Pessimistic cosmology / Samsara

The Watercooler
1

Hi all

A small question.

Should the level of “happiness” reached anywhere on the path to enlightenment, even when attaining enlightenment, ever be such that one becomes “friends” with Samsara, that is to be quite alright with the fact that it exists (not any longer blaming it for being the cause of all Dukkha)?

Or should one always still keep one’s critical (mental) distance to it, wishing for its cessation?

Or is this question meaningless or invalid?

Thanks

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Can you create flowers without ripe compost?

There is a sutta that contains this:

The world of no birth and no death, where is it to be found? It is to be found right here, in the world of birth and death.

These ideas are from the Zen master Thich Nat Hanh.

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As an afterthought, On The Suffering Of The World by Arthur Schopenhauer is a highly recommended, short, lucid essay that you could achieve on a work-break. I think you should read it. You will be amazed that he was not a Buddhist. He is often called a “Pessimist”, though that’s not a fair characterization either.

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The blaming is to be taken out of the mind while on the way already.

Saṁsara is dukkha, but our attitude doesn’t have to be blaming, but equanimity and disillusionment is the ideal. Imagine, disillusioned even with the best happiness in saṁsara, because it is impermanent.

This is wishing for Nibbāna. All conditioned things are indeed impermanent, having the nature to arise and fall, having arisen, they fall, their stilling is ultimate happiness.

This wish has no aversion.

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Nobody curses gravity as being the cause of injury one when one falls. It is just mindless nature. Same with Samsara. It is something to be dealt with, not personified and blamed.

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