Why there is suffering in this world?

Discussion in 'General Philosophy' started by Saint, Jan 9, 2013.

  1. Saint Valued Senior Member

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    Why there is suffering in this world?
    Buddhism says it is due to desire.
    If you can put off your desire, suffering will cease.
     
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  3. Read-Only Valued Senior Member

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    Actually, the question should be restated: "Why would there NOT be suffering in this world?"

    In the normal course of human events there will *always* be negative events which will result in human suffering. And that bit of Buddhism is nothing but nonsense for the most part because it ignores reality. Try to tell a starving person that if they "put off their desire" to eat that their suffering will cease and see how far you get!
     
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  5. Saint Valued Senior Member

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    What is your answer to your question:
    "Why would there NOT be suffering in this world?"
     
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  7. Nom-De-Plume "Give him a mask ... " Registered Member

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    Buddhism's apparent explanation for the existence of suffering is one that I have always struggled with. It seems too open a statement. By desire, what is it referring to? Monetary, materialistic, sexual, gluttonous desires?

    If we do not desire food, we die. Thus, a certain amount of desire is necessary, isn't it?

    Much of the world's suffering is a result of man's imperfection -- war, rape, torture, racism, religionism, general intolerance. Although a sufficient amount also finds its roots in inevitable natural events -- earthquakes, volcanoes, natural death, disease.
    There is no one perpetrator as there is no one victim. Suffering is a constant, as such, perhaps a noble cause would be to ensure one doesn't contribute to the amalgam of suffering and perpetrators. (By avoiding both subjecting others to suffering and avoiding victimisation).
     
  8. Read-Only Valued Senior Member

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    I suppose you are still having *great* difficulty with English because I gave the answer in the very next sentence. Read it again.
     
  9. Fraggle Rocker Staff Member

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    There is suffering in this world because human beings are only one rather tiny part of it. The world was not designed by, for, or around us, for our comfort. All animals with some semblance of a CNS (central nervous system) are capable of suffering when they happen to encounter conditions that are not optimum for them; we are no different. No animal--not even a human being--can control the world so that the conditions in his place are always optimum; if only because of the logical impossibility of conditions being optimum for all animals at all times. For example, dolphins eat fish, so it is unavoidable that at least one of them will suffer, either from being hungry or being eaten. Humans may adapt to an unnatural non-carnivorous diet, but there are many other things that can go wrong in our lives that have nothing to do with killing and eating other animals.

    Every philosophy and/or religion (Buddhism is one or the other, depending on which Buddhist you talk to) tries to explain the universe to us, and a common goal is to help us understand why suffering exists. It's best not to focus on any one principle from any one philosophy or religion, but rather to study them all and find a composite that resonates with your own character and psychology--after all, we're all different.

    So if you put off your desire for food, you will no longer suffer from hunger? Do you see why so much of this stuff is pure crap?

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  10. spidergoat pubic diorama Valued Senior Member

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    Yes, you can put off your desire for food and not suffer from hunger. You can experience pain and not suffer. The suffering Buddhism talks about isn't physical, it's the existential suffering that only exists in the mind when we are attached to outcomes, when we want reality to be something other than what it is. You can stuff your face and still suffer.
     
  11. wynn ˙ Valued Senior Member

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    Can anyone provide an actual Buddhist reference for these claims about Buddhism?
    Not a Wikipedia or Beliefnet article or the like, but an actual Buddhist reference from Buddhist scriptures.

    Thank you.
     
  12. spidergoat pubic diorama Valued Senior Member

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    Who cares about dictionary Buddhism? Buddhism doesn't exist on paper.
     
  13. wynn ˙ Valued Senior Member

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    And we're back to "Buddhism is whatever anyone claims that Buddhism is" ...
     
  14. spidergoat pubic diorama Valued Senior Member

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    The inverse is just as bad, people treating Buddhism in a legalistic way.
     
  15. wynn ˙ Valued Senior Member

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    My request for reference is obviously not about legalism. I am simply requesting a source for people's claims about Buddhism.

    There is so much that goes on in the name of Buddhism that has no actual scriptural reference. This way, people are doing themselves a disservice, causing themselves confusion and suffering, and completely unnecessarily.
     
  16. spidergoat pubic diorama Valued Senior Member

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    Someone had to write those scriptures, so why is it so hard to understand that people have understanding that transcends scripture?
     
  17. lightgigantic Banned Banned

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    desire for things that will shortly cease to exist must equal suffering, regardless whether one achieves it or not.
     
  18. ElectricFetus Sanity going, going, gone Valued Senior Member

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    God enjoys watching us squirm.

    /thread
     
  19. Saint Valued Senior Member

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    We all suffer, I mean unhappy in one way or another.
    So, how to end this suffering and be always happy?

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  20. Robittybob1 Banned Banned

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    Would that be when we have all become extinct?
     
  21. Balerion Banned Banned

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    Are you open to the idea that there is no way for this to happen? That the nature of existence necessitates some level of sadness or discomfort?

    I feel like you have this very particular worldview that does not allow you the space to fully explore the possible answers to these questions. It's odd, too, how there is an assumption that because suffering is bad, that there must be some way to eradicate it. At what point is the leap made from "Suffering is bad," to "We can destroy it?"

    Maybe in order to see how ridiculous this pursuit is, we need to flip the script. Do you think it's possible to eliminate happiness? Even on your darkest day, or maybe your darkest week, was there nothing that brought a smile to your face? Nothing that brought you joy?
     
  22. Saint Valued Senior Member

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    I think it is about my desire to decide what is happiness and suffering.
    It is whether I feel good or bad?
     
  23. Robittybob1 Banned Banned

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    That's alright for you but what about all the rest? Who has the resources to fix everyone's problems.
     

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