Emotional baggage! It is our anger, hatred, pain, resentment, jealousy, wanting and craving for things which we are not able to get. We all carry our fair share of it. We walk with this huge burden on our backs, every minute of our lives and we do not put the weight down even while sleeping. We know from experience the stress that we undertake when we carry weight in bags or suitcases for a short period of time. When the luggage is carried for several hours continuously, it breaks our system and we are not able to move or function.
Emotional baggage is heavier than four heavy suitcases strapped on our backs. And we carry the weight of emotional baggage all the time and refuse to put it down. The effect of the pains of the past that constant hit our system has shattering effects at our physical, mental and emotional levels. Heart attack, seizures, blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, hormonal dis-balance etc., are caused by not letting go our emotional baggage. A large majority of sicknesses in the world today are psychosomatic and a lesser percentage is due to viral or bacterial infections.
We must learn to live and work in this world, have and maintain relationships without carrying emotional baggage. To let it go means we must develop selfless love, forgiveness, compassion and have no expectation from others. Our past can teach us valuable lessons if we learn to let go of the pain and see the good in whatever has happened. Else the burdens of the past will overwhelm us and make us angry and lose reasoning like the monk in the story given below:
Two Buddhist monks- a senior monk and a junior monk were on a journey. They had to cross the river to get to the other side. There were recent heavy rains and the river was raging. As they stood at the bank of the river, getting ready to cross, they saw a young lady standing there. It was easy to make out that she wished to cross the river and reach the other side safely but was worried about the powerful waters and her safety.
The junior monk walked past the young woman without a thought and crossed the river. The senior monk saw the worried and hesitant woman and picked her up and carried her across the river. He placed her down at the other bank safely and the monks went on their way and the woman on hers.
As they walked along, the junior monk kept looking at his senior with concern. His senior asked him what was wrong.
The junior monk said: How could you carry that young woman in your arms like that? You know we cannot touch women. It is against the way of our life and the vows we have taken.
The senior monk answered: Yes,I know it is against our rules and vows. I merely helped a woman and left her safely on the banks of the river. But why are you still carrying her?
Buddhist monks are celibates. They take great care in not mixing with women or touching them or being with them so that they are not overcome by temptation. When the senior monk broke the rule, he did it to help someone. Once the purpose was fulfilled, he went about his way without any further thoughts. The junior monk carried the burden of what the senior monk had done as emotional baggage. The junior monk was seething with anger and concern at the action of his senior. There is no point in carrying the past. The past helps us to learn lessons. Like the junior monk, we must learn to let go of the baggage and live in peace. What happened in the past is over and done with. SitaRam Mantra japa and meditation help us to let go of our past and develop selfless love, compassion, forgiveness and balance. Let us shed all our excess weight and move forward effortlessly in life towards the Light.
