Monday, August 15, 2011
Desire as the Source of Suffering
You might enjoy reading a book by psychotherapist counselor Sheldon Kopp entitled "If You Meet The Buddha On the Road, Kill Him." I recounts ten or so clients and their problems. The strange title comes from an old Zen master saying that basically means you should not venerate the idea of Buddha in an idolatrous fashion and become preoccupied with it but rather you should live your daily life (e.g. Have you had your breakfast? Then wash your bowl! - to some novice's question about Buddha-nature.) The Mahayana (Great Vehicle) Buddhist say that Samsara is that river of 10,001 things (that bug us) and the Buddhist teachings are a vehicle (think canoe) to cross that river of Samsara and reach the other side (Nirvana, Nibbana which is an ancient Pali word meaning to extinguish or snuff out like a candle). Desire is the source of all suffering. We suffer because we desire things we don't have (sports car, cool spouse) and we have things we do not desire (mean boss, cancer.) And even the DESIRE for moksha/enlightenment/liberation/salvation ; that very desire is itself an IMPEDIMENT to reaching enlightenment. Just as the holier we become, the greater the danger that we become proud because of our achievements. Its like a champion golfer who gets so caught up that he can no longer perform. There will be a quiz on Tuesday.
