Gravity’s Mission

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Abstract

e pleasure we abhor pain. One could say that we crave non-pain.</p><p id="17b2">Desire and aversion are the glue that keeps us pinned to this life.</p><p id="3694">(c) The good news is that there is an end to this unsatisfactory state of affairs (the Buddha calls this <i>nirvana</i>). This is the extinguishing of greed, hatred, and delusion — our three root afflictions. Some hold that this end to <i>samsara</i> looks pretty bleak, this apparent nothing, this no longer burning of the flame. Tagore answered this concern quite brilliantly: Nirvana, he said, is the blowing out of the candle flame, a flame you no longer need since you have now entered sunlight.</p><p id="222a">(d) The ever pragmatic Buddha then provides a way to reach Nirvana and so put an end to the point- and fruitless over-and-over again <i>samsara</i>. It is what we call the <i>noble</i> eightfold path: right view, right intent, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration. Many, many (most of them good) books have been written and many, many (most of them good) websites have been launched about these eight steps and how to embark up this path: indulge, please.</p><p id="5e55">I don’t know how we got into this mess, but I aim to find out.</p><p id="9256">I think we all owe it to ourselves to do just that.</p><p id="76c2">© Wolfstuff</p><p id="f153">P.S

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Pinning us to Earth

Inside body Inside mind Clung by Sister Gravity to this Earth

The Earth loves us, some say. I say, if the Earth loved us, the Earth would let us go. Failing that, we must learn how to let the Earth go.

The Buddha voiced four what we call noble truths: (a) On the whole, earthly existence is nothing to write home about; there is not a little (in my view) unnecessary suffering. Yes, there are moments of happiness and enjoyment, we all know that, but these are all too fleeting and in the end rarely if ever profound. Even the greatest parties end and usually bring giant hangovers in tow.

Thoreau put it very succinctly: “Most men [and obviously women, too] lead lives of quiet desperation.” That could well serve as our little planet’s tagline.

(b) The reason earthly existence (the Buddha calls this samsara) on the whole is unsatisfactory is that we crave and we cling; we crave pleasure and cling to what joys (or thoughts of joy) there are and when they fade, as they always do, unhappiness follows. Desire has a flipside: Aversion. While we desire pleasure we abhor pain. One could say that we crave non-pain.

Desire and aversion are the glue that keeps us pinned to this life.

(c) The good news is that there is an end to this unsatisfactory state of affairs (the Buddha calls this nirvana). This is the extinguishing of greed, hatred, and delusion — our three root afflictions. Some hold that this end to samsara looks pretty bleak, this apparent nothing, this no longer burning of the flame. Tagore answered this concern quite brilliantly: Nirvana, he said, is the blowing out of the candle flame, a flame you no longer need since you have now entered sunlight.

(d) The ever pragmatic Buddha then provides a way to reach Nirvana and so put an end to the point- and fruitless over-and-over again samsara. It is what we call the noble eightfold path: right view, right intent, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration. Many, many (most of them good) books have been written and many, many (most of them good) websites have been launched about these eight steps and how to embark up this path: indulge, please.

I don’t know how we got into this mess, but I aim to find out.

I think we all owe it to ourselves to do just that.

P.S. If you like what you’ve read here and would like to contribute to the creative motion, as it were, you can do so via PayPal: here.