“You should let go even of the teachings, to say nothing of things contrary to the teachings.” — The Buddha, Alagaddūpama Sutta (Majjhima Nikāya 22), translated by Thanissaro Bhikkhu
The Buddha told a story about a traveler who reached a wide river. The side he was on was dangerous, but the far side was safe. There was no bridge, no boat, and no clear way to get across.
The traveler gathered branches, twigs, grass, and anything else he could find. He built a raft, got on it, and used his hands and feet to move across the water. In time, he reached the other side.
He must have felt relieved. The small raft carried him through the dangerous water and brought him safely to shore. Without it, he might not have made it across.
But now the traveler faced a question. What should he do with the raft?
The raft had been very important to him. He worked hard to build it, and it did exactly what he needed. Maybe he should carry it with him everywhere. After all, how could he leave behind something that saved his life?
The Buddha asked his listeners whether carrying the raft would be a sensible thing to do.
Of course, that would not make sense. The raft had done its job, and carrying it through forests and over mountains would only make the rest of the journey harder.
The Buddha shares this story in the Alagaddūpama Sutta, an early collection of Buddhist teachings.1 His message goes beyond the usual advice to let go of things we do not need. He is actually talking about his own teachings.
The Buddha compares the Dhamma, his path of spiritual practice and freedom, to the raft. His teachings help people move from suffering to freedom. But even these teachings, he warns, can become things we cling to. Sometimes we focus so much on keeping what helped us that we forget where it was supposed to lead us. That is a surprising thing for a spiritual teacher to say.
I have thought about this in my work with congregations. Over the years, I have seen many communities holding on to things that once helped them. A certain way of worship brought people together. A building became a favorite meeting place. A program changed lives. A leadership structure helped a congregation grow for years.
People put their love, work, money, and creativity into these things. They built relationships and kept communities going through many changes. It makes sense that people become attached to them.
But sometimes the crossing is already behind us. The world changes. Communities change. People’s needs change. Still, congregations keep carrying the raft because putting it down feels like betraying those who helped build it.
None of us are immune. We get attached to things that have given our lives meaning. Sometimes we think being faithful means keeping things the same, because we cannot see how to honor the past without repeating it. But maybe real gratitude means seeing when something has finished its purpose.
This is not just a problem for religious groups. Many of us hold on to ways of living that once helped us get by.
Maybe you learned early on that being independent was the safest way to get through life. You became capable, responsible, and very good at looking after yourself. That independence may have helped you through tough times. But now, you might find it hard to accept help, even from people who care about you.
Maybe you learned to avoid conflict because it once meant danger. That instinct kept you safe. But years later, you find you cannot speak honestly about what you need or believe. Or maybe an identity, a job, a relationship, or a strong belief about yourself once gave your life meaning, but now feels too small for who you are becoming.
These are not silly attachments. They often started as smart ways to deal with real situations. The problem comes when we keep shaping our lives around things that are no longer true.
The Buddhist idea of upādāna, which means clinging or grasping, helps explain this.2 We get attached to identities, experiences, beliefs, and situations that cannot give us lasting security. When life changes, we suffer because we are still trying to hold on to the past.
The Buddha was not saying we should stop caring about what we love. The raft was truly helpful. The traveler was right to build it and to be thankful for it. The trouble started when he thought gratitude meant carrying it forever.
We can honor what helped us without staying tied to it. We can cherish the communities that shaped us while letting them change. We can be grateful for the identities that once gave us courage while staying open to becoming someone new.
Of course, knowing when to let go takes wisdom. Some commitments are worth keeping for life. Love, justice, compassion, and faithfulness are not things to give up just because they are hard. The Buddha’s story asks us to look at whether something still helps us live well, or if we are holding on just because we cannot picture life without it.
As I get older, this question matters more to me. There are ways of working, leading, believing, and living that helped me for many years. Some still help. Others may now be burdens I do not need to carry anymore.
Maybe part of growing spiritually is learning to trust life enough to know when a crossing is finished.
I picture the traveler standing on the far shore, looking at the small bundle of branches and grass that carried him across the river. Maybe he felt fond of it. Maybe he remembered how scared he was when he first got on.
Then he set it down. He had a new life ahead, and he needed his hands free for whatever was coming.
We are in this together,
Cameron
Reflection Questions
What belief, habit, relationship, or way of living once helped you through a difficult season but may now be limiting who you are becoming?
Where might you be confusing faithfulness or gratitude with the obligation to preserve something that has already served its purpose?
What might become possible in your life if you were willing to set down something you have been carrying for a long time?
A Prayer for the Day
A Prayer For The Courage to Let Go
Holy Mystery, Thank you for the things that have carried us through difficult waters. For the wisdom that guided us, the people who sheltered us, and the strength we discovered when the crossing seemed impossible. Give us grateful hearts for all that has brought us here. And when the journey changes, give us courage to release what we no longer need to carry. May we honor what has been without fearing what is becoming. Free our hands for the life still waiting to be lived. Amen.
Spiritual Practice: Setting Down the Raft
Pick up a small object that fits easily in your hands. It could be a stone, a piece of wood, or anything that reminds you of your past.
Sit quietly and hold the object for a few minutes. As you notice its weight, think of something that once helped you through a hard time but might not be as helpful now. It could be a habit, a way you see yourself, an expectation, or a belief you have held for a long time.
Think about what this way of living gave you. Remember when it became important, and let yourself feel thankful for the protection or strength it brought.
