A begginer's questions

bpadawan

Hello everybody,

I'm new to this community and also to Buddhism.
I've read about it online for about a week or so, and yesterday I've purchased an introductory book: The Naked Buddha by Adrienne Howley.
However, until the book arrives there are two issues that trouble me. I'd like to discuss them only in regard to this life (making abstraction of karma, rebirth etc).

Firstly, from a buddhist perspective which is better:
knowing the truth, but risking to be unhappy, since sometimes truth hurts
OR
living in ignorance but happy ?

Of course, it would be ideal to know the truth and through buddhist practice to detach from all negative emotions but I'm talking about the situation most people are in.
Some cannot live without knowing what's true and what's not, while others just don't think about these matters ( let's say a believer who goes to church, prays and finds comfort through these activities ).

And the second problem:
The First Noble Truth teaches us that desire is at the heart of all suffering; when we don't get what we want, because we are attached to that particular "thing", we will suffer.
But isn't it possible to have desires without attachment ?
For example a person drinks ( not to the point of addiction ), does drugs ( not addictive ones ), has sex, lives a life full of pleasures, but if he has to renounce all of these, he complies and goes on with his life.

I agree that this is not the path towards happiness but if no attachment is involved then there's no suffering either.

Would it be realistic to assume such a person could exist? If this were the case wouldn't it be better to say that attachment is at the core of suffering, instead of desire ?

Thank you for your time and understanding.

Peace

Tosh

Hi Peace,

I'm no expert, but I've been taught that truth is always positive; never negative, and I believe that to be true. And having lived an extremely unskillful life, I ended up in a bit of a state; wanting to die and in an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting. I didn't think I was drinking to the point of addiction; it just kinda creeps up on you; it certainly wasn't a life style choice for me.

And from what I know, Buddhism isn't about renouncing all worldly pleasures; it's about enjoying them more deeply, in the right way, and not getting attached to them.

I hope that's been some help; hopefully someone who knows a little bit more about Buddhism will come along and help you out.

riverflow

Regarding "attachment":

The problem with desire (positively: "I want this"; negatively: "I don't want that") is that we become easily addicted to things being like we like them. But the world is in constant flux, ourselves included. So things can't always be like we like them. That's where clinging or "thirst" comes in, and we let it rule our lives-- well, that leads to dukkha, a profound dissatisfaction with life, and we suffer from it.

Let me give you a concrete example: You meet someone that you like and you grow to love one another and care for one another. But there is an additional nagging feeling in your mind: jealousy. You become possessive of this person, dictating where he/she should go, do, hang out with, wear, etc. Is that REALLY love? At best it is love defiled by jealousy. That person becomes strictly an object to possess and control-- you know longer even truly SEE that person-- you are not allowing that person to be who he/she is. Instead, you are controlled by your clinging to that person, making a hell for yourself (not to mention your partner!).

To paraphrase a Zen master: "When it comes, don't push it away; when it goes, don't hang onto it."

It isn't that desires are bad per se-- in a way, we don't allow our desires to JUST be desires-- we hang on and want more and more and more. Mindfulness is a way of being aware of desires and thoughts as they come and go. The more you practice mindfulness, the more you learn this skill of not pushing or pulling-- you gradually minimise this tug-of-war within yourself. This is a skill that takes time to develop through meditation and study.

Brian

Welcome to NewBuddhist

I've always regarded my own personal choice of Buddhism as the quest for truth. I see ignorance as the only enemy, really.

DhammaDhatu

for example a person drinks ( not to the point of addiction ), does drugs ( not addictive ones ), has sex, lives a life full of pleasures, but if he has to renounce all of these, he complies and goes on with his life.

the act of doing drugs is attachment

the mind fixed upon, obsessed with, delighting & indulging in an object is attachment

Engaged as he is in favouring and opposing, whatever feeling he feels - whether pleasant or painful or neither-pleasant-nor-painful - he delights (abhinandati) in that feeling, welcomes it and remains holding on to it. As he does so, delight (nandi) arises in him. Now, delight in feelings (vedanàsu nandi) is clinging (upàdàna).

