[vc_row u_row_style=”1″ lms_row_has_bk_offset=”0″ lms_row_bk_columns_offset=”0″ u_row_enrollment_restriction=”0″][vc_column width=”1\/12″ lms_has_clearfix=”0″ offset=”vc_col-lg-2 vc_hidden-xs”][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”5\/6″ lms_has_clearfix=”0″ offset=”vc_col-lg-8″ el_class=”head-post”][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n
By Tergar Meditation Community \u2022 5 min read[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text el_class=”sharepost”]\n\t\t\t\t
SHARE:\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/i><\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/i><\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/i><\/a>\n\t<\/p>[\/vc_column_text][vc_btn title=”TRY FOR FREE” style=”outline” color=”peacoc” align=”left” el_class=”btn-post” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fjoy.tergar.org%2Fjoy-of-living%2F||target:%20_blank|”][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/12″ lms_has_clearfix=”0″ offset=”vc_col-lg-2 vc_hidden-xs”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row u_row_style=”1″ lms_row_has_bk_offset=”0″ lms_row_bk_columns_offset=”0″ u_row_enrollment_restriction=”0″][vc_column width=”1\/12″ lms_has_clearfix=”0″ offset=”vc_col-lg-2 vc_hidden-xs”][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”5\/6″ lms_has_clearfix=”0″ offset=”vc_col-lg-8″][vc_column_text]The very title of this article might make you want to, figuratively speaking, skip to the sports section or the funny pages. However, not only is it wise to consider the Buddhist view of suffering, it\u2019s actually quite heartening. In popular imagination, Buddhism is often seen as equating life with suffering, but that\u2019s not really accurate. In fact, Buddhism sees a lot of suffering as completely avoidable.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/12″ lms_has_clearfix=”0″ offset=”vc_col-lg-2 vc_hidden-xs”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row u_row_style=”1″ lms_row_has_bk_offset=”1″ lms_row_bk_columns_offset=”0″ u_row_enrollment_restriction=”0″][vc_column lms_has_clearfix=”0″][vc_single_image image=”106914″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center” css=”.vc_custom_1662717498182{padding-top: 30px !important;padding-bottom: 30px !important;}” el_class=”hidden-xs”][vc_single_image image=”106915″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center” css=”.vc_custom_1662717563906{padding-top: 30px !important;padding-bottom: 30px !important;}” el_class=”visible-xs”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row u_row_style=”1″ lms_row_has_bk_offset=”0″ lms_row_bk_columns_offset=”0″ u_row_enrollment_restriction=”0″][vc_column width=”1\/12″ lms_has_clearfix=”0″ offset=”vc_col-lg-2 vc_hidden-xs”][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”5\/6″ lms_has_clearfix=”0″ offset=”vc_col-lg-8″][vc_column_text el_class=”subtittle-open-post” css=”.vc_custom_1673373179473{padding-bottom: 40px !important;}”]<\/p>\n Mingyur Rinpoche describes suffering as being divided into two types, \u201cnatural suffering\u201d and \u201cself-created suffering.\u201d The former is very straightforward, while the latter variety can sprawl out in all directions. Natural suffering is self-explanatory: it\u2019s just an unavoidable part of being in a physical body, and to understand it, all you have to do is stub your toe, or have an attack of gallstones. Self-created suffering, on the other hand, is the worry<\/a> and editorializing and other unnecessary mental activity that we bring to the equation. When we\u2019re experiencing that type of suffering, we\u2019re usually oblivious to the fact that we\u2019re the ones generating it.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n For example, imagine you have a bad toothache. If natural suffering had a voice, it might describe the situation something like this: \u201cOuch. Ow. Ouch.\u201d About that exact same painful tooth, self-created suffering might describe it like so: \u201cThis is the worst toothache I\u2019ve ever had. Probably they\u2019ll have to pull it out \u2014 at huge expense. Why is my life like<\/i> this? It\u2019s my fault for not getting checkups. I\u2019m such a mess . . . and now I\u2019m going to be a toothless mess!\u201d The extra layers of anguish we generate feel very vivid and real, and they exaggerate the situation of natural suffering. We\u2019re also quite capable of creating suffering in anticipation of an event that has yet to happen \u2014 or with virtually no reason at all, apart from the idea<\/i> of something that we find menacing (\u201cIf I go into that basement, I might see a spider!