Articles from Tergar Meditation Community | September 2022
Why Do We Suffer?
The very title of this article might make you want to, figuratively speaking, skip to the sports section or the funny pages. However, not only is it wise to consider the Buddhist view of suffering, it’s actually quite heartening. In popular imagination, Buddhism is often seen as equating life with suffering, but that’s not really accurate. In fact, Buddhism sees a lot of suffering as completely avoidable.
Q: What’s another word for the desire to be happy? A: Love. And since you probably aced that test question, you’ll recall that the desire to be free from suffering is also known as compassion. And, since you’ve been paying attention, by now you likely understand that every time you stand in front of the open fridge trying to decide what you want, you’re seeking happiness. As for the desire to be free from suffering, to protect yourself from pain and harm, that’s equally omnipresent.
The Difficulty of Practicing Love and Compassion for Yourself
Doing love and compassion meditation for somebody you love, or maybe a cherished pet? Easy-peasy-lemon-squeezy! Practicing love and compassion for someone you’re not crazy about? You might find that a bit more challenging. But if you find it especially tough to use yourself as the subject for love and compassion meditation, you’re not alone
No comments:
Post a Comment