“Our practice of the Dharma should be a continual effort to attain a state beyond suffering. It should not simply be a moral activity whereby we avoid negative ways and engage in positive ones. In our practice of the Dharma, we seek to transcend the situation in which we all find ourselves: victims of our own mental afflictions- such as attachment, hatred, pride, greed, and so forth-are mental states that cause us to behave in ways that bring about all of our unhappiness and suffering.” – Dalai Lama

When the Dalai Lama says we ought to seek to “transcend” “mental afflictions,” the negative mental states that bring suffering, rather than avoiding negative ways and engaging in positive ones, he is pointing to a fundamental difference between Buddhism and Western religions.  Western religions have us caught in the push-pull of moral instruction to do and not do certain behaviors while Buddhism teaches virtue, the development of inner positive states that naturally lead to ethical conduct. A virtuous person experiences clarity, compassion, and wisdom which transcend the self-centered egoic distortions that Western religions hold as human nature and make us “sinful.” Buddhism, on the other hand, teaches liberation from this egoic identification that has us in unbalanced struggle and guides us to centered balance where the pull to negative and selfish behavior is experienced as deleterious, not only to others but to ourselves.  Our authority becomes our own experience of what brings happiness and what brings pain though mindful attending to our own thoughts, emotions and behavior.

In the ancient Pali language of The Buddha’s world, the word “dukkha” is the centerpiece of his teaching and is most often translated as “suffering.”  Buddha’s very first teaching was that for humans, life is dukkha.”  For us in the West, suffering is a familiar religious concept.  Our religions have often been passed to us as dour and demanding beneath whatever celebration of the Divine there may be, full of wariness of and penitence for our sins. There is a long history of those who consider suffering a mark of their religious faith.  For this reason, the translation of “dukkha” as suffering can very much miss the meaning of its original intent.  Other translations that I find subtler and useful are “unsatisfactory” and “troubled.”   

For humans, unlike any other being, life can be subjectively unsatisfactory, that is, other than what we want it to be and this troubles us endlessly.  It is this ability to want and, conversely, to be averse, in attitude of mind and in abstract stories in our mind “about” – whatever – that is the problem for humans.  It can lead to states of mind and behavior that will bring about real trouble and pain for ourselves and others. Only humans have the ability to abstract their experience mentally out of simply what it is, to imagine it would be better or worse – “if.”  It is, as the Dalai Lama noted, we live mentally much of the time in “our own mental afflictions.”  We find Life in general and our individual life unsatisfactory. Yes, that’s how we suffer, and much neurotic, addictive, and destructive behavior – as well as spiritual poverty – flow from this affliction.

As the ancient Vedic culture which Buddhism and Hinduism flowed from expressed itself mythically, symbolically, and metaphorically, the concept of “dukkha” can probably be best understood as a “felt sense” – like when – in this case – the original meaning of the word “dukkha” was symbolized by a cart whose wheels were off-center; thus, it implies life experienced as off-balance and uncentered.  It is this off centeredness that does seem to be the best way to describe the problem of being human.  Our abstracting minds, our imagining minds, our storytelling minds throw us off center, resulting in much affliction upon ourselves, others and the world.  The hub of the wheel of our experience is off-center and so the cart of our life wobbles. The best approach to Buddhist practice then is in addressing this problem of “dukkha” through bringing awakened awareness to our center, to the hub of our experience.  This is a way of describing meditation, looking inward to examine the mind to find how it is imbalanced and to deepen connection with what is always balanced, pure, and untroubled – awareness itself. This displaces egoic confusion as our center, and the wheel of our experience increasingly balances to the result of a sense of life as centered and fully satisfying.

In the symbolism of Buddhism, the wheel we are addressing which is needed to carry the cart of our life in an awakened and balanced manner is called “The Dharma Wheel.”  This is a mandala-like image which has eight spokes which correspond to the Eightfold Path that Buddha taught as the way to the cessation of dukkha. First, the word, Dharma. This translates as “The Way.” It is the natural “Way” of the Universe, of Nature, of the Cosmos.  It is built on the basic principles of the infinite interconnectedness and interdependence of all that exists and the impermanence of all form.  It teaches that wisdom and compassion are our true intelligence emanating from the essence of our Being, our center, for our essence is the same intelligence that balances the universe. This is awareness prior to distortion from ego projecting its artificial reality upon the world, ourselves, and each other as stories conditioned into us by culture, society and personal psycho/social experience. We believe life, others, and ourselves to be a certain way because of our accumulated experience, expressions, habits, and conditioning.  Buddhism calls this “karma” and only the application of awareness can free us of karma and bring our wobbling, uncomfortable cart back into stable balance. This is “The Way.” We must become the center, the hub of the wheel – as awareness, in awareness. We must practice the wisdom of Dharma. Centered, we do not wobble off into neuroticism, addictions, and spiritual emptiness or misadventure.

