The Buddha said the end of suffering is possible, doesn't change and is very much worth willing.

"What’s really worth doing? On the one hand there’s a lot of change: We’re subject to aging, illness, death, and separation from all that we love. The question is — what are you going to do about change?

Some people will tell you that the Buddha teaches you, “You simply have to accept it because that’s all there is: things that keep on changing, changing, and changing. If you resist change, or if you try to find something that doesn’t change, you’re going against the nature of reality.” But the Buddha did teach that there is something that doesn’t change, and it can be attained through our efforts.

So, what’s worth willing then? Simple acceptance? Well, no. What’s worthwhile willing is to act in ways that will lead to that changeless dimension. That’s why the contemplation ends with, “I am the owner of my actions.... whatever I do, for good or for evil, to that will I fall heir.” Your actions will make a difference, so you want to make sure that you’re well motivated to act skillfully.

This is where the emotions come in. They’re not just a matter of how you feel about somebody doing something or someone saying something or events outside. They’re not just your passive reaction to things, they’re also your active sense of what can be done. There’s a certain amount of emotion that goes into that, too. You see this very clearly with people who are depressed: They have no desire to act. They feel that everything is hopeless, their actions will not make any difference, so they just give up.

That’s a very bad heart state to be in, just in terms of the feeling side. And it’s very strongly related to the fact that they don’t feel that anything is worth doing, nothing is worth willing. But as the Buddha said, the end of suffering is possible. It is possible to find something that doesn’t change. That’s very much worth willing."

~ Thanissaro Bhikkhu "Developing the Heart"

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Question habits and intentions. However, faith in karma should be maintained as a working hypothesis all the way to Nibbana.

There are lots of things about karma that are not fair, the Buddha didn't design it

Have some positive feelings toward this teaching on kamma. It’s not there just to punish you. It’s there to offer you opportunities. It’s there to remind you that your actions are important.