What are helpful understanding of the eight worldly concerns?

The_Fruit_Punch_Wiza

With regards to the 8 worldly concerns that are socialized into us as children, I think it is important to confront and draw helpful understandings of the 8 Worldly Concerns.

They are attachment to receiving material possessions and aversion to not receiving them or to being separated from them.

Attachment to praise or approval (getting your validation because of what you do or accomplish or, earn your sense of worth in the world) and aversion to blame or disapproval or not measuring up.

Attachment to a good reputation (having a good image, others thinking well of you or trying to be perfect or being a high-achiever) and aversion to a bad reputation (not being a high-achiever or perfect).

Attachment to pleasures of the five senses (food, drugs, sex, alcohol and nice things) and aversion to unpleasant experiences.

fivebells

My teacher wrote about a framework for cutting through them with the four immeasurables.

footiam

I really don't understand what these 8 worldly concerns, don't even know what they are. But giving presents and praises seem like all right unless we abuse them. It's nice tor receive presents and praises. During Kathina, the monks get presents!

Nirvana

Ah, the four immeasurables! Equanimity, Loving-kindness, Compassion, and Joy. (Although a Westerner such as me finds it difficult to see a significant difference between Loving-kindness and Compassion, I'll try to wrap my mind around this concept with these. I more or less see the ocean of Loving-kindness being composed of the waters of compassion, but that's just where I am right now.)

I must admit these eight worldly concern are new to me, too. Here's my paradigmatic way of putting them down to make sense for me:

Possessions: Security vs Insecurity, both physical & psychological?

Safety/Society?: Praise vs. Blame

Status: Good Reputation or even Fame vs. Bad Reputation or infamy

Nutritional/Sensual (Comfort)?: Pleasure vs. Pain

People everywhere are motivated by these concerns (the "four fears") for security, safety, status, and comfort. Indeed, the root cause of all the fear in the world is the sense of radical insecurity that looms over all of us to one degree or another. That fear, that insecurity, that would inexorably stem from our deprivation of these things impedes us all and cripples many.

Humankind is governed primarily by fear in the sense that our fears determine what paths we are willing to embark on and which ones we must avoid "for our own good." The overwhelming scariness that deprivation of these "four fears" brings is caused by their intermingling, compounding misery even further. One deprivation leads to another. First you lose your house, then you're a "Bum," and then you cannot even afford to eat, let alone take a bath with fresh soap.

These are very old concepts that I doubt have much relevance for many in today's world, no matter how interesting they may be in their own right. However, I do think that they almost completely overlook the good that the art of being a friend can do even in adverse circumstances.

So, I'd say I wouldn't worry about these things too much.

NamelessRiver

With regards to the 8 worldly concerns that are socialized into us as children, I think it is important to confront and draw helpful understandings of the 8 Worldly Concerns.

I think their utility is giving a list of places where to look for craving\aversion\delusion and maintaining the awareness. Uprooting these three is the function of other teachings.

Nirvana

I think their utility is giving a list of places where to look for craving\aversion\delusion and maintaining the awareness. Uprooting these three is the function of other teachings.

Craving and Aversion and the Delusion that we actually need to be all safe and comfy?

Of course, uprooting identification with our phenomenal selves in finite circumstances will set us free, but I think the "other teachings" can be brought in here too.

It's not like the Buddha Dharma cannot be put in other succinct words to meet a certain set of circumstances, highlighting the main points only, is it?