The Second Noble Truth explains the main cause of our suffering: clinging to anything and everything.
The bad news is that suffering is part of our lives. The good news is that we can tackle the main cause of it – clinging. This concept, originally called “tanha” in Pali, translates to thirst. Various words encapsulate its essence, such as desire, attachment, striving, wanting, craving, grasping, and even more intense states like obsession and addiction.
Clinging generates suffering by making it occur or intensifying it, and by hindering circumstances that could ease it.
The inherent suffering of clinging:
Firstly, any form of clinging – whether obvious or subtle – inherently involves suffering. Clinging feels contracted, tense, uneasy, and stressful. Even if we desire something pleasant, the act of craving itself diminishes its joy.
Secondly, one of the Buddha’s fundamental teachings is that everything is impermanent. Things constantly change. Nothing, whether mental or physical, lasts forever. Each moment transforms instantly.
Our minds evolved to help us survive by identifying stable patterns in the world and devising lasting solutions. In essence, our minds are wired to hold onto fleeting moments to understand and control them. However, these moments vanish quickly, leaving us chasing after something already gone.
Living life feels like standing at the edge of a waterfall, with moments rushing past us. Our minds persist in trying to grasp what has already vanished. As the sage Shantideva noted, beings cling fiercely to what is passing, understanding this brings no happiness.
Moreover, the Buddha described suffering arising from four main targets of clinging:
1. Life’s unavoidable painful experiences, such as death, old age, illness, and other inevitable hardships. Resisting these moments or wishing for better experiences only amplifies suffering.
2. Desires for pleasures we can’t attain lead to frustration and a sense of futility, creating suffering.
3. Even when we achieve our desires, they often don’t bring lasting satisfaction. The actual experience might not be as great as anticipated.
4. Pleasures, even when enjoyable and attained at a minimal cost, are impermanent. They inevitably end, which can be painful and disappointing.
As the Buddha stated, everything that arises will eventually cease. Clinging to transient pleasures is painful. Whether we cling to painful experiences or seek after pleasurable ones, both actions lead to suffering.
Enjoy pleasant experiences as they come without clinging to them. Additionally, make sure that your enjoyment doesn’t fuel further desire. This is challenging and requires mindfulness.
However, this understanding isn’t meant to be grim. The aim of being aware of and understanding the causes of suffering is to free ourselves from them and, consequently, reduce or even eliminate suffering.
To sum up, no experience can wholly satisfy our quest for happiness, security, and fulfillment. We have been seeking these in the wrong places.
So, where should we look?