Knox Academy RMPS Learning Log

“I teach one thing and one only: that is, suffering and the end of suffer.” Samsara is the Buddhist cycle of rebirth that represents the state of minds that you have in each life. Every living person is in this cycle, unless you have reached enlightenment. It is only then that you can escape this endless cycle as you have conquered the Three Root Poisons that fuel samsara; greed, hatred and ignorance. In Buddhism your aim in life is to escape the suffering caused by the three poisons and other human flaws in order to reach Nirvana, a state of mind where you have become aware of the ‘real’ world and are no longer attached to the physical world with the bonds of karma. The three root poisons are portrayed by Buddhists as a cockerel (greed), a snake (hatred) and a pig (ignorance) each biting each others tail. This shows that samsara is kept turning by the three poisons since they motivate each of the other animals actions. Therefore, our actions cause us to stay in this world of suffering, Samsara.  During rebirth you are born into a new life with a certain state of mind, depending on your previous actions and how they have affected your karma. Karma accounts for all the happiness and suffering in the world. It is only when one eliminates karma that one can be free from its bonds to the physical world. If, after every life, you remain with karma you must be reborn, keeping the cycle of samsara turning. Buddhists believe that when you have this attachment to the world you are constantly suffering as you cannot experience complete freedom. With this attachment to the world you must also experience the larger kinds of suffering that come along with this, such as the death of a loved one. Therefore, samsara is always a cycle of suffering. There are six different states of mind (realms) that you can be born into. The top realm that you can reach is the realm of the gods. Here you are happy but you still suffer due to the general unsatisfactoriness caused by the lack of answers to difficult questions. The realm of humanity is just below the realm of the gods. The benefit of this state is that you can choose your own actions. Suffering occurs in this realm because the actions we choose, craving, and the flaws you are born with. In the animal realm you can live perfectly happily as long as your needs are fulfilled. However, all animals are ignorant of the dharma causing suffering and keeping the three root poisons in motion, turning the cycle of samsara. The hell realms consist of over twenty hells which represent a mind set of extreme suffering. The realm of the pretas represents a state of selfishness. Pretas always want to eat no matter how much they have already had. I think this also shows craving and Buddhists believe craving (tanha) causes suffering as you cannot always have more. Again, this shows that samsara is a world of suffering. The final of the six realms is the realms of the asuras, here mythical beings make their decisions with hatred and envy. This causes suffering as the mind doesn’t work clearly when motivated by these emotions leading to bad decisions and negative actions. In all the realms, suffering occurs in some form showing that samsara is a world of suffering. The twelve nidanas also help to make up the wheel of samsara. The first image is of a blind man who represents peoples’ ignorance to the Buddhist fact of anatta – there is no fixed self (everything is co-dependent). As everything is co-dependent others’ actions affect you which will mean you will also suffer. It also shows that you must have the ‘right view; on life to escape samsara. A potter at work shows how we create our own karma by the decisions we make to shape our life like how the potter shapes his pot. Negative actions create negative karma which causes suffering. The third of the twelve nidanas is of a monkey climbing a tree. This represents the start of consciousness to your own existence. This can cause suffering as you begin to think about yourself and often do things for the wrong reasons. The five skandhas; perception, form, sensations, consciousness and mental formations, are shown as a boat with its passengers. These five things are what Buddhists believe make up what we know as a person. The fifth image is of a house with six openings. Each opening representing one of the five senses and the sixth, the mind. Both of the above can be used in either a way to cause suffering or to cause happiness. A couple embracing each other shows how we use our senses to create relationships with other people. Due to anicca, everything is constantly changing, this causes suffering because relationships never stay the same and you suffer because you want them to be perfect all the time. It also causes suffering to you as eventually the bond will have to be broken forever when you or the other member of the relationship dies (kisagotami). The seventh of the twelve nidanas is a man with an arrow in his eye. This shows us how contact with the world around us and the actions we make cause things to happen. These can lead to neutral, nice or painful feelings. This obvious example shows painful suffering. A woman offering a man a drink shows how feelings (thirst) leads to craving, in this instance for a drink. Buddhists strongly believe that tanha causes suffering which I can understand as the desperateness of craving makes your actions and doesn’t fit with the Eightfold Path (Right Action). Actions must be for the right reasons. The next image is of a man gathering fruit which represents how people act on their cravings, again this isn’t conducive with right action. The tenth and eleventh images concern the creation of life. A pregnant woman is shown and a woman giving birth. Both of these create more attachments to the world around us making it harder to escape samsara. They also cause suffering as new life changes and change creates suffering. The last of the twelve nidanas is a dead body which reminds us that everything that is born has to, eventually, die. Death and loss is something that causes suffering to all human beings as it makes you ask questions that, as a human, cannot be answered, causing unsatisfactoriness, as things have changed which, again, causes suffering. Buddhists believe that samsara can eventually be escaped by following the Buddha’s teachings. Magga, the Middle Way, is a lifestyle which is to be followed at all times. Buddhists use the Noble Eightfold Path to have a life that is neither in excess or in complete poverty, allowing them to open their mind to the questions of suffering and eventually reach nirvana.  Samsara is definitely a world of suffering for Buddhists, as each step of the cycle links to suffering in some way. Suffering is fuelled by our own cravings and excessive motivations (greed, hatred, and ignorance). I admire Buddhists for being so honest about the flaws of humanity and realising that everything cannot be repaired or stay perfect. I, unfortunately, see a lot of truth in the fact that life (samsara) is suffering. However, I have experienced true happiness in my life and suffering is well worth having if you can feel that great, even if its for an instant.  by Carla

