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 We will now learn that furthermore, as the Buddha tells us, it is our attachment to this illusion that prevents us from escaping the birth-death cycle that holds us within this false world.

When the Buddha came along and uttered his Four Noble Truths, Hindu thought had evolved to a point similar to the tale of the Pharisees and Sadducees told in the Bible.  Always arguing about dogma…little tittles of unimportant characteristics such as whether there were five layers or six on the onion analogy they used to describe the universe.  The Buddha was more concerned with a pragmatic escape from the misery of life.  As a prince (by the way, he is not a god and Buddhism is not a religion, as it mentions no deity), he was always saddened by the misfortunes of those he saw on his trips outside the palace, and therefore wondered what could be done about it.  He tried asceticism and many other teachings of the time to obtain enlightenment without results.  One day, sitting under a bodhi tree, it struck him, and the following Four Noble Truths were revealed.

These Truths consisted of the truth about suffering, the truth of the cause of suffering, the truth of the end of suffering, and the truth of the path that leads to the end of suffering.  In other words, suffering exists; it has a cause; it has an end; and there is a means to bring about its end.

1) Suffering, defined here as the incapability of being satisfied, is an innate characteristic of existence in the realm of illusion (samsara).  It is because we identify with a false sense of self and reality that we do not see the real picture.

2) The cause of this suffering is our cravings, desires, and attachments.  We desire things we do not have, and then, even if they are obtained, we then fear losing them.  Or we suffer because we DO eventually lose them.  Nothing in this physical world is changeless.

3) This suffering can therefore be ended by letting go of these attachments.

4) The eightfold path is the means to eliminate these attachments.  The eightfold path consists of eight practices: right view, right resolve, right speech, right conduct, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right samadhi (meditative absorption or union)

Does the desire to move on from the birth-death cycle mean we should detest life??  Absolutely not: it is a gift to be enjoyed!!

Radhakrishna likens it to putting your boat into the water without letting any of the water into your boat.  Great analogy!!  This concept often seems foreign to the western mind, but the eastern one can understand how dualities may be merged into a whole with proper analysis.  Remember Billy Jack??  When asked why he put so much effort and passion into everyday life, he stated that he had a spiritual guide that reminded him life was short and he should pack everything in that he could - while on the other hand it also told him that in the end nothing would really matter.  This is the frame of mind one must attempt to realize.  Give your all, but don't become attached to whatever you are doing.  One technique for that is called "the witness", where one pictures themselves standing above their body and simply observing its actions.  The idiot that just cut me off in traffic doesn't tend to anger me as much that way!!

precede the above with more info on the impact of attachment from Karma Yoga and Seat Of The Soul, unless that is covered already under Bhagavad Gita

Spiritual Heritage Of India

pessimism p19, p174
jainism starts on p155 (mention only briefly)
buddhism p168

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This page was last updated on February 12, 2023

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