Why do we suffer?
Gee, that's a catchy title, bet you can't wait to read on.
Walking and talking with a dear friend this morning made me think about this question. We are so incredibly fortunate with our current lives in Australia, with enough food to eat, a comfortable place to live and for most of us being surrounded by friends, family and love. So why is it that we are not happy all the time? Why are so many in our society still suffering? Where is the pain coming from?
In the Buddhist classes that I teach and attend we are taught over and over again that happiness and suffering are states of mind and so their causes are not found outside the mind. So even though we might be living in the very best conditions, if our mind is unpeaceful, we are not happy. What can we do about this? Train our minds with meditation. In the same way that we spend so much time and energy in looking after our bodies, so we can look after our minds. We can teach ourselves to become more familiar with positive and peaceful states of mind rather than those which make us unhappy, stressed and anxious.
Doing this does not save us from having to experience difficult times or to face challenging situations but it does give us some inner strength to deal with these in the most constructive ways.
How wonderful if none of us were to suffer. Today I offer my prayers to all of us who continue to suffer in so many ways with the wish that we all find deep inner peace and happiness, our true nature and greatest potential, sooner rather than later.
Buddha said that eventually we will all attain enlightenment, every living being will experience everlasting peace and happiness. Bring it on.
love K.x
Walking and talking with a dear friend this morning made me think about this question. We are so incredibly fortunate with our current lives in Australia, with enough food to eat, a comfortable place to live and for most of us being surrounded by friends, family and love. So why is it that we are not happy all the time? Why are so many in our society still suffering? Where is the pain coming from?
In the Buddhist classes that I teach and attend we are taught over and over again that happiness and suffering are states of mind and so their causes are not found outside the mind. So even though we might be living in the very best conditions, if our mind is unpeaceful, we are not happy. What can we do about this? Train our minds with meditation. In the same way that we spend so much time and energy in looking after our bodies, so we can look after our minds. We can teach ourselves to become more familiar with positive and peaceful states of mind rather than those which make us unhappy, stressed and anxious.
Doing this does not save us from having to experience difficult times or to face challenging situations but it does give us some inner strength to deal with these in the most constructive ways.
How wonderful if none of us were to suffer. Today I offer my prayers to all of us who continue to suffer in so many ways with the wish that we all find deep inner peace and happiness, our true nature and greatest potential, sooner rather than later.
Buddha said that eventually we will all attain enlightenment, every living being will experience everlasting peace and happiness. Bring it on.
love K.x
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