From: lyeh@alleg.edu (Hun Lye)
Subject: The joy of "letting go" according to Buddhism.
Date: 11 Oct 92 05:34:09 GMT

	Most, if not all of us want happiness.  It is natural to want
to be happy.  All sentient beings are constantly doing everything to
make sure that they obtain a taste of happiness.  Very often when we
are happy we do not know it.  It is only when we look back when we
know how to say "ah!  I was so happy then".  Therefore, we constantly
look back and compare our present situation with past experiences.  "I
was so happy the other nite", "Last year, at this time I was so happy"
and it goes on and on.  Why can't we be happy now?  Many ask this
question.  Of those who do not ask, they must either be truly happy or
they are so caught up in their own unhappiness or disatisfaction that
they seem to have even forgoten what happiness is all about!
	Based on his on observation and enlightenment, the Buddha saw
that if there is one thing we can say about existence, it is that
existence is marked by "duhkha" - often (but not entirely accurately)
translated as "suffering".  Duhkha carries the meanings of
unhappiness, disatisfaction, unease and suffering.  Far from being
pessimistic, the Buddha was just stating the obvious - although often
not very obvious to us.  If we look around the world we see that
duhkha is prevalent.  In our own microcosm, we see that we constantly
experience duhkha.  For example, the process of birth is duhkha.
Illness is duhkha.  Our body cannot even tolerate a thorn in it or a
spark of flame.  Mentally we cannot find rest.  We need to constantly
reassure ourselves, to go all out so that we do not encounter duhkha.
And of course aging and death is duhkha.  The Buddha did not say that
since duhkha is the mark of existence, accept duhkha or glorify it.
He did not say "end existence so that you end duhkha".  But instead,
he teaches that there is an end to duhkha.  We are not hopelessly
stuck with duhkha.  We can end duhkha.  So, how do we do this?