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To: soc.religion.eastern From: tyagi nagasiva (tyagi@houseofkaos.abyss.com) Subj: Buddhism Date: 49930111 Quoting: |'Abhay' |What is happiness ? |Happiness is a state of mind in absence of desires. I agree that true happiness (perhaps 'ananda' or 'bliss') is the experience of absent desire (no-mind?). The way most people use this term, however, it means the satisfaction of short-term desires. This, as many of us have experienced, becomes a recurrent cycle of aroused dissatifaction until the root of the problem is addressed. |When is this possible, in practice ? |When there is no fear, anxiety, boredom, desires, wants |or unfulfilled needs. A feeling of all round satisfaction. I agree that in the absence of these subjects (subjective elements) one will experience bliss. I do not think, however, that it is necessary to be without these to experience bliss. Can we feel fear and not wish to change it? Can we sit with boredom and not flee into activity? Once we practice this, then we practice enlightenment. |Then how does one avoid fear, anxiety, desires, etc. ? |By realising that fear and anxiety are empty and unnecessary concepts, |by realising the futility (undesirability) of desires and wants. |Unfulfilled needs (e.g. hunger) could be a problem, until you make those |needs unnecessary. One avoids fear, etc. by running from them, hiding in work, typing at keyboards, fixing the lawnmower, and watching television. As long as our feelings drive us, then we abandon them to be entertained by the wonderful maya of manifestation. Only when the activity becomes sufficiently focussed as to allow one's feelings to come up (by repetition and mindfulness) does it become a meditation in itself rather than an avoidance-tactic. Of course, you didn't mean it this way. :> How do we get beyond, transcend, release, abandon, dispense with, or avoid our feelings of fear, anxiety and lust? We don't. We only put off the inevitable. If we are lucky we let those feelings come through little by little as we run, allowing them to catch up to us enough to inspire us to slow down and face ourselves. Needs and desires are never transcended, yet they can be accepted and embraced for the powerful opportunities they are. Perhaps when such acceptance occurs then they dissolve. I have not had such an experience, so I cannot be sure about this. |What are fear and anxiety and how are they related to uncertainty ? Fear is a natural response to danger. Anxiety is the symptom of disharmony between oneself and all else. Uncertainty is a very complex word. One the one hand it could mean the lack of dedication, resolve, to complete a work or engage a process. In this way if we lack the resolve to confront our own FEELINGS of fear then our uncertainty becomes our impediment. On the other hand it could mean a loose mind, flowing with the winds of the world, allowing us to release our grasp on impermanence and ride the waves of fear into gentler seas. For this meaning, uncertainty is the salve which will slowly heal our headstrong ways. tyagi tyagi@houseofkaos.abyss.com
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