Mahàtanhàsankhaya Sutta

MindGate

I'll be honest, I see my answers to these questions as really well spoken. I'm quite proud of them and think they really answer the questions. To your first question:
Well, one must first define "the truth." Will we ever know if a god exists in this lifetime? Chances are no. What about souls? No. Etc etc. We don't know the "truth." Buddhism isn't about "the truth." What even is "the truth?" Buddhism is simply about ending suffering. Nothing more, nothing less.

Second question:
One can want things. One wants and needs food, water, shelter, etc. Desire and wanting is fine. Attachment and clinging is the bad part. If you aren't attached to your pleasure, you won't crave sex. If you aren't attached to the feeling of alcohol, then you won't crave drinks. The root of suffering is not craving, but the attachment that causes the craving.

YoungBuddhist

I think that knowledge and what comes with it is better than the 'ignorance is bliss' scenario. By not opening our eyes to all the worldly desires and the harms they can cause we keep ourselves on a never-ending wheel of suffering- constantly chasing pleasure and running away from pain. But so often it happens that when we chase pleasure in an ignorant way we end up causing ourselves (and sometimes those around us) more pain. In my opinion it is better to seek knowledge because in the end it will make us happier.
"For example a person drinks ( not to the point of addiction ), does drugs ( not addictive ones ), has sex, lives a life full of pleasures, but if he has to renounce all of these, he complies and goes on with his life. "
In my opinion the hypothetical person you've described above sounds extremely happy. Buddhism is not about renouncing the world around us, it is about finding a middle way- the balance for each of us between knowledge and desire, between restraint and craving. We are allowed to enjoy pleasures in our daily lives, but if we become attached to them we will cause ourselves harm. That is part of the reason why some people choose to abandon all material and worldly things- so that they can live with less objects of desire around them and more easily restrain themselves.

Tosh

Well, one must first define "the truth.

I've read dharma (the Buddha's teachings) described as Truth.

Also, if you read What the Buddha Taught by Walpola Rahula, he explains very well what the word 'Truth' means in Buddhism on pages 5 and 6.

MindGate

The Buddha told us not to worry about these "truths" (our origin, gods, etc etc). He simply stated certain truths (not THE TRUTH that I believe most people refer to when talking about it) to stop suffering. Ex: 4 noble truths.

wisebuddy

sometime we say its easier than practice.so to detach this and that you need a good understanding wisdom to really deattach things.so for half past six knowledge and no wisdon than i think its best to go for the natural way.When times is ripe whether you like it or not you will follow and achieve the deattachment.I would prefer to add something here that is in TAO practice it emphasize on the natural way.Let things come and go as we dont meddle with them.We can achieve action with non action that is the wu wei concept.It means we can accomplish things with out doing anything as the things itself will reflect the result.Like river is always flow down so we dont make the river flow down right.So this is the type of action of no action.Do whatever you want and experience the truth of it and then you will be more wiser to choose the right path and find the right truth.Then in the end you will answer to all your doubts.

seeker242

if no attachment is involved then there's no suffering either.

That is true but only a Buddha is one with no attachments. A person who is not a Buddha says "I can pursue this pleasure but that's ok because I'm not attached to it" is just fooling themselves.

zenff

@bpadawan

Question one:
Risk to be unhappy, but never close your eyes for the truth.
Investigating ruthlessly is fundamental to Buddhism.

Question two:
A lot of suffering is not in the fact as it is, but in the way we relate to that fact.
And liberation is the path of not inflicting suffering upon ourselves in this secondary way.
Only Buddhist fundamentalists say that joy is really suffering and therefore we should not allow ourselves to feel it.
It is quite obvious that such thinking is a way of relating to a fact (the feeling of joy) in a way that produces suffering (by deliberately avoiding or undoing feelings of joy).
At the other hand there will always be moments which will make us feel sad.
The Buddhist way of relating to that is – again - to simply acknowledge it.

Your questions point at the core; investigating the truth and surrendering to things as they are.

ddrishi

Just continue your meditation and you will get your own answers soon enough.