In short: the Buddha's teaching on letting go is simple: "give up what's not yours. Giving it up will be for your welfare and happiness" (SN 22.33). Here are five genuine quotes, each with its source.
1. SN 22.33
"Mendicants, give up what's not yours. Giving it up will be for your welfare and happiness."
SN 22.33 · More
2. Dhammapada 348
"Let go of the past, let go of the future, let go of the present, having gone beyond rebirth. With your heart freed in every respect, you'll not come again to rebirth and old age."
Dhammapada 348
3. Dhammapada 213
"Sorrow springs from attachment, fear springs from attachment; one free from attachment has no sorrow, let alone fear."
Dhammapada 213
4. Dhammapada 336
"But whoever prevails over this wretched craving, so hard to get over in the world, their sorrows fall from them, like a drop from a lotus-leaf."
Dhammapada 336
5. Dhammapada 62
"‘Sons are mine, wealth is mine’— thus the fool frets. For even your self is not your own, let alone your sons or wealth."
Dhammapada 62
All quotes are from the early Buddhist texts in Bhikkhu Sujato's translation on SuttaCentral, copied exactly. Last checked: 18 October 2026.
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What did the Buddha say about letting go?
'Give up what's not yours. Giving it up will be for your welfare and happiness' (SN 22.33).