Buddhist Belief — What Is Bugging Us?
“I teach that the multitudinousness of objects have no reality in themselves but are only seen of the mind and, therefore, are of the nature of maya and a dream. …It is true that in one sense they are seen and discriminated by the senses as individualized objects; but in another sense, because of the absence of any characteristic marks of self-nature, they are not seen but are only imagined. In one sense they are graspable, but in another sense, they are not graspable.”~~~ Buddha
One of the mental pictures I used in the last couple of articles about the Second Noble Truth of Buddhist Belief is the picture of how our incessant searching for some sort of gratification is like drinking salt water. The more we drink, the more we seem to need and want. Our thirst never gets quenched. We’ve learned that the Second Noble Truth is about our craving for things, clinging to those things that will eventually either dissipate or fall apart.
The question to ask ourselves is, “What’s really bugging us?”
At times, it seems as though everything is bugging us. Most everything is less than satisfying. Why is that? What IS our problem, anyway?
You know what it is? It’s exactly what the Buddha said it was. It’s the craving; it’s the clinging; it’s the holding on to stuff that won’t last; it’s the hanging on to the things in our life which we know are impermanent or over which we have no control; it’s identifying ourselves with things we know are not true — such things as the illusion of who we are — which is nothing more than a fabrication our own mind made up. It’s our constant resistance to accept things as they are.
What about our image of ourselves? How much is reality? I may think of myself as Ron — an American — a man — a writer — a lover of peace. But is that all I am? Will that persona last forever? Am I not much more than that in a universal sense? Doesn’t this mind-made concept of who I am limit my true possibilities?
I know, what’s my point here? This is confusing, I know. It is for me as well, but I keep working on it. In plain language I’m trying to make the point that what we think we are — what we have identified with as our image, is a hoax. Totally a hoax. What do you think? Is that statement bold enough for you? Sure, we all have to function in this world. We need to have some sort of mask to present to others. What Buddha is saying here, is that we don’t need to be so completely identified with this idea of who we are. We’re invested in this image of ourselves. To go a step further, we’ve become deceived by it. We don’t have to be this image — that’s what freedom is all about. You don’t have to be stuck with who you think you are.
You inherited your genetic makeup from your parents, but there’s no rule saying you have to identify with it. Maybe your parents weren’t very healthy. Does that mean you can’t be healthy? We can be responsible for ourselves in every way, physically and spiritually. I know the parents who raised me have no resemblance to who I am today. We are able to be something other than what people told us we could be.
One of the reasons why we’re so attached to who we think we are is because it’s familiar, it’s what we know. It’s our security blanket. We also seem to need others to hang our hopes on. The children like to idolize Santa Claus. Adults might pick idols like Mother Teresa, Martin Luther King, Jr, or the Dalai Lama. In some parts of the world it may be other avatars. What happens when we do this is we eventually become disappointed because, like everything else, these ideals aren’t permanent. They are not forever. They too will eventually fade. What will last is the essence of who you are — the purity of heart which doesn’t need anything to cling to because it is complete unto itself.
So, the Second Noble Truth of Buddhist Belief is that the cause of the dissatisfaction taught in the First Noble Truth, is clinging and craving.
The Third Noble Truth which we’ll discuss in our next articles, is the dissolution of craving and clinging. It’s the great “letting go”. It’s the openness and purity of who we truly are which doesn’t need anything any longer. It’s the place where we can rest our weary minds and finally be at ease. And, to be clear to many who learn about Buddhist Belief from other sources, you don’t have to die to let this happen.
Soon thereafter, we’ll discuss the Fourth Noble Truth. That’s the one I call the “biggie”. Here, Buddha gives us the keys to release from suffering, which is called the Eightfold Path. These are the eight principle of enlightened living. They show us how we can truly be free. They show us the real hope in the teachings of Buddhist Belief. Here we will learn that nothing is hopeless. We’ll discover that everything is always changing and not exactly as we think it is. Even ourselves – yes — even we are a work in progress. Sure, we have to do some work to bring this to us, but it is the true work.
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One of the aspects of this blog has been showing you a short video on the subject of Buddhist Belief. This one a little over four minutes long and shows Linhai, the founder of Sacred Journeys speaking about the Four Noble Truths. If, for some reason, the video doesn’t play when you press the play button, here’s a link to take you directly to it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HxYoWfzdgkI
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Always remember this wonderful quote from Buddha ….
“You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.”~~~ Buddha
Shanti everyone, … (A sanscrit word meaning, “Let there be Peace. Peace, beautiful Peace. Peace within, Peace without. Peace in this world. Peace for all beings.”)
“Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without.”~~~ Buddha
Have a peaceful day!! —
Ron Rink
http://www.theleaderinside.com
http://www.wecould2.com
http://www.buddhistbelief.com
Tags: Buddha, Buddhism, Buddhist, Buddhist Belief, First Noble Truth, Four Noble Truths, inner peace, Peace, Second Noble Truth
September 12th, 2008 at 4:16 pm
There is a huge sense of peace washing over me as I read your words.
We have so many ways of identifying ourselves – as a wife, mother, associate, acquaintance, friend – but at the end of the day they are just words.
I am someone who clings! I have struggled with a transition but following your posts has been strengthening in a way you perhaps can’t imagine!
Thank you
September 13th, 2008 at 12:19 pm
@Dee Harrison — What a beautiful thing to say. If you feel a sense of peace, then I’m succeeding in my goals.
September 20th, 2008 at 2:49 pm
It is I that has painted a picture of myself which restricts me from being, obtaining, acheiving, more… But, it is also I that has imposed upon myself the need of wanting more. Should I be content with what i have? Should i not chase my dream?… or should I allow my dream to come to me? Do i really need to let go of my craving? Will i be truly content by letting go? Awaiting your next instalment with much anticipation.
Despite my questions, Your post injects me with hope. I see clouds starting to drift and what was once silver lining about to reveal a glaring sun.
September 20th, 2008 at 10:15 pm
A quote from Albert Markovski, played aptly by Jason Schwartzman in the movie “I Heart Huckabees: “If the forms of this world die, which is more real, the me that dies or the me that’s infinite?”
An answer to this question is one of the ultimate cravings of humankind, and we crave it all the more for its elusiveness.
I think what’s really bugging us is the reality of our own impermanence. We crave a permanent place in the history of our world, and yet so few of us feel that we have attained it (when in fact we are attaining it with every action and word, which affect all beings in the web of interconnectedness — and in the same moment, we are still impermanent). What we are craving is for someone, anyone, to tell us that we are indeed as significant as we think we are.
That’s my two cents.
September 21st, 2008 at 1:35 pm
@Ish — It’s my plan to write another post today. I’ll get to work on it momentarily. Several of your questions I hope to answer in coming posts. I would like to comment on one of them, though — “Should I not chase my dream?”
When you are on a journey, such as a journey to reach a goal or a dream, it is certainly helpful to know where you are going, or at least the general direction to move in order to reach your goal or achieve your dream.
But don’t forget, the only thing that is ultimately REAL about your journey is the step you are taking at this moment. That is all there ever is.
In life’s journey, you have an outer purpose and an inner purpose. Your outer purpose is to arrive at your goal or realize your dream. If the “chase” after the dream — the reaching into the future goal — become more important then the step you are taking in this moment, then you are missing your inner purpose, which has nothing to do with WHERE you are going, or WHAT you are doing, but has everything to do with HOW you get there. It isn’t the DOING that’s important –it’s the BEING.
Your outer journey (your chase), may contain a million steps; your inner journey has only one step — the step you are taking now. It is all there is at any given moment.
Peace….
December 29th, 2008 at 7:47 am
Talk about clining and craving! I am a recovering alcoholic (27 yrs.) but am still addicted to nicotine. I’ve been saying, I’m just not ready” for years. I know it’s possible to stop, but somehow I defeat myself. Help!
Mitzi
December 29th, 2008 at 11:23 am
Mitzi — There aren’t many things I can say I know how you feel– but addictions — been there — done that — got the torn t-shirt as proof. The smoking, nicotine addiction is one of the hardest to beat. I became a smoker when I was only 9 years old. It wasn’t until 1983, some 40 years later, that I finally quit.
The sad thing is I didn’t quit soon enough — the damage was done. Today I have to be on oxygen at night and whenever I exert myself. In a week or so I have to do an open lung biopsy because my ability to breathe is getting worse and worse and we need to see what else is going on my lungs.
All I can say is just quit! There are so many helps now to assist you in making it happen. Be sure you meditate every day for a long as you feel you can. Rather than make excuses to yourself, remember the only person you’re kidding, and hurting, is yourself. Smoking will ruin your lungs — I am a walking testimony of that fact.
Just keep meditating — perhaps a good mantra for you to use while you meditate (and throughout every day) is “Yes, I Can!!”
I know it can be done — thousands of people are doing it every day. The first week is the hardest, and then it gets progressively easier every day after that.
No more excuses — Just do it — please!
Be well — be in peace,
Ron Rink