We often speak of pain and suffering in a single breath. I think this might come form our legal system where we hear about law suits for “pain and suffering” However, I then looked up the words in a few different dictionaries and found that they are often used a synonyms. There seems to be little differentiation.

I think that there is a significant difference between the two at least from a Buddhist perspective. First I want to define the “common” definitions that I came across:

Pain - An unpleasant sensation occurring in varying degrees of severity as a consequence of injury, disease, or emotional disorder.

Suffering – The condition of being in pain or the enduring of pain, trouble, or distress.

The way I see it, pain is physical experience. Suffering is our judgement of the pain. Just because we feel pain does not necessarily mean that we will suffer.

Pain can be actually followed by euphoria if the circumstances are such. An example: my daughter plays competitive soccer. Its amazing the amount of pain she can happily endure when she is in the middle of a soccer game. I would say that while she is in fact experiencing a physical Pain, there is not “Suffering.” However, if her brother runs into to her later that day, my daughter will scream “Adam! That REALLY hurt!” suffering from the injury.

Other examples more extreme can be found around the world. I watched a program of painful ceremonies around the world recently. In one Peruvian town, they break up into two separate groups and proceed to fight each other to rid “evil spirits. ” They individual fights draw blood and cause much pain. However, the participants smile during the event and hug and smile after they are done. There is definitely physical pain here but no suffering because they have a greater purpose behind the pain. Consequently, in this case, pain = happiness

We may not be able to avoid pain but we can avoid suffering. Suffering is a subjective decision of our thinking.

Many Dharma Blessings,

Geoff

Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, author of “Flow” and other wonderful books wrote about an industrial shop worker he interviewed. He tells about the worker as being a wonderful example of his concept he has termed Flow. This worker’s single responsibility in the shop is to fix machinery that is malfunctioning or broken.

Rather than this worker becoming upset at a broken piece of machinery, he actually becomes focused and intrigued. When interviewed, the worker says that he finds each malfunction as a challenge. Its an opportunity to investigate what is wrong and fix the problem. The more difficult and challenging the problem, the more this worker focuses on the situation.

Mihaly relates this to the efforts of such workers as auto mechanics. He found that the best auto mechanics are typically very quiet when they are at work. They are completely focused on the work at hand. They tend to lose track of time and become “lost” in the task at hand.

I would like to suggest that this attention to the broken machine mentioned by the industrial shop employee is Exactly the same thing that Vajrayana Buddhist talk about when they teach the approach to our own problems and obstacles.

The fix-it man does not experience disappointment or anger. He is only focused on solving and fixing the problem.

I have recalled this story when something in my house has broken, like a toilet. Toilet repair is not one of my specialties. But rather than getting upset at the situation, if I can see the broken toilet as an opportunity to face a challenge and successfully solve it, then I end up finding the repair job enjoyable.

So to when we are faced with other malfunctions in our life, we can make the problem an opportunity to focus in on the situation. We put our attention on problem at hand and take action the best that we can. There are no negative thoughts r emotions, just excitement about the opportunity to get to work.

For me this is part of putting Buddhist teachings into practice at during my daily life. There always seem to be plenty of opportunities to “practice.”

Many Dharma Blessings,

Geoff

While it does not seem to be a common discussion within the Tibetan Buddhist community, there seems to be three primary different systems of study found within Tibetan Buddhism. There is the Monastery System, the University System, and the Retreat System.

Under the monastery system, a member becomes a monk, or an ani in the case of a woman. Training includes linguistics, rituals, art, monastery care, and eventually Tantric practices.

Within the university system, the structure of study is focused on academic analysis and understanding. Students begin with Pratimoksha, move on to Madhyamika and Prajnaparamita, and complete with the secret Tantras and practices.

Finally under the retreat system, the methods progress from outer preliminary practice of Ngondro, move on to various Tantric practices, and complete with esoteric Tantric practices of Atiyoga.

I think that it is a wonderful structure to provide a path for different constituencies and personal capabilities.

One of the matters of which I feel we should be aware, is that the form of teaching from a teacher could significantly differ depending on where the teacher’s primary source of study comes from.

A monastic teacher is going to emphasize structure and rituals associated with a practice. A university teacher is going to work with the philosophical methods and Views. A Retreat teacher is going to emphasize personal experience and realization.

