A major topic in Zen is about suffering. The Buddha taught us that there three major reasons we suffer: desire mind, anger mind and ignorance mind.
But why is there suffering at all in our world, on our planet? How did it start? Does it have a function? The real question is: where does it come from originally? Why do we have a dualistic mind that swings from Yes to No, from love to hate, from like to dislike? Originally there is nothing. No suffering. So when did we begin to suffer? Why do all sentient beings on earth sometimes have great fear, great pain, great desolation?
The Buddha never told us why we have desire mind, anger mind and ignorance mind. He only said that these three minds cause suffering. Different religions and philosophies struggle to give an answer to this question of suffering. The answers are different. But our practice in Zen does not give an answer.
We ask deeply: What am I? What is this? It is the same question that the Buddha asked and also the saints and wise elders asked.
What we do know is that the Buddha showed us how to get out of suffering. The Buddha taught us about the dualistic mind. Sometimes when we sit quietly in meditation, we notice a peace and silence that emerges after a while—it happens with no effort. In those wonderful moments, we see that this is our true self. The judgmental mind is silent. Sometimes we wish that it would always be like that in our lives.
I remember the times when I sat very long retreats, that I fervently wanted to remain in that state of peace forever.
It seems that suffering is the problem that we all wish would go away because our minds attach to wanting everything to be easy and painless. But Have you noticed that even when we are greatly suffering– inside we all have the bodhisattva direction of deeply wanting to help all others? Because we practice silence, can hear this call to live in community with each other, to reach out and help. This is the great gift of spending time in silence.
