An end to suffering...

As a psychologist, as Buddhist, a musician, a philosopher, and as a human being, one has chosen the path to the end of suffering, stress, existential anxiety, emotional dysphoria, mental illness on the road to happiness.

The first step along this path is as follows:

I. Samma ditthi .... Right view

dukkhe ñana .... understanding suffering

dukkhasamudaye ñana .... understanding its origin

dukkhanirodhe ñana .... understanding its cessation

dukkhanirodhagaminipatipadaya ñana .... understanding the way leading to its cessation

In other words the end of suffering starts and ends with seeing things as they really are.

At first this 'right view' is a conceptual one. Over time it is a matter of direct experience. Try it, you'll like it.

So is life suffering? Indeed much of it is. Although, our culture is based on denial. But, we all age, get sick and die. While there is much joy in between, love affairs end, cars rust, the bills are due, the stock market collapses. But with it all, the insideous thing is that we often feel a sense of discontent. As the song says, "Is that all there is?



Is there no higher meaning? Is my purpose a true one?

The root cause of this discontent is desire, craving and clinging. Losing what we've got. Not getting what we want.

What is the end of discontent? First realizing that everything is impermanent and subject to change. (e.g., "We've grown apart, my love.) This impermanence denys us a sense of security. (What if I lose my job?) Finally, there is the sense of existential groundlessness to find that all is without an eternal essence. Phanthoms, ghosts, evanescent mirage.

OK, so what leads to the end of this discontent? That is the subject of this series of posts. We've seem step one. Only seven more to go..


Comments? Let's make this a dialogue.

Here's some temporary release from stress & discontent: