What would make life worth enduring all the suffering?
Would the nothingness of death be preferable to a life of suffering?
2007-04-14 06:40:01 · 5 answers · asked by Subconsciousless 7 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
There's no such thing as 'nothingness of death' in the Buddhist teachings. In fact, the Buddha was against this view as similar to the teachings of nihilism. Buddhists are not nihilistic.
The first noble truth is taught in order for us to see the following things:
The Impermanence of our state of being, the psychophysical phenomenas, being as it is, constantly changing and ever evolving. It also helps us to understand the nature of our minds, which are suffering from our defilements such as greed, anger, fear, delusion and ignorance,etc.
The state of our very being as-it-is, that it is not created. You must understand the first explanation at least to grasp this one. It is not to question the existence of God, but to realise for oneself about the true nature of existence itself.
The state of being has no soul, which you must understand the first and second explanation here too. It reflects on the very being of our existence as-it-is, which is an ever changing, union of mind and matter.
The reason for living and continuing to live is in order to cure suffering. This is why as for Buddhists, what matters most is about being alive, not dead. All our consciousness and experiences in this body shows the three characteristics of Dukkha (Suffering), Anicca (Impermanence) and Anatta (No-self). When a person sees these three characteristics, he/she sees the truth with his/her own very eyes. This is not the physical eye that we talk about. Its the 'eye' of wisdom, which means a person is able to comprehend better in the truth or the 'universal law', which the Buddha had showed to us.
The purpose of living is in order for us to realise Nirvana/Nibbana here and now, since it is only attainable in our very state as a human being, and not in other planes of existence (say, as a divine being, ghosts, etc.) and that's why for a Buddhist, life is very precious since we are not certain about the future and what it holds for us. It is about being present and being honest with ourselves and to experience the bliss of awakening at first hand.
Life of suffering in what the Buddha had taught is not exactly the 'unbearable' state of suffering as suffered in hell, but the suffering as experienced here and now, seeing our body as already a dead/dying log the very day we are born and understanding that this body needs to survive by certain needs or requisites such as food, water, heat, etc.
What makes us different from a dead log/vegetable is the capability to judge and decide, and the advantage of being conscious which gives us life. This state of consciousness allow us to investigate deeper into the state of reality and see at first hand what the present moment is like, the state of emptiness and experience the bliss of complete freedom beyond words, beyond description and beyond any worldly senses.
It is this state of consciousness that others find hard to comprehend since the goal of a Buddhist is to break free from the state of mind and matter, and space...
Hope this helps.
2007-04-16 01:10:46 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
But Buddhists don't believe in the "nothingness of death". So what's your point?
2007-04-14 06:45:06 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
We are here to experience all the lessons of this life in a effort to educate our souls.
2007-04-14 06:44:33 · answer #3 · answered by Gorgeoustxwoman2013 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
You really don't have a choice, according to Buddha.
2007-04-14 06:49:12 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
What he meant was as simple as you not knowing what cold is if you have never been hot it is the duality in everything ... Nice try though
2007-04-14 06:45:01 · answer #5 · answered by Snooter McPrickles 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