RIGHT VIEW
Understanding the Noble Truth of Suffering
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When people have met with
suffering and become victims of suffering, they come to me and ask me
about the noble truth of suffering. Being asked, I explain to them the
noble truth of suffering. (MN 77) What is suffering? (MN 9)
Despair is suffering. The trouble and despair, the tribulation and
desperation of one who has encountered some misfortune or is affected by
some painful state. (MN 9)
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We don't need
to look deeply to understand what this text is pointing to. The human
condition is laced with despair, as people regularly encounter
misfortune and are constantly affected by painful states. The goal of
these teachings and practices is not to avoid the difficult aspects of
life but to see them clearly, understand them thoroughly, and pass
through them (rather than around them) to the peace lying on the other
side.
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When you
encounter despair, do not be afraid of it and do not try to push it away
or hide from it. It is just a mental state, just a passing condition of
the mind and of the emotional life. It is okay to turn toward it and
examine it, because that is just what is happening right now. Take heart
in the knowledge that the Buddha is only pointing us toward suffering
because he will go on to show how it can be brought to an end.
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Tomorrow: Cultivating Lovingkindness
One week from today: Understanding the Noble Truth of the Origin of Suffering
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Questions? Visit the Dhamma Wheel orientation page.
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