Happiness and Suffering

Suffering is probably one of the most misunderstood concepts in Buddhism. "Only pessimists would describe life as suffering", or "It’s more important to focus on the pleasant things in life". This, or something like it, is the type of criticism one often hears.

Listen to what the Vietnamese Zen monk Thich Duc Tinh, who now lives the Swiss town of Zollikofen, has to say about the concept of suffering in the next slide.

Holding on to and letting go of things are key notions in Buddhism.

The source of attachment is craving or desire (in Sanskrit the term used is “thirst”). We wish to hold on to things but also to other people, feelings, or even fleeting moments. This causes suffering.

Buddhism teaches us to let go and to accept impermanence and the transience of all things.

Loten Dahortsang describes how he is able to enjoy every single moment without trying to hold on to it.

Trying to hold on or becoming attached to something inevitably causes suffering because all things are transient and nothing can be preserved forever.

In the next slide, the psychologist and mindfulness instructor Yuka Nakamura explains what Buddhism means by impermanence or transience.

For many Buddhists, attaining nirvana spells ultimate happiness.

Nirvana is a spiritual condition which is achieved through practising meditation. Yet even for those who are well-versed in meditation, describing nirvana in words is a challenge.

Listen to how nirvana may be expressed in the next slide.

You’ve heard different voices speaking about the concepts of happiness and suffering. What do they have in common?

Among other things, they all mention the practice of meditation as a means to identify the causes of suffering and to overcome it. In other words, meditation is a vehicle on the path to ultimate happiness – nirvana.

What other commonalities did you notice? You can note them down on the next slide.