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Why can't we see clearly?
Hello! I've been studying various Buddhadharma sources and practicing mindfulness meditation for a few years now, but I'm just now getting into actual foundational texts. Right now, I'm trying to focus on Pali texts, but I hope to soon get to Mahayana texts. I have not chosen any specific path as of yet.
One major aspect of Buddhist thought that I've noticed over and over is the idea of being present, of seeing the world as it is and not through our stories about the world, which come from various attachments. This makes sense to me and rings true to my everyday life, but I haven't really found an answer to this basic question I have:
Why is it so hard for human beings to see clearly, past their own sense of individual separateness? Why is this such a task for us that for most it takes a lifetime to even see clearly for a fraction of time? In Abrahamic religions, imperfections in human behavior and a lack of connection to the divine are explained by "the fall"--at some point, humans were "whole" and then they ruined it. But how does Buddhism explain why we are in such a sad shape?
Thank you in advance!
One major aspect of Buddhist thought that I've noticed over and over is the idea of being present, of seeing the world as it is and not through our stories about the world, which come from various attachments. This makes sense to me and rings true to my everyday life, but I haven't really found an answer to this basic question I have:
Why is it so hard for human beings to see clearly, past their own sense of individual separateness? Why is this such a task for us that for most it takes a lifetime to even see clearly for a fraction of time? In Abrahamic religions, imperfections in human behavior and a lack of connection to the divine are explained by "the fall"--at some point, humans were "whole" and then they ruined it. But how does Buddhism explain why we are in such a sad shape?
Thank you in advance!
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Comments
What did you learn in school?
Acquiring a skill (meditation) is difficult, just like learning to swim. It takes time and effort.
The more you practise , the better you become.
Clinging, grasping and unskilful attachment.
Federica is correct: We are attached because we are deluded. (And we are deluded because we are attached.)
We each have a stake. In striving to further our own stake, we get drawn into the mindset of ourselves against the world. This can be a viscious cycle.
Fortunately, there are also virtues, which break us out of it. For example, even very greedy, hateful and ignorant people love their close families, and may seek to benefit them at the expense of themselves. Thus virtue begins.
Buddha bless,
Conrad.
But I guess my main question here is why does the human condition have this problem with attachment? Why has it been passed down from generation to generation? It seems circular to say that we are attached because we are deluded and we are deluded because we are attached--what's the cause of the problem of attachment? Is it just the nature of being in a human body?
This is a brilliant question, and the answer is that people from the very moment they are a child are socialized to believe in a separate identity. It's a cancer of our socialization.
In the Abhidharma there's what we call Universal unwholesome mind-states, and one of these is "Delusion". This delusion is brought about by false views.
Because of ignorance. Ignorance brought this whole mess up. We call this dependent origination.
Ignorance caused fabrications in our minds. These mental fabrications caused a fracture in consciousness. The fractured consciousness caused schema. The schema caused forms to come into being. These forms came in contact with the fractured consciousness. This contact brought about the birth of emotions. There was feelings tied to the contact between the consciousness and these mentally created forms. This created craving. This craving brought forth clinging. With that clinging the consciousness was bound to forms. So then we have our first "separate" identity. The identity view cannot exist as it is so it is born. Anything that is born and sustained by forms, must change. That which changes breaks down ages, gets sick, and dies. So here we have the creation of Samsara all started from ignorance and mental fabrications. Once this clinging is let go we can end the cycle forever and no longer be reborn and so the torture of reaching at a mirage is over. The mirage is a part of us and we are part of it. We are not separate ultimately from that which we desire and so that's the BIG LIE that causes Samsara.
VERY good question.
Buddha bless,
Conrad.
We were apes, who evolved to beings, who could resolve all kinds of different problems with our thoughts/minds. Now this tool (the mind) has evolved to a very complex level, from which it has started to control us. We think, that we are our thoughts. We identify ourselves with all kinds of thoughts, which aren't true.
I think it's just a step of human evolution.
If we don't destroy ourselves somehow or get destroyed by some cosmic 'mishap', we will evolve to a much more awakened state. But it will take some time. If you think about how old humans are and then compare it to 2.6k years (first well known enlightened master probably?), it's nothing. Even if it's gonna take another 5k years for all the humanity to reach enlightenment, that would be nothing compared to our age.
From an evolutionary point of view , Humans have very limited senses that prevent us from seeing the true nature of reality. A good example of this is to look at a brick wall. Our first impression would be that it is a solid barrier. However, we now know that it is comprised of a wide range of sub atomic particles that are constantly in motion. Mostly, it is empty space as the distance between these particles on a relative scale is quite large. And, it is in a constant state of flux and decay.
In addition, we as a species have become conditioned over eons to belonging to a family or other group as a means of survival, the start of attachment. We needed to be sure that what was ours remained ours as a means to ensure our continued survival. If someone took your spears and your flint , you would be quite dead in a short time. This mindset has continued thru to modern times and has become more and more ingrained as it has become much more simple to accumulate “things”. If you look at the world today, it seems clear that this evolutionary imperative has, in many cases become a maladaptive behavior.
Now add in the concept of rebirth and the continuation of our mind stream and the law of Karma as we have harmed others numerous times in past lifetimes to accumulate more and more and it becomes easy to see why it is so very hard to see clearly today.
So easy to see this in action in our life. For a moment we can be all there, just there, all observing, silent mind ... then something intrudes, either an event or a thought ... and we're back into our old habits, mind off and running again like a thoroughbred out of the starting gate at the racetrack.
Maybe, it is not a matter of not seeing clearly; it is a matter of seeing from a different perspective.
was rinpoche saying that the mind identifies with its thoughts?
when really the mind is not it's thoughts
the mind is just mind
i don't mean to be rude
but can you say that in plain english
please
cheers
Ok Divorcing from the metaphor of dancing. We have so many expectations of what is right and wrong. By giving ourselves. By allowing all of our emotions and judgements. And just letting them ripple outward and diffuse. Then we find that all of these ripples are just the aliveness and we go into the space of generosity towards those ripples. Letting them be as they are.
From that space enthusiasm for experience and truth begins. Wisdom looking for wisdom.
Apparently, it is because the delusions and defilements are not only happened in this lifespan, but uncountable lifespans of the past due to ignorant of truth. The "timeframe" to see clearly will depend on the sincerity on the task of recovery:p
Sometimes it's difficult.
Not everybody who is on this forum, is actually....English.
We have many members whose mother tongue is not English.
So I guess it's a case of meeting in the middle.....;)
That sounds a remarkable amount like the Hindu view of Prakriti dancing the universe for Purusha, who becomes so ensconced in the dance he forgets his nature.
We're connected to the Earth biologically and the Universe atomically. Fundamentally, there is no separation. This has been scientifically proven, without our environment (all the elements) we wouldn't exist. So how in the heck is there an individual self if we're literally a product of our environment and wouldn't exist without it?
We're essentially Life experiencing itself.
Well compared to any experience really. I think Mowgli would agree.