Trapped in desire

In the land of monkeys, the monkeys were happy and carefree. The sky was blue, the sun was shining, birds sang cheerfully, and flowers bloomed, spreading a sweet fragrance. There was plenty to eat and drink. They could play and rest whenever they wanted. It was a true paradise. Underground lived a blind mole who led a quiet life. He could hear and smell the abundance above and grew jealous of the monkeys’ joy. During his travels underground, he had heard from another mole about a monkey trap. Monkeys, he learned, are crazy about sweets and, once they grab them, they won’t let go. Once caught, a monkey will keep coming back for the sweets and can be made to work. The mole decided to build such a trap. First, he gave the monkeys some sweets. They loved them and wanted more. They reached into the mole’s hole to grab more sweets. But once they closed their hand around the sweets, their fist became too large to pull back through the opening. They were caught in the monkey trap.The monkeys weren’t clever enough to realize that it was the very thing they were holding on to the sweets that was keeping them trapped. They didn’t let go, and so they lost their freedom.The mole made the monkeys work for him. Their lives became miserable. All they had to do was let go, and they would be free but they didn’t. The mole, being blind, could not see the blue sky or the paradise, and he also lost his peace and quiet. The monkeys worked for him, but they made a lot of noise.Now the monkeys had also become blind blind with desire. When they got their sweets, they celebrated loudly, but the monkey paradise was never as peaceful again.

About the Monkey Trap

In parts of India and Indonesia, monkeys are caught by placing a treat inside a small hole. The hole is just large enough for a monkey’s open hand. When the monkey grabs the treat, its fist becomes too big to pull back out. If the monkey had the awareness to let go of the treat, it could easily escape. But it doesn’t understand this. It becomes trapped by its desire. You can see an example of such a trap in the film Animals Are Beautiful People (1974) on YouTube.

Food for Thought

Food for thought

On this Earth, we have everything we need to live in peace and happiness. So why are we not always content?We must learn to let go. If you can’t let go, you are caught in a monkey trap trapped not by others, but by your own attachment.You are only trapped when you hold on to something you’re unwilling to release. By letting go, you become free again. Are you holding on to something that keeps you trapped?

"In the world of knowledge, something is added every day.
In the world of Tao, something is let go every day."
 Lao Tse