Why Does Buddhism Go On About Suffering?

“I’m not suffering!”
Life is perfect for you, is it?
🙂

When the Buddha left his perfect palace, he saw suffering for the first time. He witnessed birth, old age, sickness and death.

Nowadays, we have:

Capitalism – an economic and political system in which a country’s trade and industry are controlled by private owners for profit.
And autocracies/oligarchies – societies under the control of one person or a group of individuals.
And globalism – policies operated on a worldwide basis.
And technocracy– the government or control of society or industry by an elite of technical experts.
And laboratories – building equipped for scientific experiments, for the manufacture of drugs or chemicals, and whatever can be done with DNA.
And wars – a state of competition or hostility between different people or groups.
And robots – a machine resembling a human being and able to replicate certain human movements and functions automatically.
And manipulation by the press and special interest groups– facilitating public control.
Etc etc etc …

Resulting in:
Reactions – by those who are confused.
And heavy handedness – by authorities.
And confusion, frustration and depression – caused by the activities of the above.

Although, from a truly spiritual perspective, everything is perfect due to causes and conditions, people do suffer, even if they think that they are all right.

A lack of empathy due to self-importance enables the Fourth Industrial Revolution to continue quietly apace. The real cause of suffering is the concept of a ‘self’ to which consciousness clings = ego.

Ordinary people have little egos, while those involved in the above can have huge egos. We need a little ego to survive; as long as we are aware of it, we are on the path to enlightenment!

Never be smug – having or showing an excessive pride in oneself or one’s achievements.
16th century, from Low German ‘smuk’ – pretty.

Sitting pretty on one’s special cushion/throne isn’t the path to go along.
We are all in this together.