Oh Suffering World

A short passage on the 3rd mark of existence - Suffering

The third mark of existence is suffering, dissatisfaction. To put it
concisely, we suffer when we resist the noble and irrefutable truth of
impermanence and death. We suffer not because we are bascially bad or
deserve to be punished but because of three tragic misunderstandings.

1st, we expect that what is always in the process of change should be
graspable and predictable. When we mistake what is impermanent to be permanent, we suffer.

2nd we proceed as if we are seperate from everything else, as if we are a fixed identity, when our true situation is egoless. When we mistake the openess of our being for a solid and irrefutable self, we suffer.

3rd, we look for happiness in all the wrong places. The Buddha called
this habit "mistaking suffering for happiness". We become habituated to reaching for something to ease the edginess of the moment. Thus we become less and less able to reside with even the most fleeting uneasiness or discomfort.

What begins as a shift of energy - a minor tightening of our stomach, a vague indefinable feeling that somethin bad is about to happen -
escalates into addiction. This is our way of trying to make life predictable. When we mistake what always results in suffering to be what will bring us happiness, we remain stuck in the repetitious habit of escalating our dissatifaction.

Courtesy of Zhihao (NUSBS ex-Dharma Director) Taken from Pema Chodron's book: comfortable with uncertainty-108 teachings on cultivating fearlessness and compassion)


Everyday I see the unhappy faces of the taxi drivers, worried about their vehicle problems, fighting for monetary compensations, rushing for time, angry with the technicians and such, I feel very sad too. Why are human beings chasing round the clock in exchange of more unhappiness?