Month: September 2010

Part Three: truth and Truth

Part One of this 3 part series was a look at the question: Do you suffer? using the First Noble Truth from Buddhism: Life is suffering, or dissatisfaction.  Part Two was an exploration of the question: Can suffering/dissatisfaction end completely?  Part Two and a Half had to be written, and it briefly addressed the idea that the end of suffering = the end of the mind, which is a highly problematic view, in my view.  (For more on that, please see ‘Sanity’ by James Wood.)

I don’t claim to know anything.  I’m happy to debate, respectfully.  What I offer in this blog is the understanding of The Teaching on freedom from suffering that I have arrived at by asking my primary Teacher lots of questions and studying my secondary Teachers.

That brings us to Part Three: truth and Truth.  It is useful to be able to discriminate between relative truth and Absolute Truth.

For example, if someone is thirsty and he asks me for water, I do not say, ‘oh, nah, you’re confused, ‘water’ is just a word.’  Yes, ‘water’ is just a word, in an Absolute sense, but it refers to something in the world of relative experience that can help the person who is thirsty.  I know what ‘water’ refers to.  I don’t know what it ultimately is.

This gets a bit trickier when we talk about ‘spiritual’ stuff.  ‘Truth’ is just a word, but it refers to something that helps.  Awake teachers encourage us to find and express what is true in our relative experience, (are you dissatisfied?) while pointing us to the Absolute Truth of freedom that is beyond what words can capture.

Absolute Truths are statements made from the perspective of awakened (enlightened) consciousness about the nature of Reality – statements like ‘Truth is all there is’ or ‘the world is an illusion’.  Liberated individuals speak like this because they are firmly planted in the awake state, out of the nightmare of dissatisfaction.  Absolute Truths are helpful because they lead us somewhere.  (The map is not the destination.)

True Teachers are able to switch between speaking from the perspective of Absolute Truth (it’s just a dream you’re having) and the perspective of relative truth (are you thirsty? would you like a glass of water?

Absolute Truths are used dishonestly quite often.

What I mean by that is – if I were to use statements of Absolute Truth it would be dishonest because I am not spiritually awake.

[I can say, honestly, that I have a strong intuition and I accept, intellectually, that the end of all dissatisfaction is possible.  I can repeat what True Teachers say or discuss my interpretation of what they say.]

When I am angry, for instance, that is the (relative) truth, in that moment.  It would be dishonest for me to react to the anger with an Absolute Truth like ‘Truth is what I am’ or ugh, ‘This anger is the truth.  I am already free’.

No. For me, anger is an (level of the nightmare) issue, so I employ relative truth.  I find the source of the anger – thoughts about what I want that I’m not getting, usually.

Then, I recall the Teaching – anger is fueled by attachment to ‘what I want’ and then, deeper, attachment to thoughts like ‘I shouldn’t feel angry.  I don’t want to feel angry now or ever again.’

Until judgment of What Is does not drive me, I’m not free and I cannot speak as if I am.

3 Part series summary:

  • It’s useful to notice if you are dissatisfied.
  • Dissatisfaction is unnecessary – it can end it, completely.
  • Absolute Truths are statements made from the perspective of Awakened consciousness and are sometimes mistakenly used to deny what is true in relative experience.

When a seeking mind finds what it seeks, it feels its reward.  This means that if you have a seeking spirit you want to find something other than your present level.  That very right sincere wish will lead you to the recognition of that higher state when it appears and presents itself to you.  Because there is a matching of your wish and the fulfillment of that wish, there is what we commonly call an inspiring feeling.  Just like when you’re thirsty and have a drink of water there’s a certain satisfaction there.  You wanted the water.  you had the water and there is the reward.  However, when you have this experience of feeling good when having met a truth, you also feel that it’s not enough.  Let’s go very carefully into this now because the point is enormous.”

from a talk given 6/22/1988    Vernon Howard’s Higher World – Volume 21, talk 507

Part Two and a half: respectful discussion

The mind, rational thought, language and words, in and of themselves, are not a problem.  The mind and words are helpful when used appropriately, with an understanding that the map is not the territory.

Attachment to the mind is a problem.

“As the heart pumps blood, the mind pumps thoughts.  They’re going to arise, the question is, what is your relationship to those thoughts?”  James Wood

We cannot conceptualize the Absolute, however, that does not mean we ought to stop attempting to clearly, honestly articulate our experience and what we understand about the teaching so far.

I really enjoy connecting with others who are interested in finding out what’s true.  However, if you have been following the comments here, you may have noticed that the discussion can get unnecessarily snarky, even insulting.

For me, debate has great value –  the ones who disagree with me help me get clear about what I am saying by calling me out on illogical or confusing formulations.  It’s great!  It helps me think from different angles.  I am not trained in formal debate, but I am aware that there are standards – i.e. it’s not ok to make a claim that you cannot (or refuse to) back up with evidence.

For example, telling a writer that she is ‘using her mind’ is a pretty vague and unclear assertion.  First, how can you know that I am (only) using my mind?  Why do you think that?  Where is your evidence?  What does it mean when you say I am ‘using my mind’?  What are you accusing me of?  What exactly is the problem?  And come on now, no thank you to insulting remarks.

There is a saying I like, ‘the truth is no respecter of persons’.  I don’t do the ‘it’s all good’ thing very well and I won’t congratulate you for being confusing.  I like clear, direct communication (even though I am not always good at it).  I am writing to share my experience of what it is like to study directly with a True Teacher.  And I am here because I am very interested in how you live and understand the teaching on freedom from suffering.

