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But why is the path a difficult one?
I have been wondering lately why it is that seeing reality as it is requires such an arduous journey (8 fold path isnt a walk in the park).
I mean in itself - why is humanity born with suffering, with clouds (or thunderstorms) over their eyes, with a mind that one must work to bridle.
Is it simply a product of our evolutionary history and if so what did the buddha teach then - A technique to psychological subvert our mind's tendencies as a result of this history?
I mean in itself - why is humanity born with suffering, with clouds (or thunderstorms) over their eyes, with a mind that one must work to bridle.
Is it simply a product of our evolutionary history and if so what did the buddha teach then - A technique to psychological subvert our mind's tendencies as a result of this history?
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Why not?
Same question, different day. If there were any answer, how informative or satisfying could it possibly be?
Stick to your good practice ... and see what happens.
Its a hard path simply because it is hard for us to see through our own ignorance... And that is something we can only gradually change so that means hard work.
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http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn56/sn56.011.piya.html
"The Noble Truth of Suffering (dukkha), monks, is this: Birth is suffering, aging is suffering, sickness is suffering, death is suffering, association with the unpleasant is suffering, dissociation from the pleasant is suffering, not to receive what one desires is suffering — in brief the five aggregates subject to grasping are suffering.
"The Noble Truth of the Origin (cause) of Suffering is this: It is this craving (thirst) which produces re-becoming (rebirth) accompanied by passionate greed, and finding fresh delight now here, and now there, namely craving for sense pleasure, craving for existence and craving for non-existence (self-annihilation).
"The Noble Truth of the Cessation of Suffering is this: It is the complete cessation of that very craving, giving it up, relinquishing it, liberating oneself from it, and detaching oneself from it.
"The Noble Truth of the Path Leading to the Cessation of Suffering is this: It is the Noble Eightfold Path, and nothing else, namely: right understanding, right thought, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness and right concentration.[2]
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http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn12/sn12.002.than.html
Dwelling at Savatthi... "Monks, I will describe & analyze dependent co-arising for you.
"And what is dependent co-arising? From ignorance as a requisite condition come fabrications. From fabrications as a requisite condition comes consciousness. From consciousness as a requisite condition comes name-&-form. From name-&-form as a requisite condition come the six sense media. From the six sense media as a requisite condition comes contact. From contact as a requisite condition comes feeling. From feeling as a requisite condition comes craving. From craving as a requisite condition comes clinging/sustenance. From clinging/sustenance as a requisite condition comes becoming. From becoming as a requisite condition comes birth. From birth as a requisite condition, then aging & death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, & despair come into play. Such is the origination of this entire mass of stress & suffering.
"Now from the remainderless fading & cessation of that very ignorance comes the cessation of fabrications. From the cessation of fabrications comes the cessation of consciousness. From the cessation of consciousness comes the cessation of name-&-form. From the cessation of name-&-form comes the cessation of the six sense media. From the cessation of the six sense media comes the cessation of contact. From the cessation of contact comes the cessation of feeling. From the cessation of feeling comes the cessation of craving. From the cessation of craving comes the cessation of clinging/sustenance. From the cessation of clinging/sustenance comes the cessation of becoming. From the cessation of becoming comes the cessation of birth. From the cessation of birth, then aging & death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, & despair all cease. Such is the cessation of this entire mass of stress & suffering."
In the Sufi tradition, the voluntary engagement in service/suffering is part of the Jihad (internal war).
As I near the end of my struggles, nothing in life is more valuable than spiritual endeavour. Right effort. :clap:
In order to be free of dukka we need to understand and overcome what has actually brought us to this point where we have grown into an intelligent species that can participate in this very discussion over the Internet.
"Only as a warrior can one withstand the path of knowledge." -don Juan
Once we wake up from our silliness, we have a good laugh at ourself.
So I'm told, leastways... Guess we will see.
Makes sense though as it seems the way of things and events we think are smaller... Looking for glasses that are on our heads (can't find them anywhere).
Gain experience and knowledge.
Thus did I hear . . . from 'Mr Cushion' . . .
Don't make difficult.
Don't make easy.
Which is a bit like saying brain surgery is easy if we're a brain surgeon.
You either support that expression or you don't.
Difficult or easy, are just the words that describe the strength of the attachments that we are, or are not, currently challenging.
People have too many distractions, thoughts, comfortable delusions of non-suffering or the hope that dukkha is temporary or the result of using the wrong toothpaste.
They trust in Cod (hallowed be thy fish bones). Apple or other big companies, some temporary massage, message or time wastraling. Nobody but our own efforts will save us. Who wants to spend a lifetime in effort?
:wave:
I think the true difficulty that is projected and perceived is our own mind's efforts resisting being fully awake.
After all what is more difficult putting in work for a better existence or remaining in an existence of suffering.
It reminds me of when some people ask me about working out and losing weight. They tell me "but it's so hard to eat right and workout everyday". Then I ask them what is harder? living the rest of your life unhealthy, sick and unhappy with your own body or going to the gym for an hour and not having that cupcake? We ignore the fact of how things really are and suffer for it, but all the while thinking we are more happy that way....avoiding difficulties.....lol kind of funny isn't it?
But on this subject, I would say that the path to awakening seems difficult at times because attachment to our past conditioning and karma has resulted in strong self delusion. Seeing this and learning to let go is not a trivial endeavor.
However, all one needs (or can) awaken to is this present moment. So keep practicing.
Best Wishes
But the way I understand Buddha's teaching , a part of it is actually giving up the desire to figure such questions out. We are in trouble and the teaching is only about one thing- how to get us out. When the car breaks down and the tow truck comes, its driver does not spend time on trying to understand why the car broke down. It just did and his job is to take the car to the shop. Buddhism is like that tow truck