I have received teachings from all three kinds of teachers. Each can absolutely take you along the path, they just have very different approaches. Rather than shutting out the value of a given teacher, be aware that the teacher may be approaching teachings from a different perspective depending on their background.

I am not big on rituals, so I have a personal aversion to the rules and regulation forms of Buddhism. I am susceptible to the intellectual analysis, so I am drawn to the university approaches. However, my own personal path is definitely most in-tune to the yogis of retreat practice. When I read biographies of lineage holders, I find myself most intrigued with the yogis who on the surface lived seemingly average lives or wandered as homeless beggars.

The most important point here is to be aware of your own path and follow that which works for you. Just make sure that who ever you follow is an authentic lineage holder. This is easiest when a teacher has completed studies through the monasteries and universities. Its somewhat more difficult when the teacher is from a retreat/yogic method.

I have recently reviewed teachings on 37-Practices of a Bodhisattva and found myself stuck on the Stanza in which Gyalse Togme reminds us to focus our attention on our own faults.

Stanza 31 of the 37-Practices of a Bodhisattva says:

Without making efforts to clearly analyze delusions we have and mistakes we commit,
We still may perform many non-Dharmic deeds even though outwardly practicing the Dharma,
For this reason, examine your mistakes and delusions, the faults we possess,
Then afterwards remove them completely-
Bodhisattvas all practice this way.

It’s a very concise teaching on where to focus our attention. As a practicitioner, I must continually remind myself to direct my attention to my own faults.

I may have the appearance of a Dharma practicitioner even fooling myself. I may remember advice of my teachers. I may recite practices, I may recall the words of teachings, however, if I fail to clearly analyze my delusions, faults, and mistakes; I am really just a false practicitioner.

Khenpo Choga Rinpoche says the essence of the teachings are to watch our thinking. Maintain positive thinking. Simply stated positive thinking can be summarized into the following five positive thinkings: Renunciation, Compassion, Faith, Loving-Kindness, and Wisdom.

The great and auspicious Padmasambhava had said “Though my View is as wide as all the Universe, My actions are as fine as powder [sand].”

Everywhere that I look, the essence of Buddhist practices is right in front of me. Watch our thinking and our minds above everything else. Each moment is a moment to be aware of our thinking, our words, and our actions.

Maybe once we have established some stabilization in our thinking, negative thinking, words, and actions disappear, however, it is not for my concern at this time. I have no stabilization and no realization ….just lots of delusions and mistakes to correct.

During a teaching this weekend from Khenpo Choga Rinpoche, he told us that when faced with others causing problems, we must first decide if we can help without loosing our own positive thinking. If taking action results in negative thinking in us, then it is better to do nothing. Because we can be of no true help if we have negative thinking.

For the last few days, I have been more aware of my thinking. Checking as emotions arise. I am reminded that I am of no help to others if my thinking is not positive and pure. I just continue to go back to checking my own delusions and mistakes.

Many Dharma Blessings,

Geoff

I had a wonderful discussion this afternoon. My son, 15, is starting to see how deceitful, dishonest, and cruel the world really is. Its amazing the rationalization that people will go through to justify their self-serving actions.

There are a couple of things that I wanted to him know:

(1) Yes. People throughout the world are dishonest, deceitful, and cruel. In fact, Patrul Rinpoche said Don’t rely on anybody. Don’t trust anybody. However, Don’t stop trying to do what you can to make the world a better place starting with yourself and your immediate community.

(2) You cannot change the world. Yep! No matter what you do, you cannot expect to change even the thinking of one friend no less the world. However, Don’t stop trying to do what you can to make the world a better place starting with yourself and your immediate community.

(3) Give up any hope that your efforts will do any good. At Best, you can help 20%, the 80% is up to them. They have to do the hard work themselves. You cannot stop, really stop, anyone from doing what they want to do. Someone wants to kill themselves, sorry but if they are set on it, they will do it no matter what you do or say. However, Don’t stop trying to do what you can to make the world a better place starting with yourself and your immediate community.

(4) Focus on your actions not the results. You have 100% control of your actions, your words, and your thinking. You have very little influence on the actions, word, and thinking of others. To the extend that the results depend on anyone else, you are not in control of the results. However, Don’t stop trying to do what you can to make the world a better place starting with yourself and your immediate community.

(4) Never give up on doing good. Never. Even at the sake of your life. Never. Never, Give up!

Many Dharma Blessings,

Geoff