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Fun with dukkha

CloudCloud Veteran
edited December 2010 in Meditation
I usually leave my e-mail open to see if there are any replies in threads on the forum. Today I stopped and noticed the "wanting" to check my e-mail, seeing that there was a new message.

Simply stopped. Waited a while, staying with that want. The feeling of dissatisfaction, of dukkha, began to grow as the thirst remained unfulfilled.

After a while I began to meditate on that feeling of pain that was arising from the desire, and it was very painful indeed! It tasted like gut-wrenching emotional pain close to what might make a person cry. Much more intense when focused upon than I thought it would be.

...and this is present in our lives, to some extent, all of the time.

I eventually did check the e-mail... :) Useful way to get acquainted with dukkha though.

EDIT/ADDITION:

A few have mistakenly taken this post as there being a problem I'm asking for help with, which isn't the thread's purpose at all. It's an example meant to be helpful to others.

This may be a relevant example mostly because the Four Noble Truths must be seen for one's self, not merely understood and/or accepted. Through not fully penetrating these Four Noble Truths we remain bound to Samsara; to see the immediate cause/effect of an unfulfilled desire causing pain helps illuminate the 1st & 2nd Noble Truths in some fashion.

Comments

  • DazzleDazzle
    edited December 2010
    When I become aware of an emotion arising I place my awareness with my breath, breathing, relaxing, letting go... and the emotion/desire dissolves.

    Eventually, if one notices an emotion arising, its possible to just relax into it right away before it increases in intensity.



    _/\_
  • CloudCloud Veteran
    edited December 2010
    The point is to see that connection between Tanha and Dukkha, though you're not wrong as to what you said. :)
  • DazzleDazzle
    edited December 2010
    Cloud wrote: »
    The point is to see that connection between Tanha and Dukkha, though you're not wrong as to what you said. :)


    Sure....but when one understands the connection, one can then apply methods to help alleviate the dukkha.:)

    .
  • CloudCloud Veteran
    edited December 2010
    Temporarily, yes. The same can be done with physical pain. I've no argument about that point whatsoever... I do it all the time, at least for months now since I figured out acknowledgement of the pain seems to make it happily depart. It's almost like the body just wants that acknowledgement, or a part of the mind wants acknowledgement from another part. I dunno, but that's all beside the point I was trying to make (lol).
  • DazzleDazzle
    edited December 2010
    Cloud wrote: »
    . I dunno, but that's all beside the point I was trying to make (lol).


    Oops, sorry if I sidetracked from your point! :buck:


    _/\_
  • JeffreyJeffrey Veteran
    edited December 2010
    When we experience dukkha that is a chance to see its nature.... Or so I have heard; sounds like you had a close encounter with this thing.
  • CloudCloud Veteran
    edited December 2010
    Yep, this is why I hope others take it as an example and try to apply it in their own practice. It is only through not fully penetrating the Four Noble Truths that we remain bound, at least that's what I've heard. Direct experience is a great asset on our path toward liberation, and this is an example of experiencing the 1st & 2nd Noble Truths (at least to some extent).
  • JeffreyJeffrey Veteran
    edited December 2010
    Let beauty I love you so.
  • SpacelessSpaceless
    edited December 2010
    Instead of desire for "wanting", take it as "metta" of checking email.
    With metta
  • footiamfootiam Veteran
    edited December 2010
    Cloud wrote: »
    I usually leave my e-mail open to see if there are any replies in threads on the forum. Today I stopped and noticed the "wanting" to check my e-mail, seeing that there was a new message.

    Simply stopped. Waited a while, staying with that want. The feeling of dissatisfaction, of dukkha, began to grow as the thirst remained unfulfilled.

    Maybe it would help to have an indifferent feeling. Feeling dukkha for this is just not worth the while. Feeling dukkha for unfortunate and then going on to help them woulld be more profitable and meaningful.
  • CloudCloud Veteran
    edited December 2010
    I made an edit to the first post to make it more clear what the purpose of the thread/post is. A few had come to the conclusion that I was posting a problem I was having, and naturally offered their help... though there is no problem. :) It's rather an example of how one may make the experiential connection between Tanha (craving/thirst) and Dukkha.

    I do appreciate the efforts to help, but this is part of my effort to help. :)
  • footiamfootiam Veteran
    edited December 2010
    It is easy to misinteprete. I think it happens all the time.
  • CloudCloud Veteran
    edited December 2010
    More than we know, I'm sure...
  • JeffreyJeffrey Veteran
    edited December 2010
    Thank you for teaching what tanha meant _/\_
  • CloudCloud Veteran
    edited December 2010
    lol, I thought everyone knew what tanha meant (at least except the brand-new buddhists)
  • JeffreyJeffrey Veteran
    edited December 2010
    I have a dictionary but mostly I just stew around and read random stuff in english. My teachers teaching (I am on the chapter on awareness) also speaks in english unless otherwise. Tanha never came up. Craving comes up in Pema Chodron's talks she said it is something everyone can relate to. Not so many puzzled looks as bodhicitta she says.
  • CloudCloud Veteran
    edited December 2010
    I don't even know all of the Pali/Sanskrit words, but I figured the ones for the 4NT might be important to know. The more relevant reason I learned them is that I've read a lot of different books and stuff on Buddhism and many of them did use words like tanha; at that point I wasn't comfortable enough with the teachings to know which word was which.
  • JeffreyJeffrey Veteran
    edited December 2010
    Rigdzin Shikpo has a novel presentation of the 4 noble truths in his book Never Turn Away.

    All kinds of knocks.
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