Find the cause of suffering

[Gem]

The basis of Gotama's teachings is to acknowledge ones own suffering, find the cause, and thus end suffering.

Most of us suffer and find cause in external things that hurt us. This means suffering is linked to sensation. The question is, does sensation cause suffering, or is it the way we relate to sensation that is cause?

In the meditation, mindfulness, we are aware of ourselves, body, mind, emotion, just as they are as they happen to arise. The obstacle to this is 'distraction'. We can drift off into autopilot and become unconscious of what is actually happening, and instead, live in an imaginary world created in reaction to the actual real lived experience.

In sitting practice we soon see we are aware of our sensation and thought, and then we drift away into imaginary pasts, futures and fantasies. It's not bad or incorrect to do this. The meditation practice just enables a conscious recognition of it. Now you know, 'so this is what I do'.

From that preliminary, the the same process of being aware, noticing and discovering continues, revealing the truth about ourselves. Through this process of 'sati' we soon come to learn about how we relate to sensation - including physical, emotional and psychological - and come to realise how we cause our own suffering by relating to sensation in a somewhat delusional way.

Once this cause is identified, each new arising of suffering is recognised as 'something I do', rather than 'something that happens to me'... and we are thereby led to understand the way to bring suffering to an end.

[Shaunc]

Desire (and aversion) is the cause of suffering. To eliminate suffering, we must first eliminate desire.

[sky]

Originally Posted by Shaunc

Desire (and aversion) is the cause of suffering. To eliminate suffering, we must first eliminate desire.

I think it's attachment to desire Shaunc, not desire. You cannot survive without desires, but you can rise above the attachment to the desires.

[H:O:R:A:C:E]

Originally Posted by sky123

I think it's attachment to desire Shaunc, not desire. You cannot survive without desires, but you can rise above the attachment to the desires.

i figure it would be attachment to an unrealized desire that would cause the pain.
i sense suffering to be a painful stimuli that doesn't get resolution...
prolonged pain is what i believe suffering to be. it's like having an
untreated wound... the aching just continues.

Originally Posted by H:O:R:A:C:E

i figure it would be attachment to an unrealized desire that would cause the pain.

Buddha was quite clear that even realized attachements are a cause for suffering. Except for the desire to reach nirvana. Once that is realized you're good.

Reason being that every phenomenon is transient, so once attained or realized it's leaving or vanishing is allready a certainty.

With Love
Eelco

[Rain95]

Originally Posted by catsquotl

Buddha was quite clear that even realized attachements are a cause for suffering. Except for the desire to reach nirvana. Once that is realized you're good.

Reason being that every phenomenon is transient, so once attained or realized it's leaving or vanishing is allready a certainty.

With Love
Eelco

That all makes sense to me. I think nirvana is emptiness so I was thinking. yes if one realizes or embodies emptiness, there is no self there as far as thought. Consciousness and awareness is there though. But no ego type stuff. So that realization leaves no residue. It does not create desire or anything really. It just is. So no suffering can come from that if present. I suppose it may pass and so perhaps thought or ego can come in and seek it creating conflict or suffering but then nirvana, if one knows where it hides, creates no conflict in it's pursuit since the known method of residing there is letting go of seeking.

[ocean breeze]

The desire to eliminate desire?

[happy soul]

Another very wise post by you Gem. I just hope I'm not the only one who recognizes the wisdom you share. We all have our own capacity for discernment, although it may be that you and I simply think in a similar way. But I do feel that you bring a uniquely insightful teaching to the table.

As far as the cause of suffering goes, perhaps the whole process of 'becoming' - of ever seeking a future goal or state, and denying the divine reality that exists NOW.

I guess it's somewhat of a paradox. We grow in time, yet reality is beyond time. Or maybe we grow in the awareness and understanding of ourselves and of divine truth in time, so in time we come to know the timeless.

[sky]

From my experiences I find it's attachment to desire that causes suffering not desire alone. If you try to eliminate desire then you are desiring not to desire... Attachments are transient so we will always suffer loss which causes suffering, The only constant thing in our lives is change, we desire to control our lives and make them permanently fixed and when we realize it's impossible to go against the natural force of the universe then it causes suffering.
Desire all you want, but without the attachment

Easier said than done though, sometimes....

[davidsun]

Originally Posted by sky123

From my experiences I find it's attachment to desire that causes suffering not desire alone. If you try to eliminate desire then you are desiring not to desire... Attachments are transient so we will always suffer loss which causes suffering, The only constant thing in our lives is change, we desire to control our lives and make them permanently fixed and when we realize it's impossible to go against the natural force of the universe then it causes suffering.
Desire all you want, but without the attachment

Easier said than done though, sometimes....

Didn't know where to share this - because of its subtitle: "Lovers crave intensity, Buddhists say craving causes suffering. Is it possible to be deeply in love yet truly detached?" I thought might be a good place.

https://aeon.co/essays/does-buddhist...r-togetherness