Do not permit the events
Of your daily lives to bind you,
But never withdraw yourselves from them.
Only by acting thus can you earn the title of
A Liberated One.
                 -Huang Po courtesy of dailyzen.com

I warn my clients about the consequences of using “but” to connect different feelings or experiences. “ I had a great day but my energy level was pretty low.” A significantly different way of expressing this perception is: “ I had a great day and my energy level was pretty low.”
The ability to experience all different aspects of ourselves with equal importance and concern is a fundament part of a mindful life. Then this poem comes along and encourages non attachment but stay connected.
This poem demands a deeper understanding of how the Awakened Way benefits everyone, not just myself. So many of my clients have found a great benefit from helping others. Interpersonal learning is a very powerful curative factor in group therapy. Being able to reflect on the experience of helping without attention to personal gain is to transcend any attachments and experience liberation.