If you say something that doesn’t make sense to me, I will ask for clarification.  I may ask a question about something that is very obvious to you.  I am not the sharpest person around.  You may have to repeat yourself or say it a different way.

If I ask a question or call you out on something, please know I am sincerely trying to understand (with all my faculties) what you are saying and why.   And if you do not give clarification, or still do not make sense, I won’t agree with you.

Recently, I asked a question on another blog and my question was deleted.  I don’t know what happened with that, it could have been a technical glitch, but if the writer deleted my question because he didn’t want to  explain what he was saying, I am not impressed.  It strikes me as unethical to put out information (or opinion), especially in this venue, if you are not willing to answer to questions about it.

For this blog, I assure you, I want to know if you don’t understand what I write.  I will respond to you to the best of my ability (and we still may not understand each other, and that’s ok).

I do not claim to have all the answers and I am more than happy to hash it out, respectfully.  I am willing to be wrong about anything I say.  What I offer here is the understanding I have come to by way of asking my primary teacher lots of questions and studying other teachers’ expressions of the teaching on freedom from suffering.

Part Two: Can suffering end completely?

The last post was about the First Noble Truth in Buddhism: life is suffering.  ‘Suffering’ is the commonly used English translation of the Sanskrit word dukkha.  I agree with Triangulations blogger that dukkha is more accurately translated as ‘unsatisfactoriness’ or ‘dissatisfaction’.

In my experience, dissatisfaction occurs when I attach to the thought, ‘this shouldn’t be happening’ in reaction to whatever is happening.

Can suffering end completely?  Here is what I have learned about that:

While I don’t claim to know anything, I offer a synthesis of what I  have learned from personal conversations with my teacher, and from studying other sources I trust.

When an individual becomes fully awakened spiritually, that individual stops generating dissatisfaction for him/herself.  Awakening means there is no attachment to ‘I, me and my story’, and dissatisfaction stops.  Completely.

That does not mean that suffering stops for other people.  There are terrible, horrible abuses and injustices happening in the world all the time.  The awake person is not blind to the suffering of others or immune to physical pain.  The awake person is simply not contributing to the incessant noise of dissatisfaction, and therefore is able to help other people who are still dissatisfied.

True awakening, true and complete freedom from dissatisfaction, is extremely rare.  The end of dissatisfaction is possible, but if it ends for you, chances are, it will continue for others, so in that sense, it is not over.

The awake person lives for the purpose of helping people who want to wake up.  In order to relate to others, depending on the context, the awake person may seem to be very ‘normal’ or very ‘eccentric/otherworldly’.

Finding a True Teacher can be the end of seeking and the beginning of the end of dissatisfaction if you allow yourself to be guided.

Part One: Do you suffer?

Hello Dear Readers,

In order to follow up on the discussion from the last post on truth, I will be posting a three-part series over the next week or so.   Thank you for being here.  Your comments are very welcome!

Suffering, truth and Truth:  Three Part Series

Part one:  Do you suffer?

One of the purposes of this blog is to connect with others who are interested in freedom from suffering and so it’s important to get clear about what we mean by suffering.

If you are thinking, ‘What is she going on about suffering for?  I’m not suffering.  Life is good,’  I’m not going to attempt to convince you that you are suffering.  Although I do see great value in paying attention to whether or not you are.

Buddhism is based on Gautama’s enlightenment, his awakening to freedom from suffering.  From the Buddha, we have the Four Noble Truths:

  • Life is suffering
  • The origin of suffering is attachment
  • The cessation of suffering is attainable
  • The path to the cessation of suffering

When I first heard the Four Noble Truths, I felt very strongly that I had found a spiritual home.  At the same time, I also thought – I cannot be suffering when there are people in the world being tortured, starving, homeless,  sick, etc.  I wouldn’t dare say I was suffering when I contemplated the suffering of those less fortunate than myself.

But I wanted to check out the First Noble Truth.  I asked myself, is it true, life is suffering?  For me?  What does it mean to suffer?  The Buddha pointed out sickness, death, loss and poverty as kinds of suffering that we humans will typically face in a lifetime.  I located suffering in myself in the form of stress, anxiety, fear, dissatisfaction and just plain old excruciating existential pain.

Perhaps it sounds gutsy or self-centered to claim suffering, given that I live in one of the most affluent countries in the world, given that I enjoy good health, access to education and good relationships.  The view that life is suffering does not mean that I don’t feel extremely grateful my situation.  I do notice the sunset is beautiful.  And I don’t go around gloomy and brooding and upset all the time.

So why would focusing on suffering be useful?  Why not just be happy and focus on the good stuff?

In order to do something about suffering in the world at large, I have to start with how I am participating in it.  It’s really important to note that the cause of suffering that I experience has the same cause as the extreme suffering experienced by others.  The cause is (Second Noble Truth) attachment to ‘I, me and mine’, a pervading sense of ‘I don’t like this’.  (I wrote about this in a prior post, and will probably write more about it in future)

Accepting the First Noble Truth reminds me of the idea that you don’t have to hit bottom before you can start to do something about your situation.  You can see the long term trajectory of your particular brand of suffering, and raise the bottom to meet you by cultivating a heightened awareness of it, even if you don’t experience hunger, violence or physical limitations.

Please stay tuned for the next post on why we do not stop at ‘life is suffering’, and the importance of recognizing the difference between relative and absolute truth.