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)
Separation from the pleasant is suffering. Whoever has what is wanted,
liked—pleasant sight-objects, sounds, smells, tastes, tangibles, or
mind-objects—or whoever encounters well-wishers, wishers of good, of
comfort, of security, such as mother or father or brother or sister or
younger kinsmen or friends or colleagues or blood-relations, and then is
deprived of such concourse, intercourse, connection, or union. (MN 9)
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One of the most
obvious and common forms of suffering is the pain we feel when
separated from something or someone we care deeply about and are thus
attached to. In fact, the mental pain of loss that comes from caring is
one thing, while the emotional pain of the loss grows in direct
proportion to how much attachment there is. It is possible to care
deeply about something or someone without being attached.
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Practice with
easy things first, and work up to more challenging ones. See if you can
feel equanimity instead of misery when you must separate from something
like a favorite mug that breaks. Then see if you can apply that same
approach to more serious matters, such as the breakup of a relationship
or the loss of a dearly beloved person. Remember: Pain is inevitable,
but how much suffering it causes depends on the level of attachment.
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Tomorrow: Cultivating Lovingkindness
One week from today: Understanding the Noble Truth of the Origin of Suffering
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