We come to be aware through our practice that we have choices to be made in our lives, the most basic one being whether to suffer or not, whether to reject the guidance of our mind or not – yes, you do have a choice. Suffering is indeed universal, but not because it is inherent in man.
Most people don't have the awareness of this choice, but you do because you have been exposed to Buddhist teaching. But be aware that no matter how strong your faith is, neither your Buddha nature, the universe, or the presence of God/divinity within you, can protect you from making the wrong choice. The responsibility rests solely with you. It is your choice to make – no one else's. (Please remember that when I use the word "God" I am not referring to the God of the Old and New Testament, but rather to the divine essence that is within each of us. And so I use God, Buddha, or the universe interchangeably.)
Let's take an example. You have undertaken a project which you think is important for you, you may even feel guided to do it, but it causes you much fear, confusion, and frustration. You are torn up inside. You suffer.
The mind in such a situation typically will admonish you to persevere; this is a challenge, and you must meet it. You mustn't fail. Your mind can get downright aggressive.
Our practice, however, teaches that if it's causing you suffering either the project is not in your best interest or you need to find a different way of approaching it so it does not have this negative impact. The Buddha said, "If it causes you suffering, it is not you, it is not yours, it is not your self, because your self would not cause you suffering."
Further, it not only causes you suffering, it draws you away from your contact with the presence of Buddha nature/God within you and your faith in its guidance and its care for your welfare. The mind will ask, "Why isn't this working? Where is God when I need him? I was guided to do this."
One thing I should note at this point: people often say they were guided to do something and so expect that it's the right thing for them to do, that God or the universe intended it. It may be that the universe or Buddha or God brought you something as potentially the right thing, but I have certainly been involved with many things that were presented to me by happenstance as the right thing, but which turned out not to be right for me and so they ended.
I could have been very upset, but typically I wasn't because I knew it just wasn't meant to be; the universe had something better in store for me. Also, I knew I had achieved something meaningful as the result of the effort, and I can guarantee that is always the case, if you are open to being aware.
Making this choice is a quandary that we all face many times. And the choice is ours alone to make. We have been given the guidance on suffering; it is up to us whether we make the choice. See my post, "4. The Choice Is Yours," among others.
Unfortunately, even if we are aware, typically the mind wins the argument, unless we are so far along in our practice that our faith is steadfast and equal to the challenge of standing up to the mind.
If we do not chose to end our suffering by stopping the project, we cannot blame God for not helping us. That is not what God or Buddha nature is there for. The fact that we suffer is not proof that God has abandoned us; it's proof that we have ignored the change in God's guidance, the change in the guidance of our heart. All things are impermanent and changeable, even God's guidance.
If you are caught in this quandary, meditate on where your peace and happiness, your safety and security really lies. Does it lie with following the bodily and material urgings of your mind or does it lie with being sustained by the love of God/Buddha nature within you and putting your life and your will in its care?
Ultimately, only you can end your suffering.
May you experience peace and happiness.
Most people don't have the awareness of this choice, but you do because you have been exposed to Buddhist teaching. But be aware that no matter how strong your faith is, neither your Buddha nature, the universe, or the presence of God/divinity within you, can protect you from making the wrong choice. The responsibility rests solely with you. It is your choice to make – no one else's. (Please remember that when I use the word "God" I am not referring to the God of the Old and New Testament, but rather to the divine essence that is within each of us. And so I use God, Buddha, or the universe interchangeably.)
Let's take an example. You have undertaken a project which you think is important for you, you may even feel guided to do it, but it causes you much fear, confusion, and frustration. You are torn up inside. You suffer.
The mind in such a situation typically will admonish you to persevere; this is a challenge, and you must meet it. You mustn't fail. Your mind can get downright aggressive.
Our practice, however, teaches that if it's causing you suffering either the project is not in your best interest or you need to find a different way of approaching it so it does not have this negative impact. The Buddha said, "If it causes you suffering, it is not you, it is not yours, it is not your self, because your self would not cause you suffering."
Further, it not only causes you suffering, it draws you away from your contact with the presence of Buddha nature/God within you and your faith in its guidance and its care for your welfare. The mind will ask, "Why isn't this working? Where is God when I need him? I was guided to do this."
One thing I should note at this point: people often say they were guided to do something and so expect that it's the right thing for them to do, that God or the universe intended it. It may be that the universe or Buddha or God brought you something as potentially the right thing, but I have certainly been involved with many things that were presented to me by happenstance as the right thing, but which turned out not to be right for me and so they ended.
I could have been very upset, but typically I wasn't because I knew it just wasn't meant to be; the universe had something better in store for me. Also, I knew I had achieved something meaningful as the result of the effort, and I can guarantee that is always the case, if you are open to being aware.
Making this choice is a quandary that we all face many times. And the choice is ours alone to make. We have been given the guidance on suffering; it is up to us whether we make the choice. See my post, "4. The Choice Is Yours," among others.
Unfortunately, even if we are aware, typically the mind wins the argument, unless we are so far along in our practice that our faith is steadfast and equal to the challenge of standing up to the mind.
If we do not chose to end our suffering by stopping the project, we cannot blame God for not helping us. That is not what God or Buddha nature is there for. The fact that we suffer is not proof that God has abandoned us; it's proof that we have ignored the change in God's guidance, the change in the guidance of our heart. All things are impermanent and changeable, even God's guidance.
If you are caught in this quandary, meditate on where your peace and happiness, your safety and security really lies. Does it lie with following the bodily and material urgings of your mind or does it lie with being sustained by the love of God/Buddha nature within you and putting your life and your will in its care?
Ultimately, only you can end your suffering.
May you experience peace and happiness.
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