Saturday 25 August 2012

My thoughts on dukkha or dissatisfaction

Just a quickie: 

It is evident that by clinging on to that which brings misery will bring yet more misery. Don't keep your hand in the fire if it hurts! Don't take ownership of the past; let it go! Hanging on to it will lead to more of the same! This is what the Buddha teaches.

A good story is the monk who carries the woman across the muddy road from 101 Zen Stories site:
______________________________________________________________
Tanzan and Ekido were once travelling together down a muddy road. A heavy rain was still falling.

Coming around a bend, they met a lovely girl in a silk kimono and sash, unable to cross the intersection.

"Come on, girl," said Tanzan at once. Lifting her in his arms, he carried her over the mud.

Ekido did not speak again until that night when they reached a lodging temple. Then he no longer could restrain himself. "We monks don't go near females," he told Tanzan, "especially not young and lovely ones. It is dangerous. Why did you do that?"

"I left the girl there," said Tanzan. "Are you still carrying her?"
_______________________________________________________________

This is a simple lesson in life.  Sometimes you break the rules.  Yes we can accept that.  The moral is:

a) What was the intention behind the act? If breaking the rules is based in wisdom and compassion or metta then it is common sense.

b) The monk Ekido was clinging on to the past.  Once Tanzan had left the situation he moved on.  This teaches us not to keep re-living the past in our heads over and over again.  It is done and dusted.  Drop it and move on!

No comments:

Post a Comment