Faith in the end of Suffering

What convinced you that buddhism is the true end of suffering forever and the only way?

I mean which parts of the teaching hinted so strong at this that you were fully convinced.

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I never thought it is the only way, it is the way that appealed and felt most at home to me.

It was the first time I went to see Thich Nhat Hanh give a dhamma talk and the hall had a sign ‘This is It’.

I knew my search had ended.

Seeing all the happy monks and nuns , seeing smiling children, seeing the welcoming Sangha volunteers with a jacket that said ‘I am here for you’, seeing them walk , seeing them eat, seeing them sit , seeing them invite the bell, I did not know the 4 noble truths, I did not know about the suttas, but I knew this is what happiness and peace is in real life.

I remember in one of Ajahn Brahm’s talks also he mentioning something similar of how he joined the Thai tradition because those monks were smiling and happy.

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There wasn’t one thing which convinced me, it was a long process of practicing, investigating, studying the Dharma (as well as other paths). At some point it just clicked as the only one which made sense.

The uniqueness of the Buddha’s Dharma in comparison to other paths was definitely a factor. Buddhism is not theistic (which was important to me, as an atheist), it accepts cause and effect and makes this central to its understanding and it sees the person as being completely relational and impermanent (whereas other paths always want to keep some corner of the ego/self as being permanent - and this always seemed inconsistent to me).

Until doubt is eradicated, I can’t say that I’m convinced once and for all. But there’s also no need to be. Faith comes from observing myself and others. I can see that this path is working for me in terms of reducing unwholesome qualities and increasing wholesome ones. And I can see that it has worked astonishingly well for others. Whatever path I take, it’s a gamble. But this is a path that promises the end of all gambling by eradicating doubt. Aint that just neat!

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Funny, for me it was never an aspect that "suffering shall end".
Although I myself have suffered much and many times, from childhood up to age.
So I can’t really answer your question, sorry…


But to put some more thought in it like the other contributors so far:

when I met the translation of the pali-canon and (after having been forced into consideration & discussion of its themes via internet fora) the main thing that happened, was that I felt I’ve found a friend, or, say, a person who’s really worth to be friend. Well educated, of extremely good habits, compassionate to the deepest, even showing personal elegance in his self-chosen poverty, extremely clear-minded, …
… and finally that this one person -with all possibly strickening philosophical/psychological reasoning- is rational, self-aware, and, what has been possibly the main impression for me, that on top of all this clear & rational thinking did not let him forget the problem of feeling suffering and sorrow, did not only let him not forget the human angle-of-existence, but even made him put it up to the first place in his teachings: the first, and of course then the four, noble truth(s).
I say this with respect to a short personal event: when I later came to discussing meditation and its impact & perspective with some friend (who offered me a day rest and preparation to my first visit to Thich Nhat Hanh’s monastery “plum village” in 2001), a phd of physics, and the proof of the helpfulness (? word?) of “meditation” and “enlightenment” came then by arguments of the electricity in the synapses, and, and, and… I suddenly and (after plum village) firmly knew I had a better friend in the Buddha who put his life into the game: socializing, with brahmins, with outcasts and who even did not stop to socialize in the -by chance- contact with a widely known killer in the forest. (see the other recent thread).


So, trying to extract an “essence” of the above short collection of thoughts: I never came to the idea to prove that this is somehow “really ending suffering” but I felt to have found a really good friend to talk with, to walk with, to share with, and to have this one as a compass towards my own peaceful path (which might even be supportive and be helpful to others sometimes :slight_smile: )

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I had a horrific experience and was between hate and forgiveness. A Buddhist book I had read before, started to open my heart, it truly began “to sink in”. Metta and Karuna began to blossom in me. I found it more and more beneficial to keep precepts, to chant etc.
Ajahn Chah and others guided me through life and I realised that reading Sutta’s is more fun than participating in “worldly pleasures”.

The final thing which convinced me was the Aura of an Ajahn I met. I have never realised so much pureness/honesty/whiteness…All these words are unable to prescribe how I felt. At this time I knew I am on the right path.
Mara is quick to throw sticks between our legs but I just try to keep jumping and to learn from my mistakes. :blush:

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I turned to Buddhism because I have always had an intrinsic belief in Enlightenment, the Buddhist lifestyle, and I have never questioned the authenticity of Gautama Buddha’s Compassion. I have been down many Spiritual Paths, but Buddhism has always been what grounded me in a state of mind that promised the lifestyle I wanted: Enlightenment. When Enlightenment is all you seek, Buddhism is not far to turn to.