Ourmindisinclinedtowardssufferingunless Approximately80%oftheworldpopulationislivinginpoverty.Itis understandablethatthosewhofallwithinthiscategoryareunhappy.But ifwetalktothosewithintheother20%category,mostofthemwillclaim thattheyaresufferingandthattheperiodsinwhichtheyaretrulyhappy areverybriefcomparedtotheperiodswhentheyareinflictedwithsome formofsuffering.Whyisthisso?Allofusarelookingforananswerto thisproblem.Tofindasolution,wemustlookdeeplyintothecauseof thishumanpredicament.Ifwedonotunderstandthetruecause,wewill merelyendupchasingaftersomethingtodistractusfromoursuffering withoutfindinganactualsolution. Toseewhyourmindisinclinedtowardssuffering,wecanobservethe stateofourmindwhenwedesiresomeobject,whenwegetthatobject andwhenwelosethatobject.Thisalsoappliestoourdesiretobecome somebodyortoachievesomeposition.

.Ourdesirescanalsobefor somethingintangiblesuchaspower,respect,fameetc. Whenwedesireanobject,wewillonlylookatthepositiveaspectsofthe objectandwewillblockoutthenegativeaspectsfromourmind.When someonetalksnegativelyabouttheobjectthatwedesire,wewill sometimesgetangryandtrytochangethesubject.Wewillalsogetangry atanythingoranyonethathindersusfromgettingthatobject. Mostofusprobablythinkthatfameandfortuneissomethingthatis greattohave;butisthatso?IreadinthepapersthatAlPacino,the famousactorknownforhisroleintheGodfatherblockbuster,indulged inalcoholwhenhebecamefamousbecausehecouldnotcopewithfame anddidnothavethenecessarysupportsystemtohelphim.Hewenton tosaythateveryonewhobecomesfamousshouldhavesomeformof supportsystemtohelpthemtocopewithfame!Whowouldhave thoughtthatfameandfortunecouldbringproblems?Mostofusdesire

fameandfortunebecausewecanonlyseethepositivethingsaboutthem butisnotabletolookdeeplyenoughtoseetheothersideofthecoin. Ourdesiresignifiesthatwearenotcontentedwithwhatwehave. Wheneverdesireexists,contentmentcannotbethere.Without contentment,wecannothaveinnerpeace.Wewillbeconstantlythinking abouthowwecangetthatobject;orwewillbeangryattheobstacles thatarekeepingtheobjectawayfromus;orwewillfeelsorryfor ourselvesfornothavingtheobject.Wepraythatourdesiresbefulfilled butweforgettoprayforfewerdesires. Whenwefinallyachievetheobjectwedesire,oursufferingmerely changesform.Aftertheinitialeuphoriaofgettingtheobject,webeginto worryaboutlosingthatobject.Afterall,ifwedesirethatobjectso strongly,otherswouldto.Webecomesuspiciousofothers,thinkingthat theyareouttogetourbelonging.Ourmindbecomesoccupiedwith meansofprotectingtheobject.Weincurmorecoststoprotectthat objectandtomaintainit.Keepingthatobjectbecomesaconstant struggle.Ifthatobjectisjewellery,theonlybenefitwegetfromitisthe pridewefeelwhenothersadmireuswearingitorperhapsthepleasure wegetfromlookingatit.Ifwetrytosellit,wewillprobablyonlygetback afactionofwhatweoriginallypaidforit.Isitreallyworthallthat suffering? Overtime,ourmindgetsboredwiththeobject.Wearenolonger satisfiedbyitandbegintolookforotherthingstocravefor.Ourmindis inaconstantstateofdissatisfaction.Wearealwayscravingfor something.Whenweobtainanobjectwecravedfor,thereisatemporary satisfactionbutverysoon,themindbecomesdissatisfiedagainand cravingpredominatethemindalloveragain.Thishabitwillkeepusfrom gettingtruehappiness. Manyofusmaythinkthatiswewinabiglottery,wewillhaveevery reasontobehappy.However,researchhasshownaftertheinitial excitementofwinningthelottery,thewinnersfallbacktotheiroriginal

stateofhappiness(orunhappiness)whichtheywereoriginallyin.This pointtotheconstantstateofdissatisfactionthatweareoftencaughtin. Ourhabitualthinkingpatternsensurethatwearealwaysdissatisfied;so muchsothatevenwinningabiglotterycannotovercomeit. Finally,whenweloseanobjectofourdesire,thepainandsufferingthat wefeelisfargreaterthatthejoythatweobtainedfromgettingthat object.Itfeelsgoodtogainamilliondollarsbutthepainoflosinga milliondollarswouldbefargreater. Forsome,thepainoflosingsomethingissogreatthattheyeven contemplatesuicide.Atthatpoint,themindcanonlyseewhatislostbut notwhathasbeengained.Apersonwhohasjustlosthisjobcanonly thinkandworryaboutthelostincomebutisnotabletoseethatheis nowfreetopursuehisdreams. So,wecanseethatwesufferwhenwedesiresomething;wesufferwhen wegetitandwesufferwhenweloseit.Themomentsofjoyarenothing comparedtotheperiodsofsuffering.Unlesswedosomethingaboutit, ourmindwillalwayspushustowardssuffering.Thisisahabitallofus needtoovercome. So,wegoonthiscycleofcraving,getting(ornotgetting)andlosinguntil oneday,werealisethatnoobjectorpositioninthismaterialworldcan bringhappiness.Theybringhappinessonlyinourimagination.Atbest, theyonlydistractusfromsuffering;thatisalltheycando.Buttheyalso bringsufferingalongwiththem.Wejustneedtoconnectthedotstosee this. Ourmindwillalwaysbeinclinedtowardssufferingunlesswerealisethis factnothingisworthgettingandnothingisworthbeing/achieving.Ifwe lookatthethingsthatwehaveaccumulatedorthepositionwehave attained,wecansurelyseethatthereissomesufferingattachedtothem. Maintainingthemrequiressomestruggleandoftendisturbsourinner peace.

Evenexcitementisaformofsufferingbecauseitdisturbsourpeaceof mind.Anactionpacedmovieisenjoyablebutthemindwillbecome restlessandirritableafterthemovie.Themoviebringsexcitementwith sufferingattached. Whatwouldlifebelikeifwetakedesireoutoftheequation?Wewillfind morecontentmentinourlife.Therewillbelessfearandworry.Ourmind willbecomemorepeacefulandfocused;enablingustodoourjobs better.Wecanseethingsmoreclearlyandourwisdomwillgrow.Wewill experiencetruehappiness;nottheexcitingdistractionsthatwemistake forhappiness. Butdesirecannotjustdisappearbecausewewantitto.Itishabitthatis deeplyentrenchedinus.Weneedtotrainourmindtolookmoredeeply atthethingsorpositionwedesire.Wewillthenseethatthedesired objectorpositionwilljustchangethenatureofoursuffering;beingpoor hasitproblemsandbeingrichalsohasitsproblems.Beingunknownhas itsproblemsandsoisbeingfamous.Sufferingmerelytakesondifferent forms.