Neither Grasp Nor Reject
Neither grasp nor reject.
Do I fret to grab the pleasant and strain to push away the unpleasant, worn out between the two?
📝Reflection
Watch quietly what the mind does all day, and it is only two things: it tries to grab the pleasant and push away the unpleasant. That ceaseless pulling and pushing never lets the mind rest. Huangbo's "neither grasp nor reject" means stop that motion. It is not indifference. When something good comes, enjoy it but don't clutch as it leaves; when something bad comes, don't drain yourself hating and shoving it away. Keep the palm open and a bird may land and fly off without hurting the hand. Clench a fist and you both miss the bird and bruise the hand. A mind like that open palm — not blocking what comes, not seizing what goes — is the most free.
🌱Apply It Today
When you cling too hard or push too hard today, briefly open the mind like an open palm: "let what comes come, let what goes go."
This verse is read as universal humanistic wisdom, not religion — no faith is promoted, and the reflection is 100% original ONGO content.
