What’s the Point? Part 2

In Part 1, I described how the Buddha set out to discover the causes of suffering and determine if there was a way to bring suffering to an end. He succeeded, of course. Otherwise there would be no Dharma, no Buddhism, no Middle Way. In this part I describe what the point of Buddhist practice is to me.

I came to Buddhism for the same reasons many others do. Something was missing, a void needed to be filled, a dull dissatisfaction was my shadow. Finding no solace in the religion I was raised with, I embarked – as others have and others will – on a spiritual journey.

I did not know then these feelings are among the many aspects of what is known as dukkha. Dukkha refers to any form of pain, grief, despair or dissatisfaction, no matter the source or intensity.

I did not begin the practice of Buddhism to become enlightened. Rather, I began practicing Buddhism based on the assertions I found in Bhante Henepola Gunaratana‘s Mindfulness in Plain English. I began with the faith that if I practiced as described, I could put an end to what troubled me (without annihilation, of course).

I can’t say I am no longer troubled by one thing or another. The fires of greed, hatred and delusion still flicker and flare. The reason I practice, however, is not what it was a dozen years ago. No longer is there a feeling of void. The shadow of dissatisfaction, when it follows, is not so dark. And I can’t remember the last time I held the idea of being on a spiritual journey.

Instead, as often as I can remember to do so, I turn my attention to what is happening, not just externally, but internally. To notice the arising of anything that causes the least disturbance in the mind leads to the ability to stop the disturbance before it gets out of control. I know this now from direct experience.

The point of my practice is to discover the deeper and ever more subtle sources of my own dissatisfaction and endeavor to eradicate them. This moment-to-moment challenge is not easy but worth the effort. To be awake to the true nature of reality and to fully understand it are my aspirations.

It’s important to mention here that the practice of Buddhism is not just for individual benefit. Rather, it is for the benefit of all beings. This is done through the development of the three aspects of the Eightfold Path, which is the fourth of the Four Noble Truths: Wisdom, Morality, and Concentration (mental training).

When I say my aspirations are to be awake to and understand the true nature of reality, I imply the full comprehension of the Four Noble Truths. That’s the point.