The One Who Lets Go of Craving Reaches Peace
The one who lets go of all cravings and walks free of longing, without the grip of 'mine' and 'I' — that one reaches peace.
Is what blocks my peace the grip of 'mine' and 'I'?
📝Reflection
In this verse I learn that the final gate to peace is the grip of 'mine' and 'I.' A step beyond releasing craving, the heart grows light only when I set down the possessive clinging that this is mine and the self-insistence that pushes 'I' forward. Here Laozi's saying that we become whole when we empty the self meets the Buddhist teaching of no-self. Today I try to loosen, little by little, the hand that clutched 'mine' and the mind that pushed 'I' to the front.
🌱Apply It Today
If something angers you today through the thought 'this is mine,' loosen the clench of your grip just once before it.
This verse is read as universal humanistic wisdom, not religion — no faith is promoted, and the reflection is 100% original ONGO content.