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First of all it is important to understand that Buddhists believe that no living being must ever go through physical or mental suffering.   We can immediately see that Buddhists have compassion for all living beings in that they have a shared understanding and belief system to prevent suffering in another human or indeed, any living being e.g. right occupation.                        Buddhists ensure that their action are skilful and compassionate by considering three main factors which can be thought of as a tree:  right action, which represents the seed; then you have the roots. Intention is very important when committing an action as your action will either be linked to the three good roots of non-attachment, kindness and compassion or the three bad roots of hatred, greed and ignorance.  finally comes the consequences or the fruit of your actions.  If your action was compassionate then it is likely that the fruit or result of your action will be beneficial to all.  It is therefore important for Buddhists to think an action through in order to show compassion and prevent negative Karma which will them trapped in the wheel of Samsara. Compassion (Karuna), or loving Kindness (Metta) is the idea that an individual shows compassion for the right reasons, even if the other party may not receive it gratefully.  Buddhist theology teaches that it is important to persevere in order to show compassion.  An example of this are the Sangha Metta Monks who helped those with AIDS’ victims and their families.  These monks would take orphaned children into their care after their parents had died of HIV/AIDS related illnesses. At this time people were unaware of how AIDS was contracted so the monks were potentially putting their lives on the line for the greater good (displaying/practicing compassion). These monks are a perfect example of tough love and compassion. The Dalai Lama once said that the reason for compassion is as follows:   “The rationale for universal compassion is based on the same principle of spiritual democracy.  It is the recognition of the fact that every living being has an equal right and desire for happiness.  The true acceptance of (this) requires that we think and act in terms of the common good.  Compassion and universal responsibility requires a commitment to personal sacrifice anon the neglect of egotistical desires.”   What I believe the Dalai Lama is saying in this passage is that compassion must start with the recognition of the fact that all beings are entitled to happiness and we need to put others before ourselves.   Ultimately, Buddhists show compassion to prevent suffering.  If they were to cause suffering then it would have a negative impact on their Karma.  Compassion and the action taken is obviously dependent on the situation in which they find themselves.  I suppose Buddhists also show compassion, as they seem to realise that everyone is living in the world of Samsara and experience dukkha – this, as the Buddha taught, can be overcome. 

I think this is an admirable attitude to take in life as very often I find it hard to continue showing compassion, especially when someone is unwilling to accept it.

By Max

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