I'm currently enrolled in a Coursera class about "Buddhism and Modern Psychology" where I had to write an essay for the midterm exam, answering one of few questions. Here is my essay. I'd love to hear your point of view.
The Buddha offers a specific diagnosis of the suffering that is part of human existence. Explain the Buddha's diagnosis. Does this diagnosis ring true to you, or has the Buddha ignored some aspect of human life, or made some other mistake?
The Buddha’s diagnosis of human suffering shows the concept of humans clinging to pleasure, and with that, creating a world of suffering, referred by the word DUHKHA. Buddha explains that any time we are seeking pleasure, we not only become dependent of the eagerness to find it, in an increasing necessity, but we also create a universe of suffering, since pleasure is impermanent and fleeting in our human essence.Even while experiencing pleasure, we are already suffering from the thought that it will end.Buddha suggests that the way to become enlightened and achieve Nirvana is to avoid grasping to any pleasure, any source of satisfaction that would create anxiety in seeking to make it permanent.
Coming from a different spiritual background and studying dogmatic religions, as well as spiritual concepts and physical laws, I have just a slight grasp on what Buddha is referring to.
1. For our modern life, the best “translation” of the diagnosis of the suffering, in my opinion, would be that we don't live in the moment. We tend to not even understand what the moment is, concentrating all of our energy on preparing for the next second, or regretting the minutes passed. We spend our entire lives looking for the best way to prepare the now so we can have a better “later on”, while the later on is always one step ahead, therefore, we are always depriving ourselves of a real life.
2. We also have a genetic disposition to gather, either supplies or societal links, in which makes us possessive of things and relationships. We spend most of our time strategizing to keep them in place, creating the circumstance for our endurance as a species.
Seeking enlightenment seems to inflict a constant battle between our physical nature and our spiritual being.I believe that the decision to seek enlightenment or be Buddha-like is already putting you in a position where you invite Duhkha into your life. In seeking it, you start to suffer from the set backs along the way and cling to the notion of what it would be like when achieving it.
Maybe the message he wanted to pass was more of “let it go”, or, "observe what comes to you" instead of absorbing what comes to you.
The Buddha’s diagnosis of human suffering shows the concept of humans clinging to pleasure, and with that, creating a world of suffering, referred by the word DUHKHA. Buddha explains that any time we are seeking pleasure, we not only become dependent of the eagerness to find it, in an increasing necessity, but we also create a universe of suffering, since pleasure is impermanent and fleeting in our human essence.Even while experiencing pleasure, we are already suffering from the thought that it will end.Buddha suggests that the way to become enlightened and achieve Nirvana is to avoid grasping to any pleasure, any source of satisfaction that would create anxiety in seeking to make it permanent.
Coming from a different spiritual background and studying dogmatic religions, as well as spiritual concepts and physical laws, I have just a slight grasp on what Buddha is referring to.
1. For our modern life, the best “translation” of the diagnosis of the suffering, in my opinion, would be that we don't live in the moment. We tend to not even understand what the moment is, concentrating all of our energy on preparing for the next second, or regretting the minutes passed. We spend our entire lives looking for the best way to prepare the now so we can have a better “later on”, while the later on is always one step ahead, therefore, we are always depriving ourselves of a real life.
2. We also have a genetic disposition to gather, either supplies or societal links, in which makes us possessive of things and relationships. We spend most of our time strategizing to keep them in place, creating the circumstance for our endurance as a species.
Seeking enlightenment seems to inflict a constant battle between our physical nature and our spiritual being.I believe that the decision to seek enlightenment or be Buddha-like is already putting you in a position where you invite Duhkha into your life. In seeking it, you start to suffer from the set backs along the way and cling to the notion of what it would be like when achieving it.
Maybe the message he wanted to pass was more of “let it go”, or, "observe what comes to you" instead of absorbing what comes to you.
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