POEM

Fake Misery

Aka Samsara

Photo by Nikko Balanial on Unsplash

Life is true joy up to its neck in fake misery

My mom had a favorite what she thought was a really funny expression, and which she resorted to perhaps a little too often, but still:

“It doesn’t hurt, it only feels that way.”

Really, she should have copyrighted that.

For even though suffering doesn’t (ultimately) exist but only appears to, it still feels like suffering, and that’s pretty much the definition of life on Earth.

Buddhism often talks of ultimate reality versus relative reality; sometimes they call them definitive meanings versus provisional meanings. Other times, they call them Karmic existence versus Emptiness.

Maya or Samsara is the Karmic layer of existence, with its causes and its effects; effects that, though ultimately non-existent still, relatively speaking, often hurt — sometimes a lot, other times less — or at least are not pleasant.

Ultimately, yes, there is no pain. Ultimately, there is only Emptiness, empty of all things but potential. Few have experienced this first-hand. They are called sages or saints.

The Pali Canon states in many places that Gotama Buddha would adapt his teachings to the awareness level of his audience. If his listeners were firmly entrenched in the Samsaric “reality” of things, he would then offer provisional teachings, and while relating Dharma (Truth) to his monks, he would most likely offer an ultimate teaching on Emptiness.

Mom was up to her neck in Samsara. To her, ultimate happiness was food, cooking it, sharing it, eating it. She was a brilliant (as in lethal) cook, with a generous side that shone straight through in her happiness in sharing, for she was truly happy when she could make others happy with her food; and then, too, when she could finally sit down herself and enjoy her own culinary magic, well, she was happy all over again.

Culinary Samsara.

Ultimately speaking, misery is fake, does not exist. Relatively speaking, misery is something you can be up to your neck in.

Ultimately speaking, life is true joy. Relatively speaking, life’s joy is fleeting and of an emotional or physical nature, aka transient pleasure.

How then do we lift life out of the visceral Samsara swamp and up into ultimate joy? Well, that’s what meditation is all about.

Advaita, too.

Methinks.

© Wolfstuff

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