Despite whatever that may have happened, in the end, we are all creatures subject to pain and agony. Pain is the only irreducible condition that all human beings feel. In fact, pain goes beyond meaning; it has none. It simply is, and because of that, everyone is eventually reduced to suffering, unrequitedly if I might add.
Why do I say this? Well, I've seen it so many times. I first saw it when my mother went through chemotherapy. There is something in total agony that completely eradicates any meaning for the person who is suffering. To the person in pain, nothing else matters because the pain has completely dominated their consciousness. To them, nothing can possibly exist outside of the pain because they are consumed by it.
I've also seen a lot of old people when they are about to die. They all end up being stupored by the morphine, because the morphine is the only thing that can stop the pain. You can't talk reason with people who are suffering, because they are not reasonble. They are driven mad by their agony that they will do anything to make it stop. And in the end, however indiginified they may become, the morphine-induced stupor and emptiness is a much more desirable fate than a world filled with pain for every single waking moment.
And that, my friends, is the sad, fundamental human condition. No matter who we are or what we did, whether we be kings or paupers, male or female, genius or idiot, we are all slaves to pain and suffering. In the end, we are all going to be there, at the same time, writhing in the ineffable suffering, wishing that someone would either kill us or give us morphine. At that moment, we lose everything; nothing matters anymore. Forget our ideals, our principles, forget who we are. Pain knows no distinctions.
But we can always inject ourselves with a sense of false optimism, hoping that our money and our wealth will at least ease the pain, if not prevent it altogether. But no one can deny the inevitable; we can only delay it. Beneath the crushing grip of pain, everyone bows down and cries uncle.
Posted by humanflyz at August 8, 2005 10:59 PM | TrackBack1. Life means suffering.
To live means to suffer, because the human nature is not perfect and neither is the world we live in. During our lifetime, we inevitably have to endure physical suffering such as pain, sickness, injury, tiredness, old age, and eventually death; and we have to endure psychological suffering like sadness, fear, frustration, disappointment, and depression. Although there are different degrees of suffering and there are also positive experiences in life that we perceive as the opposite of suffering, such as ease, comfort and happiness, life in its totality is imperfect and incomplete, because our world is subject to impermanence. This means we are never able to keep permanently what we strive for, and just as happy moments pass by, we ourselves and our loved ones will pass away one day, too.
2. The origin of suffering is attachment.
The origin of suffering is attachment to transient things and the ignorance thereof. Transient things do not only include the physical objects that surround us, but also ideas, and -in a greater sense- all objects of our perception. Ignorance is the lack of understanding of how our mind is attached to impermanent things. The reasons for suffering are desire, passion, ardor, pursue of wealth and prestige, striving for fame and popularity, or in short: craving and clinging. Because the objects of our attachment are transient, their loss is inevitable, thus suffering will necessarily follow. Objects of attachment also include the idea of a "self" which is a delusion, because there is no abiding self. What we call "self" is just an imagined entity, and we are merely a part of the ceaseless becoming of the universe.
3. The cessation of suffering is attainable.
The cessation of suffering can be attained through nirodha. Nirodha means the unmaking of sensual craving and conceptual attachment. The third noble truth expresses the idea that suffering can be ended by attaining dispassion. Nirodha extinguishes all forms of clinging and attachment. This means that suffering can be overcome through human activity, simply by removing the cause of suffering. Attaining and perfecting dispassion is a process of many levels that ultimately results in the state of Nirvana. Nirvana means freedom from all worries, troubles, complexes, fabrications and ideas. Nirvana is not comprehensible for those who have not attained it.
4. The path to the cessation of suffering.
There is a path to the end of suffering - a gradual path of self-improvement, which is described more detailed in the Eightfold Path. It is the middle way between the two extremes of excessive self-indulgence (hedonism) and excessive self-mortification (asceticism); and it leads to the end of the cycle of rebirth. The latter quality discerns it from other paths which are merely "wandering on the wheel of becoming", because these do not have a final object. The path to the end of suffering can extend over many lifetimes, throughout which every individual rebirth is subject to karmic conditioning. Craving, ignorance, delusions, and its effects will disappear gradually, as progress is made on the path.
=D!
Posted by: Pim at August 9, 2005 01:50 AMhahaha, good job.
Posted by: mike z at August 9, 2005 09:00 AMwow, this is most wonderfully honest blog I've seen on the internet!!!!!!!! Can I link you? This site is packed with brutal honesty. So cool!!!
Posted by: Anthony at August 9, 2005 12:29 PMWell, a friend of mine pointed me to your site. I'm not quite sure how he happened upon it. The problem of pain in the world weighs on me night and day. My good friend, and my little sister's husband of 4 months, was killed by a roadside bomb not long ago. Ever since then, whatever mental model I had for seeing the world has crumbled. I think a new one may be beginning to emerge, but these sorts of questions tend to leave me with more answers than questions. Which is fine by me. At any rate, I imagine that it would be interesting to dialogue with you on some of it. If so, I look forward to it. If not, no big deal.
brad
Posted by: brad at August 9, 2005 12:58 PM@Anthony: yeah, you can link this site.
@brad: sorry about what happened to your sister. You just have to hang in there, and maybe things will get better.
Posted by: mike z at August 9, 2005 01:31 PMhahahha...nice one pim, 100000 points
Posted by: Jan at August 9, 2005 05:29 PMhahahah. what the fuck? how did Jan get hold of this?
Posted by: mike z at August 9, 2005 06:06 PMwow mike. once you started posting pictures, you get a bunch of comments!
oh. my mom was walking by the computer, and i think she saw the picture of the hand and penis you drew on the previous entry. she was like, "'this heat is killing me.' what are you looking at, pim?!" hahha funny. okay bye.
Posted by: Pim at August 9, 2005 06:25 PMThanks bro. . . You've got some GREAT stuff on your site. You're saying stuff a lot of people wish they could say. Don't stop being authentic. Bro, drop me a line if you've got time. . . I'd like to talk to you about a possible interview for my site. Peace.
Posted by: Anthony at August 9, 2005 09:30 PM@pim: hahahaha, maybe I should tell people that shit site is definitely not parent-safe.
@anthony: yeah, sure thing man. you can get me at humanflyz@berkeley.edu
Posted by: mike z at August 9, 2005 10:18 PMWTF? You're famous? Wow...
Posted by: Kevin at August 10, 2005 01:10 AMRock on! Thanks!
Posted by: Anthony at August 10, 2005 07:11 AMhaha who are these fuckers?
Posted by: Roc at August 10, 2005 11:31 AMthey're a bunch of rick james's, bitches
Posted by: jerry at August 12, 2005 12:42 PMno, you've got it all wrong. I'm Rick James' ghost, bitch.
Posted by: mike z at August 12, 2005 01:43 PM