Loneliness: An unknown epidemic?

Suffering isn’t a vital condition for Buddhism but the way out of suffering is.

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I don’t understand what you are saying here @Mat . I said that ‘suffering’ is a vital condition for ‘faith’, which is what it says in SN12.23 - Am I missing a subtle point?

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But it is, from AN 10.76 (SuttaCentral)

Mendicants, if three things were not found, the Realized One, the perfected one, the fully awakened Buddha would not arise in the world, and the teaching and training proclaimed by the Realized One would not shine in the world.
What three?
Rebirth, old age, and death.

Without suffering, there would not be any Buddhism. That being said, it is true that the way out of suffering is also another pillar of Buddhism

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Suffering can lead to faith …in magic solutions. But kind of faith in the Dhamma is not without some basis in ‘evidence’.

Existence of suffering leads to the arising of the Buddha’s, as they seek solutions, but faith in the Buddha’s teaching arises not directly because of suffering but because a way out of suffering is evident.

You could say that no religion is happy with it’s idea of life on earth and has a corresponding version of dukkha. They offer after life solutions while the Dhamma offers a gradual solution in this life.

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Much agreed,

The result of suffering in sutta is twofold, wailing & distress & lamentation, or external search how to end the suffering. This external search is vital for faith to grow.

I would generally caution against make this statement to other religion, let not our difference make us look down upon the other, or blind to their goodness.

Definitely not!

@Gillian kindly gave this thread some time to sort itself back out and get on topic. As that hasn’t happened, I’m reclosing it.