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is life perfect?
Fenix
Veteran
Why is life not made perfect? how come it is not already supreme? if it is why try to change it? if not how CAN you change it?
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A man went to the Buddha insisting on answers to these questions, but the Buddha instead put a question to him: "If you were shot by a poison arrow, and a doctor was summoned to extract it, what would you do? Would you ask such questions as who shot the arrow, from which tribe did he come, who made the arrow, who made the poison, etc., or would you have the doctor immediately pull out the arrow?"
"Of course," replied the man, "I would have the arrow pulled out as quickly as possible." The Buddha concluded, "That is wise, for the task before us is the solving of life's problems; until the problems are solved, these questions are of secondary importance."
Worry about perfecting yourself, changing yourself as you change you'll start to notice the good things in the world too. By changing yourself you set an example to those around you giving them permission to change themselves, thats about all you can really do. There's actually some research into how our attitudes change the attitudes of not only the people in our social circle but the social circles of our social circles with whom we have no direct connection with. Each of us are only one person, just try to do your part.
even if it is an imponderable, just focus on making it better
Life per se can’t be perfect when it involves impermanence.
As to supreme: ask your grass next time when getting a lawnmower.
That is why perfect is just a word from the human vocabulary
We all get kicked up our a*** when not being able to find it.
It seems that a human tragedy is to long for it.
I hope you are right.
"Of course," replied the man, "I would have the arrow pulled out as quickly as possible." The Buddha concluded, "That is wise, for the task before us is the solving of life's problems; until the problems are solved, these questions are of secondary importance."
The problem with humans is that after the arrow was pulled out – the emotions would start for a revenge.
It has as much sense as calling reality "a series of widgets."
Tim
I would disagree with your questions being imponderable. On the contrary, I think those are some really good questions.
Here's my unenlightened attempt at answering them:
1) Why is life not made perfect?
This question assumes that life has been "made". If we assume life was "made" then we must also assume that there is a "maker". Why make this assumption?
2) How come it is not already supreme?
If by "supreme" you mean free from suffering then your question is "how come [life] is not already [free from suffering]?" - Good question. The reason life is not supreme (free from suffering) is because we are born. Birth depends on conditions. That which arises must surely pass away. Birth is the proximate cause for old age, sickness and death. Why were we born?
3) If it is why try to change it?
In your experience, is life free from suffering (or "supreme")?
4) If not how CAN you change it?
The Buddha teaches us that by practicing the Noble Eightfold Path we can transform our mind, gradually decreasing the defilements which cause us to suffer, until one day (hopefully) we reach "Supreme Freedom From Suffering."
Metta,
Guy
Life is not perfect, but its good enough.
This were exactly some of the question that started the Buddha on his search. And he came to the shocking conclusion: Life is not perfect. Period. Doesn't mean we can't enjoy it from time to time, but we have to realize it can not make us happy forever. Even if everything is smooth sailing, eventually we will die, this is just a fact.
But luckily he found a way out. I think your questions perfectly go along with the four noble truths he found. I'm not trying to be the smarty pants here, for these are truly profound statements. But maybe this can give you some insight into the teachings of the Buddha and show your questions aren't that strange or imponderable.
Why is life not made perfect?
1. Life is dukkha, unsatisfactory by its nature, because it is subject to impermanence
But impermanence makes everything possible, so life wouldn't be without impermanence. You can't really question why, it simply is not possible in any other way.
how come it is not already supreme?
2. Because of attachments
if it is why try to change it?
3. To get out of the unsatisfactory nature of life
if not how CAN you change it?
4. 8-fold path
With metta,
Sabre
[1] Though the Buddhas have spoken of duration, origination, destruction, being, non-being, low, moderate, and excellent by force of worldly convention, [they] have not done [so] in an absolute sense.
[2] Designations are without significance, for self, non-self, and self-non-self do not exist. [For] like nirvana, all expressible things are empty (sunya) of own-being.
[3] Since all things altogether lack substance — either in causes or conditions, [in their] totality, or separately — they are empty.
[9] Permanent is not, impermanent is not, not-self is not, self is not, impure is not, pure is not, pleasure is not, and suffering is not. Therefore the perverted views do not exist.
[10] Without these, ignorance based on the four bad views is not possible. Without this [ignorance], the formative forces do not arise. The same [is true] for the [ten] remaining [dependently arising members].
[11] Ignorance does not occur without the formative forces [and] without it the formative forces do not arise. Caused by one another, they are not established by own-being.
[14] Just as pleasure and pain depending on an object in a dream do not have [a real] object, so neither that which arises dependently nor that which it arises in dependence on exists.
[23] Opponent: [No!] The Buddha's teaching of the path aims at showing origination and cessation, not sunyata! Reply: To experience the two as mutually exclusive is a mistake.
[25] If nirvana [resulted] from cessation, [then there would be] destruction. If the contrary, [there would be] permanence. Therefore it is not logical that nirvana is being or non-being.
[27] The marked is established through a mark different from the marked; it is not established by itself. Nor are the [two] established by each other, [since what is] not established cannot establish the not-established.
[29] The three times do not exist (substantially) since they are unfixed and are mutually established, since they change [and] are not self-established, [and] since there is no being. They are merely discriminations.
[test in meditation]
[30] Since the three marks of the conditioned — origination, duration, and cessation — do not exist, there is not the slightest conditioned or unconditioned [phenomenon]. {test in meditation}
[35] If karma had own-being the body created by it would be permanent. So karma would not result in suffering and would therefore be substantial.
[36] Karma is not born from conditions and by no means from non-conditions, for karma-formations are like an illusion, a city of gandharvas, and a mirage.
[37] Karma has klesas as its cause. [Being] klesas, the karma-formations are of impassioned nature (klesatmaka). A body has karma as its cause. So [all] three are empty of own-being.
[59] Since the entities 'desire', 'hatred', and 'delusion' arise through perverted views about pleasant and unpleasant, desire, hatred, and delusion do not exist by own-being.
[60] Since one [may] desire, hate, and be deluded regarding the very same [thing], [the passions] are created by discrimination. And that discrimination is nothing real.
[71] The worldly principle, "This arises depending on that," is not violated. But since what is dependent lacks own-being, how can it exist? That is certain!
[73] When one understands that "This is a result of that/' the nets of bad views all vanish. Undefiled, one abandons desire, delusion, and hatred and gains nirvana.