Interesting how suffering was so especially intense when many of the great religious teachers and teachings came to be – such as Lao Tzu, Moses, Buddha, Shankara, Jesus, Muhammad (thank you Karen Armstrong). Compassion was the radical key in many of these religions – and taking action to help relieve suffering. Now we can catch a glimpse of what it would be like to be beyond suffering, even though there is still so much of it. We can start to see that there is much more to attain than relieving suffering, or transcending suffering, or experiencing personal bliss, without boundaries. We can see that we can attain so much also within our boundaries, of the earth as a whole, and for all people. This is an amazing vision, not of Heaven in the Sky, but heaven on earth.

Is it really possible? Or are we doomed to keep muddling through, or worse, with suffering and beauty always side by side? I think more of us than ever are reaching for the possible, in spite of it not being in our memory.

Wouter

From the moment we’re born life seems to be full of separations; first from mother and afterwards from many beloved people. The older we grow the more often we’ll experience separation. So yes, consciousness – as in self-consciousness – does require knowing a difference between self and other to make any sense, and thus some type of separation. There is of course oceanic unity and transcendent unity/non-separation, but both are very personal experiences mostly that do not translate into a more encompassing unity in social, economic or political life, for instance.

you’re right, of course, humanity has been in love with war (great book on this, A Terrible Love of War by James Hillman) since time immemorial. Creating ecological disaster is also not new, the ancient Greeks’ deforestation of the Greek islands for the ships has created the Greece we know today, for instance. So we’ve got reason to mourn and grieve for our species’ ferocious past. It’s also clear that we’re not alone in that kind of behavior, even though the intensity we’ve developed is unsurpassed, and there is a world of difference there.

Also in human being’s development there is a lot of differentiation to make: Toddlers fighting ferociously over some bucket in a sandbox is very much different from two grown ups using sticks and stones or knives and guns. And this again is a world of difference between two gangs violently clashing or nations at war as in in WW2. And I would agree that consciousness does play a role in this, even though I would say that conscious suffering or unconscious suffering is exactly the same, the only difference is that a conscious being can reflect on the suffering it receives or meats out, and that it can take things personal – having a persona that self-reflects.

I do see the situation we’re in as an evolutionary one in which it is decided whether we will remain an important species on this planet or not. As I said in my blog, I’m sure that a new humanity, even a new world is emerging under pain, and that we are in that labor together – a situation that your wonderful wife will be in individually soon; that will allow you to appreciate where I’m coming from in a whole new way; I’ve been present at the birth of both Roosje and Felix, and I can tell you that NOT being the one who does the birthing can be very taxing indeed

I know that you, as a Buddhist, are convinced of the first Noble Truth, that “birth is suffering, aging is suffering, illness is suffering, death is suffering; sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief and despair are suffering; union with what is displeasing is suffering; separation from what is pleasing is suffering; not to get what one wants is suffering; in brief, the five aggregates subject to clinging are suffering.” And that ypou believe that it is caused by what is stated in the second Noble Truth, that “… it is this craving which leads to renewed existence, accompanied by delight and lust, seeking delight here and there, that is, craving for sensual pleasures, craving for existence, craving for extermination.” And I also know that you are working very hard in your own life to walk the Path that is outlined in the 3rd & 4th Noble Truth.

My outlook, as depicted in this and other recent blogs, differs a little bit in that I do not believe that the cause of suffering is “clinging” or attachment and that therefor we can end it by (through any Path) refraining from clinging. I don’t think that suffering as a cause in the proper sense of, for instance, B is caused by A. The whole type of thinking that attributes all phenomena – like suffering – to causes – like attachment – was appropriate to that phase of human development (maybe we can call it the ‘causal phase’). In our times we’ve come to understand a bit more of the enormous complexity of both the physical as the non-physical world and how causal influences are important but equally important are intention, goal (in the sense of telos), inter-perspective (who is calling on what, and who is answering to what; a force that is part of what I would call the “Living Field”) and more.

Becoming conscious, and then being conscious of being conscious – deeply exploring what it means/is to ‘be conscious – is part of our evolutionary development but this does move, at least that is what I’m certain of and live from occasionally, beyond consciousness; consciousness is but one fruit on the tree of life and that what we are in truth is ‘deeper’ than consciousness. Maybe this understanding helps me in suffering and crying with humanity when that is present for me, and not being too disturbed by the painful birthing process that we’re going through on this planet… who knows?

I think you are pointing out to much of a specific period of time and specie of the mess we are currently in. Wars, killings, rapings, distruction and suffering have always been on a massive scale troughout the history of life. I also want to add to this, that these acts are not only specific for the human species. It seems that all living beings on this planet share this same behavior. Dolfins and monkey’s gang raping and killing each other for fun. Insects fighting wars for wealth and teritory. Even to the level of bactarie etc. suffering is a fact. Try to imagine the world dominated by dinosaurs, wars and killings all the time, everywhere! Our another specie for that matter…

The human race is distroing it self with his current behavior to it’s suroundings (most likely so would a different dominant specie) it will take alot of species with it, but the world (life) will survive. So now we have a dilemma. The dominant specie is making a mess, becoming to dominant, so nature will eventually act by making the planet not liveable for humankind.
Normally I would say this is a good thing, but…;

As human beings we have the ability above all other species on this planet to become conscious. Consciousness together with compasion is the most valuable thing we can achieve. So to be human, to have this potency, to become consious is what makes us valueable. And therefor it would be a shame if it was extinct. So, this is what I think could safe our own asses and maybe much, much more…

Wouter Vlaming