IX. THE SEA OF SUFFERING

Buddhism views this world as a vast and boundless sea of suffering, with no discernible shore or harbor. All beings are caught in this sea, endlessly drifting through countless lifetimes. Buddha vividly described the pervasiveness of suffering: “The tears shed by sentient beings in the Three Thousand Worlds combined exceed the water in all the oceans.”

Indeed, life is suffering, and no one is exempt. The wealthy suffer the anxieties of wealth, while the poor endure the hardships of poverty. Even a newborn cries out in distress, for it is born into suffering, and from birth, it faces countless hardships.

From childhood to adulthood, humans experience various forms of suffering, and as old age approaches, these sufferings intensify. The body weakens, senses decline, teeth fall out, energy wanes, and the mind becomes clouded and weary. Even with immense wealth, one cannot find the fountain of youth to restore vitality, and even with high positions and power, one cannot escape the inevitable suffering of aging.

Despite our best efforts to maintain health, we cannot avoid the unpredictable onset of illness and disease. The human body is a natural machine (organism), and like any machine, it is prone to malfunction and breakdown. These malfunctions manifest as illnesses that cause pain and suffering. In addition to physical suffering (douleurs matérielles), there is also mental and emotional suffering (douleurs morales). There is the heartache of loss and separation, the despair of facing misfortune, and the anguish of unfulfilled desires. Alas, suffering only compounds suffering.

As one hardship follows another, time swiftly passes, and eventually, death arrives. There is the agony of the dying process, the sorrow of leaving loved ones behind, the regret of unfulfilled aspirations, and the fear of the soul’s fate after death. The suffering of death is truly terrifying.

In summary, life is a sea of suffering. Recognizing this truth, we must seek a way to overcome suffering. To eradicate suffering, we must first understand its root cause.

Gautama Buddha taught: “Ignorance gives rise to craving, and unfulfilled craving is the seed of reincarnation, which in turn is the cause of suffering.”

• Ignorance: Due to ignorance, people do not understand the origin of their existence, their purpose in life, or the fate of their soul after death. Blinded by ignorance, they mistakenly believe that human life in this transient world is finite and limited.

• Craving: This leads to a relentless pursuit of immediate gratification and material pleasures, clinging to life and seeking wealth and status without realizing that these pursuits only perpetuate the cycle of reincarnation. Craving is the root of reincarnation. Every action has a consequence. The cause is the origin or seed of an action, while the effect is its result or consequence. For example, fire is the cause of smoke; therefore, fire is the cause, and smoke is the effect. The cause is what we create, and the effect is what we receive in return (karmic retribution). For instance, if someone commits a crime and is imprisoned, the crime is the cause, and imprisonment is the effect. As the saying goes, “You reap what you sow.” Therefore, the Confucians say, “Plant beans, get beans; plant melons, get melons.” Having examined the principle of cause and effect, we can see that cravings, especially those that remain unfulfilled, are the seeds of reincarnation. Driven by craving, people commit acts that violate the Way, accumulating negative karma. This accumulated karma must be repaid, leading to continuous rebirth through different lifetimes. The present life not only reaps the consequences of past actions but also sows the seeds for future lives. This creates an endless chain of cause and effect, trapping individuals in the cycle of reincarnation.

• Reincarnation: Reincarnation is the continuous cycle of death and rebirth. Each death brings suffering, and each rebirth brings new challenges and hardships. Thus, reincarnation is the cause of suffering.

Now that we understand the cause of suffering, to eradicate it, we must transcend reincarnation. To transcend reincarnation, we must eliminate craving. To eliminate craving, we must overcome ignorance. How do we overcome ignorance? We must cultivate wisdom and clarity, using this “illumination” to dispel the ignorance that is the root of suffering. Buddhism offers a path to overcome ignorance, known as the Noble Eightfold Path.