An extremely important example of Buddhist mind based approach to fix problem of suffering rather than trying to fix world.
How is not world but attachment is fixable?
And how just with ending of tanha, suffering automatically stops?
Let’s see this with example.
You have countless times heard that he who wins himself is true winner, but why? And more importantly, how? *And what is meaning of one who wins himself?*
A very important example about what entails winning in world in true sense – A Buddhist perspective.
Let’s say that there are two persons X and Y who are soon going to meet third person Z.
X has hatred towards bad speech of others. We all have dislike for that. Noone likes to hear the harsh words even from their parents, let alone anyone else.
However, Y has no such attachments or preferences. Because he understands that whatever comes through senses is not under our control and not to complete liking, whatever type of liking that might be. Hence, he accepts whatever that comes up through senses without any hatred or greed or any kind of attachments. Because he knows that attachment to pleasent words with greed and attachment to unpleasant words with hatred is of no use.
Now, X and Y goes to meet Z. Z yells at both X and Y, insults them, gives them harsh words, unpleasant speech.
However X suffers and Y does not suffer in this situation.
Why understanding this is extremely important?
Because, this situation illustrates how it is not the things in world but, our expectations/preference/greed/hatred which creates the suffering.
Now, just because X doesn’t have any preference for any particular type of treatment, does that mean he will generate the love/pleasent feeling even when someone insults him/her?
No. This is important to understand, you don’t have to give up on doing anything at all. Just don’t have attachment/expectations for anything coming through six senses. You will still be fully functional, after removing all the attachments.
Only thing given up by giving up attachment/preference/hate/greed is suffering/pain.
Important thing here to understand is that just because X has that kind of preference, it doesn’t mean that, people will stop telling him unpleasant unliked harsh words, however, because of his attachment to hear only nice words, now when he hears unliked words he will generate the hatred and hated is cause for suffering.
On the other hand when Y hears the same unpleasant words he has not hatred because he has no attachment/greed to particular type of speech and words, he doesn’t expect ears to *COMPLETE LIKING* hence, he doesn’t generate any hatred due to not having any greed.
Whether or not you have any kind of expectations/liking/greed/hatred has not impact on any worldly object or six senses, they will work on causality. They don’t work as per one’s wishes.
One’s greed/hatred/attachment/preference doesn’t enhance the working of anything, attachment serves no purpose other than giving pain and suffering. while their presence gives much suffering.
This is why one should work of oneself rather than world for achieving true happiness.
This example illustrates how it is not worldly conditionality that creates suffering but our attachment to it that is problem.
But, throughout our long Samsarā it has become our tendency/instinct and first response to fix world and to make it to our liking rather than fixing ourselves to not expect something from world which it can never provide.
When you try to fix world rather then yourself, you suffer. Because, you cannot bent ganga river as you like.
When you try to fix attachment, it is possible to stop Suffering and to have something that is to our *complete liking*
First is wrong approach, giving unpleasant unliked result. Something that all of us have done for so long.
Second approach is Buddhist approach, in which you fix false expectations rather then fixing world. This leads to permanent end of suffering.
If suffering is ended permanently, is it true winning or not?
One who ends suffering by fixing his mind, is he true winner or no?