Dukkha is:
Disturbance, irritation, dejection, worry, despair, fear, dread, anguish, anxiety; vulnerability, injury, inability, inferiority; sickness, aging, decay of body and faculties, senility; pain/pleasure; excitement/boredom; deprivation/excess; desire/frustration, suppression; longing/aimlessness; hope/hopelessness; effort, activity, striving/repression; loss, want, insufficiency/satiety; love/lovelessness, friendlessness; dislike, aversion/attraction; parenthood/childlessness; submission/rebellion; decision/indecisiveness, vacillation, uncertainty.
— Francis Story in Suffering, in Vol. II of The Three Basic Facts of Existence (Kandy: Buddhist Publication Society, 1983)
Wow, it looks as though everything is suffering right?
Well I think that all of these things have the potential to cause suffering unless one has Right View.
And Buddha said “By & large, this world is in bondage to attachments, clingings (Upadana), & biases.
But one such as this does not get involved with or cling to these attachments, clingings, fixations of awareness, biases, or obsessions; nor is he resolved on ‘my self.’ He has no uncertainty or doubt that, when there is arising, only stress is arising; and that when there is passing away, only stress is passing away. In this, one’s knowledge is independent of others. It is to this extent, that there is right view.”
In my humble interpretation, I believe that once a person no longer holds a dualistic view or makes it about the self, we then obtain Right View.
But is this possible, to actually let go of the concept of good and bad, desire and frustration, etc etc?
Although I am far from being there, I do see this as a possibility with practice. Mindfulness seems to be key to observing these dualities as they arise.
I attempt to see that each time I make a judgement on a person or situation, I am creating Dukkha and have an absence of Right View. Even judgements of my own feelings and attaching to those feelings is cause of suffering.
But I am attempting to learn to just accept the impermanence of even good feelings and thoughts.
By training the mind to simply observe, and not attach, I am eliminating suffering. Not only for the self, but for others as well.
So long as I do not cling to joy, and can learn to not cling to sadness. Both are transient, and clearly the clinging, aversion or desire will only bring about suffering in one form or another.
In fact, even the desire to let go of suffering is a cause for suffering! What a conundrum, eh?
Ah, the sweetness of having so much more to learn and understand.
I take each day as it comes, trying to see each moment simply as it is.
Sometimes I do, and sometimes I don’t. But that’s OK too.
Have a great moment, and may you be well, happy and peaceful.
