![]() ![]() The resulting serenity is so profound that those who spend their lives in the frenzied pursuit of pleasant feelings can hardly imagine it. You live in the present moment instead of fantasising about what might have been. All kinds of feelings go on arising and passing – joy, anger, boredom, lust – but once you stop craving particular feelings, you can just accept them for what they are. When the pursuit stops, the mind becomes very relaxed, clear and satisfied. In meditation, you are supposed to closely observe your mind and body, witness the ceaseless arising and passing of all your feelings, and realise how pointless it is to pursue them. This is the aim of Buddhist meditation practices. People are liberated from suffering not when they experience this or that fleeting pleasure, but rather when they understand the impermanent nature of all their feelings, and stop craving them. ![]() Even when experiencing pleasure, it is not content, because it fears this feeling might soon disappear, and craves that this feeling should stay and intensify. Due to this pursuit, the mind is never satisfied. Rather, the real root of suffering is this never-ending and pointless pursuit of ephemeral feelings, which causes us to be in a constant state of tension, restlessness and dissatisfaction. “According to Buddhism, the root of suffering is neither the feeling of pain nor of sadness nor even of meaninglessness. ![]()
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