Frame analysis

 Something strange happened to me in recent weeks. A weight seems to have fallen off. The reaction time to the inner movie that is unfolding seems to have gone up. I can literally observe the different stages of feelings and thoughts and notice it when the energy of these toppling domino pieces changes. Let me give an analogy.

When we edit a video we zoom into the frames. You zoom into the spot where an interruption took place, cut it out, and start the video again at the frame when the talk continues. For the onlooker of the edited movie it seems as if there never was an interruption in the first place.

Using this example, when we carry painbodies with us—emotional hotspots when our life energy got interrupted—it is as if some frames are missing. An emotional trigger happens and we jump to this part of the video where the past gets repeated without having any ability to be mindful of what happens beneath the surface. 

As we let go of the pain bodies of the past, we suddenly have access to all the frames and we have the ability to respond consciously rather than evoking some past reaction function. Let me give an example that Suzanne Yang shared at the spiritual roundtable meeting the other day.

Say we get angry. It is healthy to have that anger rise rather than suppress it in the name of spirituality. Letting the anger energy flow does not mean we abuse someone. We just stay with the anger energy and observe it. Typically fear arises then. “What if I can’t control myself?” “It’s not spiritual to be angry!” etc.

If we manage to follow the raw energy mutating from anger to fear yet another stage appears. Maybe it’s understanding of what the spiritual meaning of this event is. Maybe we see that this hurtful voice is not out to hurt us but to help us, or maybe it’s an invite to draw healthy boundaries to an energy that we have outlived. 

Suddenly we are able to follow the movie frame by frame. Have the boldness to follow a strong energy jolt and stay for it for a few moments to let it teach you what this event is truly all about. Today is as good as any to have a clear break from the past and experience the moment as is not as you would have it or fear it.

End the cycle of frustration

 The Letting Go Method is, at its core, very simple. What makes it distinct from many other methods, healing systems, psychotherapies, or spiritual teachings is that it does not center on reviewing ourselves in order to improve.

 

From an early age, we are taught to reflect on ourselves whenever something goes wrong. If we are unhappy with what we have done, we review it until we reach a conclusion: my effort is not enough; I still need to work on this; I must improve. Once we fall into this cycle of review and improvement, it becomes endless.

 

For example, we may feel that we do not have enough wisdom. To become enlightened, we believe we must try harder. After one review, we decide to recite the sutra more often. After the next review, we increase it again—perhaps to twenty times a day.

 

What happens then? We work tirelessly to improve ourselves, yet the harder we try, the more frustration we feel.

 

And what follows? Because we remain trapped in the mode of review and improvement, every conclusion points to the same thing: we are still not doing enough, so we must work harder. This leads us into another cycle of frustration. If one attempt is not enough, we review and improve; if the next is not enough, we review and improve again. Each round creates another sense of failure.

 

Over time, repeated failures and frustration give rise to powerlessness, worry, depression, and self-blame—bringing even more suffering into our lives.

 

No matter what teaching or discipline we pursue, many systems still encourage this pattern: review, make more effort, and improve. We are told to work harder in the areas where we are lacking. Because this mindset is so deeply normalized, we often do not recognize the problem within it. Whenever we struggle, others encourage us to keep pushing, and unconsciously we become dependent on external guidance and validation.

 

Why is it so difficult to escape this mode? Because it was taught to us by our parents, reinforced by schools, and absorbed into our way of living. It has been imprinted in us: identify the cause, improve yourself, and expect a better result.

 

Yet beneath this process, a belief quietly strengthens: I am not good enough. The more we strive, the stronger this belief can become, and the more self-blame arises. Some people may also gain direction, achievement, or satisfaction from this cycle, and therefore feel uneasy about letting it go.

 

When we feel depressed, in pain, or full of self-blame, we often wish someone would save us. This longing to be saved is also a longing to be loved. Yet these are not separate problems—they are the natural consequences of the cycle itself, created by review, effort, and improvement.

 

Why do we seek love? Why do we want others to rescue us? Because we are burdened by deep depression, self-blame, and pain. In that state, we become desperate for relief. If we cannot see this clearly, we remain trapped in the cycle.

 

The difference with the Letting Go Method is that we begin to see the entire process for ourselves.

 

In Letting Go, instead of pursuing a fixed goal, we remain in a state of clarity, openness, and freedom. The moment we cling to an intention, we create another pattern and become stuck within it. Through practice, we become aware of this intention as it arises.

 

Practicing the Letting Go Method invites us to become calm, relaxed, and willing to surrender. In doing so, we enter a state of “nothingness.” If we can see through this state, we naturally move into happiness and love.

 

This is not something we must acquire—it is an ability we are born with. We fail to recognize it only because we have been entangled in our behaviors, beliefs, and thoughts.

 

Presence is essential. During the practice of Letting Go, whenever depression, defeat, or self-blame appears, we do not fight them. Instead, we observe how they are created. We begin to see clearly where they come from. Once they are fully seen and understood, the accumulated energy behind them dissolves effortlessly.

By Suzhen Liu

 

If you enjoy Suzhen Liu’s writings, please check out her new book, “Discover Love Within—Release Your Suffering,” available on Amazon.

