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@ Bing
2023-07-25 11:20:33In Buddhism, suffering is not caused by pain, sadness, or meaninglessness. It is caused by our incessant and futile pursuit of fleeting emotions. This pursuit leaves us in a constant state of tension, dissatisfaction, and restlessness. Even in moments of pleasure, our minds are not satisfied, because we fear the transience of these feelings and yearn for their intensification and preservation.
True liberation from suffering comes from recognising the impermanence of all feelings and releasing our cravings for them. This is the ultimate goal of Buddhist meditation.
In meditation, we closely observe our minds and bodies, acknowledging the perpetual rise and fall of all feelings. We realise that the pursuit of pleasure is futile, and we relinquish our desires. Once we do this, our minds relax, clear, and find contentment.
Every kind of feeling continues to emerge - joy, anger, boredom, lust - but by freeing ourselves from specific cravings, we learn to accept them as they are. We live in the present moment instead of indulging in fantasies of what could have been.
The resulting tranquillity is so profound that those who live their lives pursuing pleasant sensations can hardly conceive of it. It is like a man who has spent years standing on the seashore, desperately grasping onto "good" waves and pushing back "bad" ones. Day in and day out, he goes on this way until finally, he sits down on the sand and allows the waves to come and go as they please. How peaceful!
This article was generated with the help of an AI language model.