There is a kind of monkey trap used in Asia. A coconut is
hollowed out and attached by a rope to a tree or stake in the
ground.
At the bottom of the coconut a small slit is made and some sweet
food is placed inside. The hole on the bottom of the coconut is
just big enough for the monkey to slide in his open hands, but does
not allow for a closed fist to pass out.
The monkey smells the sweets, reaches in with his hand to grasp
the food and is then unable to withdraw it.
The clenched fist won't pass through the opening. When the
hunters come, the monkey becomes frantic but cannot get away. There
is no one keeping that monkey captive, except for the force if its
own attachment.
All that it has to do is to open the hand. But so strong is the
force of greed in the mind that it is a rare monkey which can let
go.
It is the desires and clinging in our minds which keep us
trapped. All we need to do is to open our hands, let go of our
selves, our attachment, and be free.
The Experience of Insight-
Joseph Goldstein (at the back of the book- Settling back into the
moment)
