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Buddhism Connect - What is the cause of suffering?
Jeffrey
Veteran
Summary: The Buddha taught that suffering was a problem and that the solution was to know the cause and realize the true nature of Reality. We glimpse this through working with a teacher, but the hard part is to realize this true nature and give our allegiance to it, turning away from what we think is our safe world.
A student asks:
I have been reflecting on the first Noble Truth and experiencing pain and suffering. I think you have said that the Buddha himself tried to find an answer that would make everything better before he realized there was no answer.
Lama Shenpen:
I wouldn’t say he found there was no answer. Suffering is the problem and the solution is to know the cause and then realize the truth of Nirvana, the true nature of Reality. Then you can realize the Noble Truth of the Path. You base yourself on that Reality and let your actions of body speech and mind follow that through so that you are so fully aligned with and at one with Reality, that you are Reality, the Noble Truth of the Cessation of Suffering, Nirvana. At first we glimpse it through the pointing out instructions of the teacher and our own practice. It takes time but once glimpsed the journey begins - the hard part is to actualize it, to gain conviction in it and to give our total allegiance to it. That is the hard part, letting go of what we habitually think is our safe world, but it’s not safe, it is the cause of suffering.
Student:
Is that because he saw that there truly was not a problem in the way we see problems?
Lama Shenpen:
Yes that is it.
Student:
Is the real problem duality; that we see self and other?
Lama Shenpen:
It is what we think we see. We think we see self and other as separate and so self gets very defensive and frightened, or hopeful for gain for itself so it can gain control and security and keep what it wants to hold on to. That defensive, frightened and grasping ego-centric process is the problem. Even when we are well motivated and wanting to help others more than we care about ourselves, still we think in this egocentric way about how I as a separate individual can somehow solve the problems of the whole world or at least of those around me, and we can get quite depressed at our helplessness and feel we are to blame in an egocentric way. That whole process is the problem and the whole edifice needs cutting – undercutting – it needs to drop away so you can see it’s useless, it does no good at all. It is not the way to find happiness. Caring for others and caring for oneself is not about that kind of egocentric effort and self-blame.
Student:
That we are “torn asunder” so to speak because we do not experience the oneness of all things?
Lama Shenpen:
Yes, that is it.
A student asks:
I have been reflecting on the first Noble Truth and experiencing pain and suffering. I think you have said that the Buddha himself tried to find an answer that would make everything better before he realized there was no answer.
Lama Shenpen:
I wouldn’t say he found there was no answer. Suffering is the problem and the solution is to know the cause and then realize the truth of Nirvana, the true nature of Reality. Then you can realize the Noble Truth of the Path. You base yourself on that Reality and let your actions of body speech and mind follow that through so that you are so fully aligned with and at one with Reality, that you are Reality, the Noble Truth of the Cessation of Suffering, Nirvana. At first we glimpse it through the pointing out instructions of the teacher and our own practice. It takes time but once glimpsed the journey begins - the hard part is to actualize it, to gain conviction in it and to give our total allegiance to it. That is the hard part, letting go of what we habitually think is our safe world, but it’s not safe, it is the cause of suffering.
Student:
Is that because he saw that there truly was not a problem in the way we see problems?
Lama Shenpen:
Yes that is it.
Student:
Is the real problem duality; that we see self and other?
Lama Shenpen:
It is what we think we see. We think we see self and other as separate and so self gets very defensive and frightened, or hopeful for gain for itself so it can gain control and security and keep what it wants to hold on to. That defensive, frightened and grasping ego-centric process is the problem. Even when we are well motivated and wanting to help others more than we care about ourselves, still we think in this egocentric way about how I as a separate individual can somehow solve the problems of the whole world or at least of those around me, and we can get quite depressed at our helplessness and feel we are to blame in an egocentric way. That whole process is the problem and the whole edifice needs cutting – undercutting – it needs to drop away so you can see it’s useless, it does no good at all. It is not the way to find happiness. Caring for others and caring for oneself is not about that kind of egocentric effort and self-blame.
Student:
That we are “torn asunder” so to speak because we do not experience the oneness of all things?
Lama Shenpen:
Yes, that is it.
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Directly recognize one's nature.
Gain confidence in liberation.
-Garab Dorje