Unfold A Path To Happiness With The Buddha’s Diagnosis Of Suffering
The Buddha delivers his teaching of the Dhamma through the Four Noble Truths, the first two of which provide the diagnosis of suffering as part of the human existence, and the other two deal with deliverance from suffering.
The Buddha’s experience of enlightenment led him to define the Dhamma, which, as Professor Robert Wright from Princeton University articulates on Coursera, is the truth about the way things are, and about the way we should live in its recognition through the path spelled out in the Buddha’s teachings.
Relating it to the analysis of religion by psychologist William James, the essence of religion is the belief that there is an unseen order of existence, and that our supreme good lies in harmoniously adjusting ourselves to that order. Buddhism recognizes the unseen order through the truth about the way the world is designed to work, and how, by adapting ourselves to that order, we realize our supreme good through Nirvana or liberation.
Here, we discuss based on analysis and experience, why the Buddha’s diagnosis of suffering as part of the human existence rings true.
The Buddha’s diagnosis of suffering
The Buddha’s First Noble Truth is “dukkha,” which is that life is suffering. The Second Noble Truth further announces that the cause of suffering is thirst or craving. In the Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta, the Buddha defines suffering to include the connected stages of birth, aging, sickness, death, sorrow, association with the loathed, dissociation from the loved, and not getting what one wants- i.e., suffering is the five categories of clinging objects.
However, it is not that life is never about experiencing joy or pleasure. Professor Wright expounds in his analysis that suffering is caused by unsatisfactoriness in life and yearning, no matter what one gets. We experience the thrill of achievement, yet it eventually wears off, and we yearn for more. The Buddha explains this as Impermanence, by which nothing lasts forever, and yet we seem to cling to things.
The principle is not limited to sensory pleasures such as personal tastes or interests, but any type of gratification in general, including at work or society. Psychologists call it the Hedonic Treadmill, meaning pleasure-seeking on a circular path without lasting satisfaction.
Furthermore, although the First Two Noble Truths do not explicitly allude to anxieties and fears, these can also be included as causes of our suffering. For example, such aversions may arise as a result of our clinging to our social status. Even clinging to one’s existence is part of the Buddha’s diagnosis of suffering. It is not that we can never enjoy any pleasures, but serves to validate if we are clinging to things and craving for more.
Applying the diagnosis- Does it ring true? It does, and here’s why
Professor Wright’s analysis of the diagnosis correlates how experiencing pleasure is built into our brain’s wiring. It helps associate the Buddha’s diagnosis with modern psychology and science, as well as the connection with the natural process of survival, motivation, and evolution.
The analysis conceptualizes natural selection, which is the universal tendency to seek pleasure, resume its pursuit when it wanes, and avoid pain, all of which are directions for survival and continuity of genes. However, a close look at this dimension reveals that natural selection does not envision for us to perceive the fleeting nature of pleasure, which is a cause for suffering.
Whether it is sensory experiences such as taste, or relationships such as love, we typically look forward to their pleasures but fail to consider the challenges that they accompany. Furthermore, the effects of pleasure are not lasting. As a result, we are inclined to follow natural selection’s lead to pursue pleasure, experience it fleetingly, and then seek the next source of pleasure.
Caught in a perpetual cycle of pursuit, we fail to acknowledge the suffering this brings us when we do not attain the expected pleasure or lose its value after the fleeting experience. The Buddha classifies our ability to appreciate this nuance as reality, which is a step towards liberation from suffering.
My life experience further provides me with a basis for the diagnosis ringing true.
Despite being blessed with a good life through professional success and a beautiful family, I was yet not experiencing a sense of fulfillment and lasting happiness. As I introspected, I realized that the hedonic definition of success that I had been pursuing was only leading to fleeting instances of pleasure, and was indeed causing my suffering.
When I read the Buddha’s teachings, the diagnosis instantly struck a chord and sowed the seeds to seek the right path. It, therefore, dawned on me that the true definition of success and happiness must include actions borne of compassion, kindness, and generosity. Importantly as well, they need to be accompanied by an awareness of the self.
Conclusion
The Buddha’s diagnosis of suffering and prescription to resolve the human predicament may seem extreme at first and in conflict with our natural conditioning. Yet, a deeper understanding of the principle shows us the origin of our suffering and the path to liberation if we seek it for ourselves.
