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Ourmindisinclinedtowardssufferingunless

Approximately80%oftheworldpopulationislivinginpoverty.Itis

understandablethatthosewhofallwithinthiscategoryareunhappy.But

ifwetalktothosewithintheother20%category,mostofthemwillclaim

thattheyaresufferingandthattheperiodsinwhichtheyaretrulyhappy

areverybriefcomparedtotheperiodswhentheyareinflictedwithsome

formofsuffering.Whyisthisso?Allofusarelookingforananswerto

thisproblem.Tofindasolution,wemustlookdeeplyintothecauseof

thishuman

predicament.

If

we

do

not

understand

the

true

cause,

we

will

merelyendupchasingaftersomethingtodistractusfromoursuffering

withoutfindinganactualsolution.

Toseewhyourmindisinclinedtowardssuffering,wecanobservethe

stateofourmindwhenwedesiresomeobject,whenwegetthatobject

andwhenwelosethatobject.Thisalsoappliestoourdesiretobecome

somebodyor

to

achieve

some

position.

Our

desires

can

also

be

for

somethingintangiblesuchaspower,respect,fameetc.

Whenwedesireanobject,wewillonlylookatthepositiveaspectsofthe

objectandwewillblockoutthenegativeaspectsfromourmind.When

someonetalksnegativelyabouttheobjectthatwedesire,wewill

sometimesgetangryandtrytochangethesubject.Wewillalsogetangry

atanythingoranyonethathindersusfromgettingthatobject.

Mostofusprobablythinkthatfameandfortuneissomethingthatis

greattohave;butisthatso?IreadinthepapersthatAlPacino,the

famousactorknownforhisroleintheGodfatherblockbuster,indulged

inalcoholwhenhebecamefamousbecausehecouldnotcopewithfame

anddidnothavethenecessarysupportsystemtohelphim.Hewenton

tosaythateveryonewhobecomesfamousshouldhavesomeformof

supportsystemtohelpthemtocopewithfame!Whowouldhave

thoughtthatfameandfortunecouldbringproblems?Mostofusdesire

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fameandfortunebecausewecanonlyseethepositivethingsaboutthem

butisnotabletolookdeeplyenoughtoseetheothersideofthecoin.

Ourdesiresignifiesthatwearenotcontentedwithwhatwehave.

Wheneverdesire

exists,

contentment

cannot

be

there.

Without

contentment,wecannothaveinnerpeace.Wewillbeconstantlythinking

abouthowwecangetthatobject;orwewillbeangryattheobstacles

thatarekeepingtheobjectawayfromus;orwewillfeelsorryfor

ourselvesfornothavingtheobject.Wepraythatourdesiresbefulfilled

butweforgettoprayforfewerdesires.

When

we

finally

achieve

the

object

we

desire,

our

suffering

merely

changesform.Aftertheinitialeuphoriaofgettingtheobject,webeginto

worryaboutlosingthatobject.Afterall,ifwedesirethatobjectso

strongly,otherswouldto.Webecomesuspiciousofothers,thinkingthat

theyareouttogetourbelonging.Ourmindbecomesoccupiedwith

meansofprotectingtheobject.Weincurmorecoststoprotectthat

objectandtomaintainit.Keepingthatobjectbecomesaconstant

struggle.

If

that

object

is

jewellery,

the

only

benefit

we

get

from

it

is

the

pridewefeelwhenothersadmireuswearingitorperhapsthepleasure

wegetfromlookingatit.Ifwetrytosellit,wewillprobablyonlygetback

afactionofwhatweoriginallypaidforit.Isitreallyworthallthat

suffering?

Overtime,ourmindgetsboredwiththeobject.Wearenolonger

satisfiedbyitandbegintolookforotherthingstocravefor.Ourmindis

inaconstant

state

of

dissatisfaction.

We

are

always

craving

for

something.Whenweobtainanobjectwecravedfor,thereisatemporary

satisfactionbutverysoon,themindbecomesdissatisfiedagainand

cravingpredominatethemindalloveragain.Thishabitwillkeepusfrom

gettingtruehappiness.

Manyofusmaythinkthatiswewinabiglottery,wewillhaveevery

reasontobehappy.However,researchhasshownaftertheinitial

excitementofwinningthelottery,thewinnersfallbacktotheiroriginal

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stateofhappiness(orunhappiness)whichtheywereoriginallyin.This

pointtotheconstantstateofdissatisfactionthatweareoftencaughtin.

Ourhabitualthinkingpatternsensurethatwearealwaysdissatisfied;so

muchso

that

even

winning

abig

lottery

cannot

overcome

it.

Finally,whenweloseanobjectofourdesire,thepainandsufferingthat

wefeelisfargreaterthatthejoythatweobtainedfromgettingthat

object.Itfeelsgoodtogainamilliondollarsbutthepainoflosinga

milliondollarswouldbefargreater.

Forsome,thepainoflosingsomethingissogreatthattheyeven

contemplate

suicide.

At

that

point,

the

mind

can

only

see

what

is

lost

but

notwhathasbeengained.Apersonwhohasjustlosthisjobcanonly

thinkandworryaboutthelostincomebutisnotabletoseethatheis

nowfreetopursuehisdreams.

So,wecanseethatwesufferwhenwedesiresomething;wesufferwhen

wegetitandwesufferwhenweloseit.Themomentsofjoyarenothing

comparedtotheperiodsofsuffering.Unlesswedosomethingaboutit,

ourmind

will

always

push

us

towards

suffering.

This

is

ahabit

all

of

us

needtoovercome.

So,wegoonthiscycleofcraving,getting(ornotgetting)andlosinguntil

oneday,werealisethatnoobjectorpositioninthismaterialworldcan

bringhappiness.Theybringhappinessonlyinourimagination.Atbest,

theyonlydistractusfromsuffering;thatisalltheycando.Buttheyalso

bringsufferingalongwiththem.Wejustneedtoconnectthedotstosee

this.

Ourmindwillalwaysbeinclinedtowardssufferingunlesswerealisethis

fact nothingisworthgettingandnothingisworthbeing/achieving.Ifwe

lookatthethingsthatwehaveaccumulatedorthepositionwehave

attained,wecansurelyseethatthereissomesufferingattachedtothem.

Maintainingthemrequiressomestruggleandoftendisturbsourinner

peace.

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Evenexcitementisaformofsufferingbecauseitdisturbsourpeaceof

mind.Anactionpacedmovieisenjoyablebutthemindwillbecome

restlessandirritableafterthemovie.Themoviebringsexcitement with

sufferingattached.

Whatwouldlifebelikeifwetakedesireoutoftheequation?Wewillfind

morecontentmentinourlife.Therewillbelessfearandworry.Ourmind

willbecomemorepeacefulandfocused;enablingustodoourjobs

better.Wecanseethingsmoreclearlyandourwisdomwillgrow.Wewill

experiencetruehappiness;nottheexcitingdistractionsthatwemistake

forhappiness.

Butdesirecannotjustdisappearbecausewewantitto.Itishabitthatis

deeplyentrenchedinus.Weneedtotrainourmindtolookmoredeeply

atthethingsorpositionwedesire.Wewillthenseethatthedesired

objectorpositionwilljustchangethenatureofoursuffering;beingpoor

hasitproblemsandbeingrichalsohasitsproblems.Beingunknownhas

itsproblemsandsoisbeingfamous.Sufferingmerelytakesondifferent

forms.