Unnecessary Suffering
‘The central assertion of Buddhism is that we are all living our lives on the basis of mistakes, and that, because we have not spotted these mistakes, we create for ourselves unnecessary suffering, The experience of the ‘enlightened ones’ - the Buddhas - down the ages, is that it is possible for anyone and everyone to see through these mistakes, to becomes ‘disillusioned,’ and thereby to achieve to achieve a moment-to-moment serenity and intelligence that had previously been only a dream or a desire. Thus while we in the West see disillusionment in a negative light, connoting disappointment, or a bitter and cynical attitude to life, for Buddhism, disillusionment is of central value, and it is what the Buddhist seeks. We grow up, so Buddhism says with a model of the world in which we put our trust, yet which is in countless ways false. Our beliefs lie to us constantly, causing us to see as important, necessary or real that which is not, and to reject as unimportant or unreal experiences that are not sanctioned or condoned. Thus misery is created: our blind adherence to these illusions leads us to struggle with our lives, to see ourselves and others falsely, to keep trying to put things right that are only wrong in theory, not in fact. Like a children’s game, or someone with post-hypnotic suggestion, we dream up monsters and and princesses, baddies and goodies, and expend our energies on fleeting form, or grasping for, these fantasies. But, says Buddhism, peace of mind arises only in letting go of our illusions. It is disillusionment that brings tranquility and equanimity.’
- Guy Claxton, Beyond Therapy, The Impact of Eastern Religions on Psychological Theory and Practice.