The Eightfold Path spokes of the Dharma Wheel are The Buddha’s prescription around which a virtuous, balanced and effective life can be built. They are Right View, Right Resolve (intention), Right Speech, Right Conduct, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness, and Right Samadhi (meditative absorption or union). In Buddhism, “Right” means in accord with Dharma, “The Way.” In other words, it means guided by wisdom and compassion, recognizing how everything is “empty” of independent self, rather existing within the network of interconnectedness and interdependence.  Nothing exists except for the existence of everything else. We are interconnected within the unity that is Life. To be “right” is to have this sense of infinite connection with all that is at our very center.  This view or felt experience then guides all that we are and do.  This is Dharma.

Thus, Right View, is seeing life with the eyes of Dharma. Right resolve or intention is bringing determination to focus the energy of consciousness into something like a vow to overcome egoic delusion – our mistaken perceptions, beliefs, and conduct. Right speech, conduct, and livelihood is living our behavioral and social life in such a manner that supports the principles of Dharma, which includes “ahimsa” – respect for all beings and intention to bring as little harm to other beings in our speech, conduct and livelihood as we can.  Right effort is returning repeatedly, with dedication, to being mindful of the arising of the unwholesome states of mind that mark ego’s insecurities and beliefs which can lead to neurotic and addictive states. It is then applying awareness to see these unwholesome mind-states for what they are – afflictions, and through awareness release them. And we do this through the application of Right mindfulness – the cultivation of attention into the moment, into our mental states, and into seeing the world and others in the deepest and sincerest manner.  Awareness itself manifests wisdom and compassion and is the cognitive state of right mindfulness. Nothing more than the keeping of our states of mind and perception in awareness is needed to begin bringing them into balance.  Right samadhi is the product of right mindfulness. It is seeing, experiencing and living in the non-dual sense of connectedness with all life.  Thus, our own well-being is seen as inextricable with the well-being of all Life. Our intention becomes the intention of the “bodhisattva” – one who is dedicated to alleviating suffering for all beings and does so, as they can, as centered peace, wisdom, and compassion personified.

This living centered in Dharma is the fulfillment of the spiritual element of Buddhism, where the egoic separateness that creates our imbalance increasingly falls away and we experience the vast interconnectedness of our existence with all that is.  We have moved from dualistic confusion into non-dual harmony and balance. With the application of the Eightfold Path as our guide and practice, the wheels of the cart of our life become increasingly balanced, and we experience centeredness, no longer dissatisfied or troubled. We begin to live more easily in the everythingness of Life as who we are.  We are no longer pushed and pulled by opposites but centered in unity and moderation. This is the felt-sense that is curative of “dukkha.” It is the purpose and fruit of meditation and mindfulness, and an important aspect of what in Buddhism is called “The Middle Way.”

The ancient Buddhists were not the only culture whose wisdom was expressed through the concept of balance and a virtuous life as the antidote to human unhappiness and tendency to harm.  The ancient Greeks held “The Golden Mean” and the Roman Stoics held to principles of moderation and living virtuously, while recognizing the cosmic principle of balance as the key to a well-lived life.  This centering into the very source of ourselves where we manifest into existence as beings interconnected with all beings is the essential mystical perspective of many cultures.  Native Americans likewise expressed this universal and archetypal intuition through the “Medicine Wheel.” This moment, are you in balance or are you not? Are you centered in your experience, as the experience, feeling the connection of the material and spiritual dimensions of your existence as centered and in balance?  The earth is beneath you and the heavens above.  Align and center yourself. Balance your mind with compassion and wisdom. The intelligent energy of the Universe that animates you and brings the individual experience of awareness is your essence. Centered in the moment, as the moment – now – you can live deeply and fully, breaking free of dukkha.