Buddhism

Dukka

from JoeUser Forums
Dukka… it is correctly defined in Buddhism as “Suffering, ill, the unsatisfactory nature and general insecurity of all conditioned phenomena.”

Dukka is everywhere, from the minimum to the maximum. But, Dukka and every other form of suffering or discomfort we have is all a mental state. You are happy, only if you want to be happy. You are angry, only when you want to be angry…

Your body nor external influences control you, but your mind does. Your mind tells you whatever feeling you are having…. And yet, you have to control your mind to fight those feelings. You create everything that happens to you, nobody else. It is how you interpret a situation that will determine the emotion you acquire from it.

To overcome and defeat Dukka, you must not fight it, ignore it, or run away from it… but accept it. If you regard Dukka as a calamity, you will not have mind capacity to trust yourself, let alone anyone around you. The moment you accept Dukka as a part of life is the moment you will be in harmony with yourself and everything around you.


Again, some more from the wise Buddha
Sam
religion
1,768 views 7 replies
Reply #1 from JoeUser Forums Top
Hmm, I've got to look into this stuff...

~Zoo
Reply #2 from JoeUser Forums Top
Great article, Sam. I think Buddha was a pretty smart guy. I just noticed that the AC Guild blogs are often funnier, better written and a heck of a lot less nasty than the old folks' blogs. You young men & women are a lot more mature than many of the adults here!
Galactic Civilizations III
Reply #3 from JoeUser Forums Top
Well thank you. That means a lot to me.... and hopefully everyone else.

Sam
Reply #4 from JoeUser Forums Top
I just noticed that the AC Guild blogs are often funnier, better written and a heck of a lot less nasty than the old folks' blogs.


Well, thanks...but I think it depends on which of our blogs you're reading...

~Zoo
Reply #5 from JoeUser Forums Top

morethanme, I like this post. There's a lot of good wisdom in Buddhism. It's no surprise that Buddhism is on the increase in the West.

But, Dukka and every other form of suffering or discomfort we have is all a mental state. You are happy, only if you want to be happy. You are angry, only when you want to be angry . . . Your mind tells you whatever feeling you are having.


That's true, but I think it's more a case of growth, rather than purely mental attitudes. For example, take the average Joe off the street, who might have just begun practising Buddhism. If he were to face a trauma in life (let's say he lost a hand in an accident), I'm sure his natural feelings would get the better of him, and he would probably panic and feel despair and fear - regardless of how much he wanted to practice the principle that "you are happy only if you want to be happy". A Buddhist master, on the other hand, would probably be able to remain completely at peace, even in the face of severe calamity.

This principle applies to any human being. I'm a Christian, and I personally strive to achieve inner peace and acceptance, regardless of my outer conditions. I believe that it's by the power of the Lord Jesus that I am able to find the inner strength to do so. (I personally believe that Buddhists are in touch with the spiritual riches of the "Real Vine" - whether they recognise it as Christ or not). There's only One, I'm sure.

Peace
Reply #6 from JoeUser Forums Top

You've got it sort of right, sweetie.


Dukkha, or suffering, comes from attachment and desire.  That's where the problems start..the rest of the emotions just follow that.


You got the running away part right.  When we run from dukkha, we tend to try and satisfy it by having more, needing and wanting more...which only feeds the dukkha.  You have to sit with it, embrace it, recognize and name it.  Meditate about it, accept it for what it is....and let it go. 


If you ever want to talk about the Dharma (not me, but the Buddhist path), let me know.  I've been a practicing Buddhist for years...and I have a ton of recommended reading lists for you!


may you be well, and happy.

Reply #7 from JoeUser Forums Top
A Buddhist master, on the other hand . . .
(did you see what I did there?)


Dharma, what are your views on the soul? Buddhists believe in re-incarnation, (and I do too), but many Buddhists don't seem to believe in an individual soul. What part of us re-incarnates through the cycles of life? The soul to me is a conscious individualisation of 'the Infinite'.

(Sorry to bring up Christ in that last post, but that's the fundie coming out of me. I'm sure I've been an annoying fundie in a past life. Maybe some people still think I am! )