 

 

Perfect and pure

 When an evil mirror broke into a 1000 pieces, a little boy was hit by a splinter in the eye and one in the heart. Suddenly he didn’t want to associate any longer with his best friend and was instead lured away by the Snow Queen where he nearly froze to death. His friend didn’t give up and when she finally tracked him down her loving embrace melted away the splinter in his heart. Realizing her devotion he started crying and the splinter in his eye was washed away too. Suddenly he had perfect vision and a pure heart once again. They lived happily ever after.

Christian Andersen’s Snow Queen story tells us about the fall of humanity and the homecoming. The recovery quest differs for each of us but the setup is the same. We have a pure heart and perfect vision but a little polishing and healing is required for each of us to reclaim our birthright. What’s your homecoming story?

The simple goodness

 "The simple goodness" is that you can live an authentic and comfortable life. With this life, you do things with joy and happiness. You live with this mood, and do what you want to do, and go through your life with this approach. Deep inside you are very happy and joyful. You are happy and joyful not because of what you get, or because you escape from something, and then force yourself to do something meaningless. If you live your life like that, force yourself to do something meaningless, it will make your life really meaningless, and then you will feel as if you don’t have a sense of dignity.

 

The simple goodness is that your heart is at ease. Every day, no matter what you do or don’t do, you can live a good life; what you do is also what you want to do in your heart, and no matter what the result is, you are just doing it. Experience the process of doing things you love. There may be some setbacks, but they don’t matter much as you do something you really love and are willing to do in your heart. In the process of experiencing your life, you are evolving.

 

 

The real evolution is not torturing yourself. It is just living our life with a very subtle, spacious and capable heart to meet every moment of our life. My experience is like this, not to do something to save the world and humanity. It's not like this. Evolution should be based on how you live, and in what state you operate.

 

 

When you can really look at your life from this perspective, don’t you live a very comfortable life? Maybe when we were young, we didn’t know how to make ourselves happy, but now we have learned how to meditate and live consciously. We can use this attitude to live the rest of our days and live our everyday life with a kind of tenderness, serenity, and joy. It is beautiful when we can lead our life with this kind of heart! This is a real evolution!

 

Suzhen Liu

 

If you enjoy Suzhen Liu’s writings, please check out her new book, “Discover Love Within—Release Your Suffering” available on Amazon.

 

https://www.amazon.com/Discover-Love-Within-Release-Suffering/dp/0999251732

Feel to heal—See to be!

 Legend has it that Bodhidharma sat in front of a wall for 9 years. There is nothing special about sitting in front of a wall. You might as well also marry, have kids and embark on a mission that is meaningful to you. What remains a requirement though, you have to look the inner conflicts straight in the eye and refuse to move just as Bodhidharma did in front of the wall. 

The thing about an inner conflict is that it doesn’t matter if you do the “right” thing or kick the can down the road once again. The diffusion of energy remains the same because without a liberating aha moment that resolves the inner tension, the loss of energy from the inner friction remains the same. The upside of the choice between a rock and a hard place is to sit with the tension.

Feel to heal—see to be! I don’t know what made Bodhidarma get up after 9 years but I venture to say that the breakthrough of blocked energy can happen everywhere at any time if we just have the patience and resilience to look and be willing to feel what slumbers in the depth of our being. Life has been tailored for us to enable the breakthrough right where we are right now—use it!

Walk the path of being with yourself

 When we walk the path of being with ourselves,

there are no bad people and no good people in our world—

only clarity or confusion, awakening or being lost,

but no right or wrong.

 

When a person is lost, they feel helpless and disoriented.

When you are hurt, you will naturally protect yourself and react.

Because you are lost, you do not know where your “home” is.

You feel fear, a deep lack of support and safety.

 

Those who are lost may hurt others.

But when they find their way—when they begin to see clearly how to walk their path—

they no longer wish to hurt anyone.

Because they understand that to hurt another is to hurt themselves.

We are all walking the same path.

 

When you begin to walk the path of being with yourself,

there are no bad people—only those who are clear and those who are not.

 

When you are clear about what guides your life,

when you truly know which path you are walking,

you no longer have time to be entangled in conflicts and disputes with others.

Because you begin to clear away the confusion within your consciousness—

your biases, conclusions, and fixed judgments.

 

As you step into the path of awareness, attention, and presence,

you move closer each day to a life without troubles.

And the most beautiful thing is—

this requires no force, no striving.

We can simply and gently be with ourselves.

 

Sometimes resistance arises, and being present may feel difficult.

But that is okay—

continue to be with the resistance.

In doing so, you are already going deeper.

 

Conflicts between partners are like two lost people arguing,

or like two individuals carrying burdens as vast and heavy as mountains accumulated from their families,

living together day after day—

how could there be no conflict?

 

But when one person begins to be present,

begins to clear the inherited emotional burdens and obstacles,

something truly begins to change.

If you truly love your children,

this is the greatest gift you can give them.

 

Notice what you feel in this moment.

Just notice—

do not judge, do not label it as good or bad.

Because the moment you label it,

you fall into liking or disliking.

And if you dislike it,

you will try to make yourself feel better.

 

Thus begins an endless cycle within “good” and “bad.”

Your time, your life,

will revolve within this loop—

repeating the same patterns again and again.

 

When presence happens, it is profoundly important.

It allows us to understand what suffering is,

and what joy is.

 

Once you grasp this essence,

you can truly live well.

And true well-being is simple—

peace, contentment, and an ordinary life.

 

By Suzhen Liu