JDave Posted January 25, 2012 Posted January 25, 2012 This is one of those areas of life where we need to balance things and we could go too far in multiple directions. We could convince ourselves that we have total control over our emotional responses to events and fret and worry if we feel angry towards somebody. We could stress out about how we aren't enjoying every moment of parenting. We could put on a 'happy face' even when we are feeling miserable -- because we certainly can't let others know we feel anything other than grateful joy. We could be unable to forgive ourselves of sins we truly have repented of because we still feel temptation.In another direction we could focus on how pain and suffering is inevitable so we just have to live with it. We could embrace the pain and convince ourselves that it is how we are supposed to feel. We could focus on the negative in everything; knowing that it will be there makes it really easy to find (illusory or not). We could even develop a certain pride in our suffering, since being persecuted or being a martyr is a pious burden to be given.Or we could convince ourselves that we know what the proper middle ground is and preach that everyone should follow that path. (I was actually trying to figure out how to describe what the proper middle ground was for this post. Oh, the irony. Although much could be appropriately said on the subject, I don't think it can be distilled to a paragraph of "This is how it should be!")This is one of those very personal areas where people have their own unique tolerance to suffering, their own reactions, their own coping mechanisms. What is appropriate for us may not be appropriate for someone else. While it fun to discuss the philosophy and theology, it is a tricky area to discuss what people should or should not feel. 1
Ron Beron Posted January 26, 2012 Posted January 26, 2012 The fundamental and obvious flaw in Buddhism. It seeks happiness through ending desire but obviously one must desire happiness to bother with the truths in the first place and abrogating the desire for happiness ends the path.On a more practical matter if given the option of ending pain by giving up desire I would refuse the option.In the words of Angel:"Passion. It lies in all of us. Sleeping... ...waiting... And though unwanted... ...unbidden... it will stir...open its jaws, and howl. It speaks to us... guides us... Passion rules us all. And we obey. What other choice do we have?Passion is the source of our finest moments. The joy of love... the clarity of hatred... and the ecstasy of grief. It hurts sometimes more than we can bear. If we could live without passion, maybe we'd know some kind of peace. But we would be hollow. Empty rooms, shuttered and dank... Without passion, we'd be truly dead."There is also a terrible contradiction with the concept of karma. Karma, like dust, settles on everyone and upon rebirth is supposed to be negated yet it really isn't. 1
Ron Beron Posted January 26, 2012 Posted January 26, 2012 Actually they are aware of that apparent paradox, and the "solution" is not expressible in language. That is what koans are for.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K%C5%8DanWell, that deserves a big, one handed, clap. 1
The Nehor Posted January 26, 2012 Posted January 26, 2012 Actually they are aware of that apparent paradox, and the "solution" is not expressible in language. That is what koans are for.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K%C5%8DanKoans are fun to mess with but I have never found them to be more profound then the average high school student trying to be 'deep'. I certainly don't think they provide a workaround to the paradox.
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