Can We Be Free Of Suffering?

Question: Can we ever be free of suffering?

Response: I’ll answer your question by looking at a slightly different question.

Can we achieve world peace?

I think most people would have to answer no. It’s the practical, realistic answer. Why is that? Well peace is the opposite of (or compliment to) conflict. Can you imagine any point in time where there are living beings and there is no conflict? Each being, having unique and varying interests will invariably come in conflict with others. It will be over resources, love interests, property, right of way, or who gets that last piece of pie.

Even if everyone were enlightened, compassionate, selfless people, conflict would arise. World peace is practically impossible, because peace as a permanent condition is not possible.

Now let’s reflect on the original question in the light of the one on peace. Can we be free of suffering? From a Buddhist perspective, freedom from suffering requires a delicate balance. This balance supports the transcendence of suffering.

But we also must contend with impermanence. All balances are dynamic, and suffering and freedom from it is no exception. Even the great sages have ups and downs, good days, bad days, and so on. We are constantly traversing the stages of dependent arising, moving from suffering to cessation of suffering and back again.

We have to adopt the practical answer to the question. There is no end state of freedom from suffering. It is not a permanent condition. We will suffer on some days and other less so. Can we achieve freedom from suffering? Yes. Will we regress into suffering? Yes. Just like the weather in New England. If you don’t like it, wait 5 minutes.

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Originally published at www.andrewfurst.net on November 2, 2015.