\u201d). There\u2019s a catch, though: we are not doomed to experience self-created suffering. We can liberate ourselves from it. That doesn\u2019t mean we\u2019ll never experience physical pain; it means we won\u2019t be identified with it. Pain<\/a> will be pain, but not \u201cmy<\/i> pain,\u201d not \u201cme<\/i>.\u201d[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/12″ lms_has_clearfix=”0″ offset=”vc_col-lg-2 vc_hidden-xs”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row u_row_style=”1″ lms_row_has_bk_offset=”1″ lms_row_bk_columns_offset=”0″ u_row_enrollment_restriction=”0″ lms_row_bk_offset_section_classes=”bk-qoute-full”][vc_column][vc_column_text]\u201cThe Buddha identified mistaking impermanence for permanence as one of the primary causes of suffering.\u201d <\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text el_class=”autorquotepost”]\u2013 Mingyur Rinpoche \u2013[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row u_row_style=”1″ lms_row_has_bk_offset=”0″ lms_row_bk_columns_offset=”0″ u_row_enrollment_restriction=”0″][vc_column width=”1\/12″ lms_has_clearfix=”0″ offset=”vc_col-lg-2 vc_hidden-xs”][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”5\/6″ lms_has_clearfix=”0″ offset=”vc_col-lg-8″][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1666079270198{padding-top: 20px !important;padding-bottom: 20px !important;}” el_class=”subtittle-open-post”]<\/p>\n Classical Buddhist texts, of course, have much to say on the topic of suffering. The Sanskrit word dukkha<\/i> doesn\u2019t translate very well into any modern language, but it\u2019s probably best translated as \u201cdissatisfaction.\u201d Dukkha<\/i> has three primary aspects. The first is the suffering of change \u2014 the inevitable ups and downs of health and illness, praise and blame, wealth and poverty, and so on. We suffer from change when we cling to what we believe we need or want and aren\u2019t open to accepting what\u2019s actually happening. Secondly, there\u2019s the concept of \u201csuffering of suffering,\u201d which is akin to the natural suffering that Rinpoche speaks of: by virtue of the fact that we\u2019re living in a body, we will encounter pain, aging, illness, and eventually, of course, death. Lastly, there\u2019s \u201call pervasive-suffering.\u201d This term describes the general ambient anxiety that lurks in the background of even our most \u00a0 long-anticipated experiences, like the old Peggy Lee song \u201cIs That All There Is?\u201d It\u2019s there because deep down, we\u2019re afraid that life isn\u2019t stable, and that our very existence is ambiguous. From a Buddhist point of view, there are excellent reasons to harbor such doubts, and exploring them is a path to wisdom and liberation.<\/p>\n Ultimately, the source of all the non-natural suffering we experience \u2014 that is to say, most of our suffering \u2014 resides in our entrenched yet mistaken views about how things are. You might call it \u201cprimordial ignorance.\u201d<\/a> To be free from the suffering that hounds us, we need to be able to uproot these false or erroneous perceptions. And happily, meditation<\/a> gives us all the tools we need to do just that.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/12″ lms_has_clearfix=”0″ offset=”vc_col-lg-2 vc_hidden-xs”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row u_row_style=”1″ lms_row_has_bk_offset=”1″ lms_row_bk_columns_offset=”0″ u_row_enrollment_restriction=”0″ lms_row_bk_offset_section_classes=”bk-gris-mailing”][vc_column lms_has_clearfix=”0″ offset=”vc_hidden-xs”][vc_column_text]\n\t\t \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tIf you enjoyed reading our articles, please join our mailing list\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tand we'll send you our news and latest pieces.\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t [\/vc_column_text][vc_video link=”https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=310VtSLIPzc&list=PLphAG0_XlPIEYLyXfhVYF6tfUW9PZF_3f&index=7″ el_width=”80″ align=”center” css=”.vc_custom_1662718023544{padding-top: 40px !important;padding-bottom: 20px !important;}”][vc_row_inner css=”.vc_custom_1618452751051{padding-bottom: 30px !important;}”][vc_column_inner width=”1\/12″][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”5\/6″][vc_column_text el_class=”subtittle-open-post”]<\/p>\n In this talk, Mingyur Rinpoche talks about how we can free ourselves from self-created suffering.