Let me share with you a story based on fact of life in the nature between human and animals. It’s an analogy of monkey’s greed that can be compared with humans too.
There is a well known trap used by hunters to catch up monkeys. What they use is a coconut. Basically they cut a whole inside the coconut and make it big enough so that monkey open hand can fit in this whole, but the monkey’s fist can not obviously. Haunters put some sort of decoy (a banana for an example) inside a coconut in order to lure the monkey. So, they tag the coconut on the tree than they wait. What they found is that monkeys are greedy! The monkey sticks first his little hand inside the coconut in order to try pull out the fruits inside but it obviously can not get it out, So, when the hunter approaches, the monkey tries even harder to pull out fruits out but unsuccessfully and then what? The poor animal gets captured. Amazing! All the monkey had to do was so simple, just to open his hand, let the fruit inside the coconut and he would have been free after all. However, his greed blinds him . His attachment to the prize is so strong that he willingly sacrifices his entire life for. Silly animal, you may say. Well, maybe not. I think we can apply this little scene from the fact of life with humans too .
What’s your coconut? What are you holding onto that is trapping you that you could just let go, you’d be free?
Could it be your attachment to social status, symbols, money, various ideas about happiness that fits into your mindset that you are holding tight and if you could just let go, than you could truly experience happiness and joy. Perhaps it is your anger not to forgive to your parents, a friend….and let go of your judgement, then, you could be free. You may have an idea in your mind such as perfect partner and his/her physical appearance , your idea about perfect house, job, etc. that is trapping you.
If you could just let go off the idea than you’d be free to see what might be right under your nose.
The thing is that no matter what your attachment is , isn’t it time to let go instead to sacrifice your time, peace, energy and other valuable resources you have been wasting in your life, for men version of a coconut unless you are just like a monkey!
We could define extensive human greed often times, as a desire for more than is needed, but not for the greater good but for one’s own selfish interest, and very often at the detriment of others. Greed often arises from an early uncomfortable and limited experience and beliefs such as parental inconsistency, abuse, anxiety, often combined in latter stage with low self esteem . Consequently this feeling experienced long time ago perhaps in your infancy get to be deeply rooted in your subconscious mind and reflect outside as one of your character trait – lead the person to be fixed with a particular substitute for what a person once needed but could not find. Such a human hunt for specific substitute and its accumulation seems to that person to make up for the loss in the past as well as provides comfort and reassurances, in other words, distracts from ‘negative’ feelings, and feelings of emptiness and meaninglessness. It is about our life choice – choice between greed and fear.
Greed is more present and rooted in humans than in the animal kingdom. You may ask how come? Simply because we have mental faculties to project ourselves into the future. Secondly, the idea of our mortality haunts us hence, it conflicts with our survival instincts and giving rise to meaning and purpose of our lives.
What’s your coconut? What are you holding onto that is trapping you that you could just let go, you’d be free?
