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THIỀN TRỊ LIỆU | Tâm lý trị liệu trên nền tảng Thiền Phật giáo
DUKKHASACCA – THE TRUTH OF SUFFERING“[Re]birth is suffering; old age is suffering; illness is suffering; death is suffering; association with the disliked is suffering; separation from the liked is suffering; not getting what you wish for is suffering. In brief, the five grasping aggregates are suffering.” (SN 56.11) The Pāli canon listed eight types of dukkha, grouping the first four of the bodily domain and the last four involving the mental process. To begin with, birth is suffering. Why? As a matter of fact, there are potential dangers both for the baby themselves as well as for the mother. Mortality rate in over 200 nations scores Afghanistan as the top country with the highest rate of infant deaths (10,7%), followed by the other African neighbors. The modern-day Nepal where Siddhartha Gautama was born, is ranked the 69th whereas Australia is amongst the lowest rate group, ranked the 214th out of 227 surveyed countries (CIA 2018). On the other hand, the maternal mortality rate has recently raised concerns, particularly in the high-income countries. In the US, 17.4 per 100,000 live births were recorded, which is almost 3.5 times that of maternal deaths in Australia (Statista 2020). Other than some wisdom and insights accompanied with the old, no man is truly happy with his physical status when time, disease and death visit him. Indeed, our body is nothing but a domain for both sensual pleasures as well as bodily diseases[1]. Throughout history, never a king, from Alexander the Great of the ancient Greek to Qin Shi Huang emperor of China, could surpass the impermanence law of all worldly matters including the vulnerable body. Because old age, illness and death are intrinsically of dukkha nature. Sadly, ageing is not the only problem. It adds up mental distress as time goes by. One out of four young Australians in the 16-24 age group are having mental disorders. 33% of women in comparison with 25% of men need treatments, yet men’s access to mental healthcare is humbly recorded (Bright Hope Australia 2014). Roberts (2019) studies death risks by population groups aged 15-74, reporting that the unemployed and low socio-economical status groups having mental problems are likely dying 3 to 6 times faster than the average population. Back to the Buddha’s words, mental distress appears when associating with the disliked, separating from the liked, or failing to achieve what is wished for. To summarize, the grasping of five compounds that constitute the body-and-mind is suffering in short, which requires us further time in contemplation and introspection. [1] AN 10.60 Girimānanda, Anguttara Nikaya – The book of the tens, trans. Bodhi Bhikkhu. Viewed 17 June 2021, https://suttacentral.net/an10.60/en/bodhi THE PRISON OF LIFE Thanissaro Bhikkhu (1997) considers saṃvega and pasada as the two most momentous emotions in Buddhist exegesis that did “inspire the young prince in his quest for awakening”. The former term, saṃvega, spiritually denotes the fearful multifaceted intensity of uncertainties such as birth, disease, ageing and death – which only create the futility of life. The latter however, pasada – as a light at the end of the tunnel, conjectures that there is a certain way out of the above predicaments, which is seen as the way-out door that prevents possible, negative consequences of saṃvega. In other words, the path here in Buddhist practices is to take saṃvega to a further step in thoroughly understanding potential dangers of life circles, thence discerning pasada. Indeed, sufferings or dukkha are much needed for men to get insights about the Truth of suffering. Therewith “right view comes first” (MN 117), then successively followed by right thought, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration (SN 56.11). Furthermore, light at the end of the tunnel brings up not only confidence in overcoming life’s fears but also a perception of deathlessness – another word for Nibbāna, a condition where no more rebirth [of living existence] is taken place. In the next section, we will discuss that light of wisdom and its impact on a ‘well being’ in the modern society where health crucially matters. THE LIGHT OF WISDOM FOR ‘TOTAL HEALTH’ A total health “involves more than just physical fitness” (Health Promotion Board n.d.). Interestingly, the Health Promotion Board of Singapore Government specifies the five-fold wellness including physical health (diet and sleep in particular), nutrition, physical activity, mental health, and smoke-free. Which is quite similar to the Health Fitness Revolution (2014) except that hygiene and sleep components are replaced for smoke-free and physical health. “When we talk about health, we can’t just focus on heart, liver or brain health. We have to look at total health and well-being and see the whole person and make use of tools and resources that benefit both mind and body” (Lutz 2018). So, in which way that Buddhist practices could help to resolve health-related concerns? “Aniccā vata saṅkhārā uppādavayadhammino The impermanence law (anicca) of all conditioned things (saṅkhārā) is succinctly defined as “to arise” and “to cease” with time as the main determinant. The first layer of meaning literally implies that the cessation of an ‘arising to passing-away’ phase would lead to the feeling of contentment. Although that does not refer to physical death, it is noteworthy to refute suicides because of their self-destruction inherently. In another deeper sense: Yo ca vassasatam jive apassam udayabbayam Without mud, there is no lotus. Without darkness, the value of light is never realized. Only through contemplating the dukkha nature of the body, diseases and death in particular, could we yearn for a course of action towards the ending of dukkha[1]. Therefore, dukkha should be seen as spiritual challenges rather than bad fortunes. Accordingly, it is more important to learn new attitudes of acceptance whatever is happening here and now. Over time, one shall meet an insight into the Truths, realizing that moments of happiness appear just when dukkha fades away. There is no point searching for happiness if one understands his own dukkha and lets dukkha happen as the way it should be. Interventions to comfort dukkha will be much needed, as long as hatred-rooted thoughts [of dukkha] are rectified within the mind. Again, the absence of ill-will blossoms into peaceful moments. Which are sweet fruits from skillful practices in Buddhist meditation from time to time.
--- Hang Ho (06/2021) ---- [1] The Pāli term is nirodha, cessation. Nirodhasacca, the third Truth of the end of suffering. Ref.: https://encyclopediaofbuddhism.org/wiki/Nirodha_sacc Comments are closed.
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