A look at suffering - Part 2
- leilak73
- Jan 15, 2015
- 3 min read
A look at suffering - Part 2
So what exactly is suffering? About 1500-2000 years ago, a guy by the name of Patanjali put together the Yoga Sutras: a compilation of 196 short sayings. It is a guide to yoga - all the yogic stuff that happens off (and on) the mat. Fret not, we will only touch briefly on the sutras today. Yogic philosophy can be quite a lot to take in, even if you are really fired up about learning it.
However, the sutras are as relevant today as they were back then. They apply to each and every one of us. According to the sutras (and ancient yogis and Buddhists), there are five universal causes of suffering (the kleshas): Ignorance of the true self and confusing reality with misperception (avidya). We believe the temporary to be eternal, the impure to be pure and pleasure to be painful – which is also the cause of the following four causes; identification with the ego (asmita), attachment to pleasurable experiences (raga), aversion of unpleasant experiences (dvesha) and fear of death (abhinivesha). The kleshas are not only the causes of suffering but also bind us in an endless cycle.
By forgetting who we really are deep down, by losing sight of that wonderful, beautiful peace that resides in each of us, we open the window for suffering. We attach our sense of self to our ego; to what we are or where we are in our lives. Whether that is a name, a qualification, a job title, being a family member, a member of the community, or even where we live, we become attached to that perception. The perception can also be internal; I am a good/bad person. When that perception is questioned, we fear losing our sense of self.
We become attached to things that bring us pleasure; material objects, holidays, people, relationships, food, drugs, art, music. When things don't go according to plan, or we lose the object or a relationship ends, we suffer. When we do get what we want, it is not enough to satisfy the desire, and we want more.
We are not happy until we get more.. and so the cycle continues. We dislike unpleasant experiences; events, situations, emotions, people, music, food, drugs. We go to all sorts of extremes to avoid it, even causing pain and suffering to others in order to satisfy the intense desire to avoid something unpleasant. Even thinking about something unpleasant causes us to suffer.
We fear dying. It is a deeply ingrained fear. Even those seeking enlightenment for the duration of their lives have trouble with resolving this fear. When someone dies, as we are reminded of our own death. It's out there, waiting to happen. We will try to do anything to avoid it, to continue to cling to life. We fear the loss of all that we have done and made whilst we've lived.
How then to break the endless cycle and end the suffering? By asking ourselves what is really causing us suffering (why we are angry/hurt/upset), we are able to figure out what the issue is. We can choose to wallow in our suffering, or we can choose to understand our suffering.
Acknowledging our suffering is the first step.
Comentarios