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/12″][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/12″ lms_has_clearfix=”0″ offset=”vc_col-lg-2 vc_hidden-xs”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row u_row_style=”1″ lms_row_has_bk_offset=”0″ lms_row_bk_columns_offset=”0″ u_row_enrollment_restriction=”0″][vc_column width=”1\/12″ lms_has_clearfix=”0″ offset=”vc_col-lg-2 vc_hidden-xs”][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”5\/6″ lms_has_clearfix=”0″ offset=”vc_col-lg-8″][vc_separator css=”.vc_custom_1618424580871{padding-top: 40px !important;padding-bottom: 50px !important;}”][vc_column_text el_class=”sharepost share-post-center” css=”.vc_custom_1619130357128{padding-bottom: 40px !important;}”]<\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\t SHARE:\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/i><\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/i><\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/i><\/a>\n\t<\/p><\/p>\n [\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/12″ lms_has_clearfix=”0″ offset=”vc_col-lg-2 vc_hidden-xs”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row u_row_style=”1″ lms_row_has_bk_offset=”1″ lms_row_bk_columns_offset=”0″ u_row_enrollment_restriction=”0″ lms_row_bk_offset_section_classes=”bk-cielo-post”][vc_column width=”1\/12″ lms_has_clearfix=”0″ offset=”vc_col-lg-2 vc_hidden-xs”][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”5\/6″ lms_has_clearfix=”0″ offset=”vc_col-lg-8″][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/2″][vc_column_text el_class=”free-text-blog”]<\/p>\n [\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text el_class=”free-text-blog” css=”.vc_custom_1625157115208{padding-bottom: 20px !important;}”]<\/p>\n [\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text el_class=”free-text-blog” css=”.vc_custom_1625157098798{padding-bottom: 20px !important;}”]Learn meditation under the skillful guidance of world-renowned teacher Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche at your own pace.[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text el_class=”txt-link-landing btn-mb20″]LEARN MORE <\/a>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/2″][vc_single_image image=”92705″ img_size=”full”][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/12″ lms_has_clearfix=”0″ offset=”vc_col-lg-2 vc_hidden-xs”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row u_row_style=”1″ lms_row_has_bk_offset=”1″ lms_row_bk_columns_offset=”0″ u_row_enrollment_restriction=”0″ lms_row_bk_offset_section_classes=”bk-gris-post”][vc_column width=”1\/12″ lms_has_clearfix=”0″ offset=”vc_col-lg-2 vc_hidden-xs”][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”5\/6″ lms_has_clearfix=”0″ offset=”vc_col-lg-8″][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n Tergar Meditation Community supports individuals, practice groups, and meditation communities around the world in learning to live with awareness, compassion, and wisdom. Grounded in the Tibetan Buddhist lineage of our guiding teacher, Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche, our online and in-person programs are accessible to people of all cultures and faiths, and support a lifelong path toward the application of these principles in everyday life.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/12″ lms_has_clearfix=”0″ offset=”vc_col-lg-2 vc_hidden-xs”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row u_row_style=”1″ lms_row_has_bk_offset=”0″ lms_row_bk_columns_offset=”0″ u_row_enrollment_restriction=”0″][vc_column width=”1\/12″ lms_has_clearfix=”0″ offset=”vc_hidden-xs”][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”10\/12″][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/12″ lms_has_clearfix=”0″ offset=”vc_hidden-xs”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"In popular imagination, Buddhism is often seen as equating life with suffering, but that\u2019s not really accurate. In fact, Buddhism sees a lot of suffering as completely avoidable.","protected":false},"featured_media":106915,"template":"","tags":[126,213,214,148,188,181],"blog":[147],"class_list":["post-106913","blog","type-blog","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-awareness","tag-buddism","tag-dissatisfaction","tag-meditation","tag-mingyur-rinpoche","tag-suffering","blogs-meditation-and-buddhism"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nNatural versus self-created<\/h3>\n
A simple toothache . . . or not<\/h3>\n
Can\u2019t get no satisfaction<\/h3>\n
The long and the short of it<\/h3>\n
Join Our Mailing List<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
More Resources:<\/h2>\n
\u200b\u200bThe End of Suffering: Finding Freedom from the Causes of Unhappiness<\/strong> <\/span><\/h3>\n
Joy of Living Online Training<\/h2>\n
Theory and practice of meditation, step-by-step.<\/h4>\n
About the Author<\/h2>\n
By Tergar Meditation Community Team<\/a><\/h3>\n