Comments on: Aging and Suffering

By: Dana S. Leslie

Dana S. Leslie — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 01:52:39 +0000

“I understand impermanence and I understand attachment. But this just plain scares the hell out of me. As a Buddhist I know what I am supposed to think,
but in reality it is not working.”

Upon re-reading these lines, I have an additional thought.

As a previous commenter indicated, you have simply been forcefully confronted with the inescapable an *irremediable* dukkha of existence. Your problem is that you are trying to *solve* dukkha, by falling back upon what you know that, as a Buddhist, you are supposed to *think*. But dukkha CANNOT be solve. What it calls for is NOT thought, but compassionate action.

By: Dana S. Leslie

Dana S. Leslie — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 21:40:48 +0000

“How can we make sense of people who wish they were never
born?”

Buddhism calls this Attachment to Non-Existence. It is as much an attachment, needing to be overcome, as is Attachment to Existence.

By: Dana S. Leslie

Dana S. Leslie — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 21:27:37 +0000

As I understand Buddhism, it teaches that birth, aging, disease, old age, death, and rebirth are inescapable concomitants of samsara. But none of these states (any more than any other state) is the source of our suffering. Our suffering arises from our attachment (or aversion) to them. Whether there is, beyond samsara, upon the Other Shore, anything eternal, or any ultimate purpose to our trials and tribulations, is a question the Buddha seems to have consigned to The Great Silence (although I am inclined to answer it with a definite “NO”).

Practice your dharma; work to overcome your own attachments, aversions, and ignorance; and act compassionately toward ALL beings. This is ALL one can do, and, if it is not enough, trust that there is nowhere else to turn, saved to more of the same.

By: Jami

Jami — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 19:22:58 +0000

A view, shared by German existentialist, is that death is not a ‘fact’ of Being (dasein). Our death is not our own; it is, a fact for others. But this non-existence, soothed by beliefs of eternal bliss (heaven, Nivana etc), terrifies.

Yet I have heard people say, in moments of doubt, moments of frustration, “I wish I was not born!” How can we make sense of people who wish they were never born?

By: Jeffrey Smith

Jeffrey Smith — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 16:29:11 +0000

‘kay, pain is unavoidable. I died. If it was in my control, would’ve passed on, in place of any of my passengers. But, as our devotion to television often leads us to do, that is just a dream.
Once my thoughts did clear away a lot of the mind fog brought on by medication (my particular situation. For most, the medication does help.), meditation was again achievable. A little less than a year ago, this 12 yearself applied torment on my brain came to an end. Late night meditation brought my spirit to the railway between life and death. Both lost souls stood on one side, I on the other.
They were still held back due to some person(s) being unwilling to let their spirits rest. They did assure I that I was not the action which did deliver unpleasent results, I was the reaction.
Point I’m heading for is, whether true or not true, those images did reunite this wanderer with chi. It happens because it’s meant to. One can either look at itty-bitty blemishes through a microscope or step back and enjoy the view.

By: ZenYen

ZenYen — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 04:35:03 +0000

It’s perhaps cliche, but it’s a good reminder to live each moment as though it is the last, and to treat each being as though you may never see them again.

By: twoflowers

twoflowers — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 20:23:24 +0000

I’d suggest this is an opportunity to practice compassion, both toward your friends and towards yourself. You’re dealing with the suffering that is at the core of being human. That’s kind of what we’re all dealing with, you just got a bigger helping all at once than most folks deserve.

Namaste

By: Timothy Hilgenberg

Timothy Hilgenberg — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 17:19:22 +0000

Be grateful to have had the opportunity to reconnect with your friends before they went the way of all things and beings. Be grateful you don’t share their fate… let their fate remind you to enjoy your life today. Imagine how sad you would have been had you found out about them AFTER it was too late!

Namaste my friend

By: christa

christa — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 15:38:28 +0000

Like the questioner, I am at the age where I am directly connected to friends and family dealing with debilitating diseases and death. It is scary. What helps alleviate my fear are two beliefs. First, we are eternal Spirits, and everything we experience in this physical manifestation is but a blink in that eternity. Second, everything we experience in this physical manifestation has a purpose and was planned by us for our spiritual growth. I’ve read a couple of dozen Buddhist texts over the past four or five years, and personally have not found Buddhism to address these issues satisfactorily. There are other spriritual writings that address these issues more directly. I would encourage the questioner to seek them out. He may find some relief from his fear.