Now ask yourself if you still need to hold on to it. When you feel ready, slowly open your hands and set the object down on the ground or a table. Pay attention to how it feels to let go of its weight.
If you like, you can say: Thank you for carrying me this far. I am ready to travel differently now.
Stay still for a moment longer, letting your empty hands rest open in your lap.
You do not have to make a big decision today. Some things take time to let go of, and some may still be needed. This practice is just about seeing that gratitude and letting go can go together.
Upcoming Events That Might Be of Interest…
My team and I launched a new experiment we are calling “The Commons.” It’s an online space centered around communities of practice: groups of people who share a common concern, set of problems, or passion for a topic, and deepen their knowledge and expertise by interacting on an ongoing basis. Join the community here.
October 20, 2026 - 12:30 - 1:30pm ET - ONLINE BOOK CLUB - For the next 3 weeks, I am hosting a book club where we will read Fr. Gregory Boyle’s “Cherished Belonging: The Healing Power of Love in Divided Times.” Father Gregory Boyle, founder of Homeboy Industries, has spent decades building community among people whom society has often discarded. In Cherished Belonging, he draws on those relationships and stories to explore what might happen if we stopped sorting people into categories of worthy and unworthy, us and them. Don’t worry if you don’t have time to read the book. We always have incredibly rich conversations. All are welcome. RSVP Here.
November 4, 2026 - 7-8:30pm ET, ONLINE EVENT - Theologian Matthew Fox and I are teaming up again in a series called Journeying with the Mystics. The mystics have always emerged in times of uncertainty. They appear when old certainties are crumbling, when institutions no longer provide easy answers, and when people find themselves longing for a deeper experience of the Sacred. Join us for a 24-session exploration of the teachings of St. John of the Cross, Thomas Merton, Hildegard of Bingen, Kabir and Rumi, Meister Eckhart and more. This is more than a lecture series. It is an invitation into a living spiritual journey. Learn more and REGISTER HERE!
November 10, 7-8:30pm ET - I’ll be joined by theologian, writer, and professor Dr. Debra Rienstra for a special ONLINE conversation on Refugia Faith. In ecology, refugia are small places where life survives amid disruption, pockets of resilience from which life can eventually regenerate and spread. Debra invites us to consider what this might mean spiritually in an age of climate instability, political turmoil, institutional decline, and profound uncertainty. What if our congregations, communities, relationships, and even our own lives could become refugia, places where courage, compassion, beauty, wisdom, and possibility are protected and cultivated for whatever comes next? I hope you’ll join us for this timely and deeply hopeful conversation. REGISTER HERE!
November 19, 2026, 7-8:45pm ET - I will be joining Jackie Sussman for an online session on practicing eidetics as part of our “Reclaiming the Power of Imagination” monthly series. Eidetic Imagery is a powerful tool for pastors, denominational leaders, coaches, and spiritual directors working with others, and for individuals seeking deeper integration and healing in their own lives. Jackie is a psychotherapist, author, and leading expert in Eidetic Image Psychology, and has spent over forty years helping leaders and individuals unlock creativity, uncover hidden strengths, and move through limiting patterns. During this session, she will lead a live Eidetic process shaped by mythic imagery, offering a direct experience of the work. REGISTER HERE.
December 15, 7-8:30pm ET - FREE WEBINAR - I will be joined by Dr. Charissa Mikoski, Assistant Professor of Research and Hartford Institute for Religion Research for a presentation on “The State of American Congregations: What the Latest Data Tell Us.” This webinar explores findings from the 2025 Faith Communities Today survey, including changes in worship attendance, congregational vitality, finances, volunteering, programming, and leadership. It will also examine what more than 24,000 individual attenders tell us about participation and their experiences of congregational life. Together, these findings offer a picture that is neither simply one of decline nor one of revival, but of significant change and uneven recovery. REGISTER HERE.
Fun Things My Friends Are Up To…
I get to work with such amazing, creative people. This section is my way of celebrating them—no paid promotions, just joy in what they’re creating.
My dear friend Brian McLaren has a new novel coming in November, and I’m excited about this one. The Great Rift is the second book in his Last Voyage trilogy, imagining ten pioneers leaving a dying Earth for a fragile human settlement on Mars. The story weaves together ecological imagination, spirituality, art, survival, and the possibility of creating a genuinely different future. Brian is one of the most thoughtful and imaginative writers I know, and I love seeing him use fiction to explore questions he has spent a lifetime asking. The Great Rift comes out November 3 and is available for preorder now.
My friends at Church Anew have been building a terrific library of resources for congregations and church leaders navigating ministry in these strange and demanding times. You’ll find thoughtful worship and preaching resources, practical tools, and material designed to help communities engage the questions actually shaping our lives right now. I deeply appreciate the imagination and theological depth Church Anew brings to its work, so if you’re a pastor or congregational leader looking for fresh resources, spend a little time exploring what they’re creating.
Every Monday, 12pm ET - ONLINE WRITING GROUP - My dear friend, Meryl Marshall-Daniels, is leading a writing group open to all. This is a simple and spacious writing circle for people who want time to listen inwardly and put words on the page without overthinking, performing, or polishing. Meryl offers a prompt designed to invite reflection, imagination, and attunement to what is already alive within you. The practice honors writing as a way of listening, of letting images, memories, questions, and insights surface in their own time. Learn more here.
If you are a leader or member of a congregation looking for consulting support in visioning, planning, hiring or staffing, please consider Convergence.
https://www.dhammatalks.org/suttas/MN/MN22.html
https://encyclopediaofbuddhism.org/wiki/Upadana