inhabit a sack of blood that is thoroughly conditioned which will one day die and because of our ignorance, we will not recognize the unconditioned when we are free from this sack dooming us to further rebirth in the conditioned. But Buddhism says while we are still in this conditioned body we can recognize the unconditioned so that death has no sting for us.
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