Richard Soehl
2. The Truths to Living in the Middle
2. The Truths to Living in the Middle
So, how does one achieve and then maintain living in the middle and be able to keep finding that balance in life? Well, as mentioned before, it is not an easy task but it is achievable by just about anyone. All that really matters is how much one has to change and how much one is willing to change. Especially, in how they view the world around them. For some this is just a small adjustment and for others it can be a colossal undertaking. But I promise you it will be an undertaking worth committing to. So to get there, to living in the middle, does require an understanding of what life is about and what life means in the Middle Way philosophy.
Once again, we will look to Buddhism just to provide some insight on life in general. To live in the middle with a Middle Way philosophy you should understand that there are four truths in life (The Four Noble Truths found in the Middle Way). These life truths are that in life we will face suffering, suffering comes from our attachments, that we can end suffering, and that there is a path to ending our suffering. Basically, these four truths sum up what we can expect to find in life and how it leads to that path of living in the middle – the middle way.
I will not delve too deeply into the four truths in life. However, it does require a healthy appreciation, understanding, and acceptance of these truths for you to be able to begin on the Middle Way path. So, here they are:
1. In life we will face suffering. As we know, life and the world around us are definitely not perfect. So, as we naturally live our lives we will inevitably be faced with suffering. Be it physical from pain, illness, injuries, aging, and eventual death or from a more psychological aspect such as fear, disappointment, frustration, sadness, and even depression. As with our more joyous life experiences, suffering is not a permanent state of experience. Therefore, life is not perfect or permanent and we should understand that all we work towards in our lives are moments (snapshots in time) that will eventually end. As our loved ones pass on so shall we one day. Again, life is ever changing and nothing is permanent.
2. Suffering comes from our attachments. Why do we suffer? This is a very good question as no one likes to suffer. Therefore, a better way to look at suffering and to answer that question is to ask ourselves, “Where does suffering come from?”
Suffering comes from how we attach ourselves to temporary or transient things that we become exposed to in our lives and the ignorance we have about these fleeting things. These “Things” are not only the physical elements that surround us, such as objects/material things, but also our ideas and more importantly the perceptions we hold regarding all objects. The related ignorance we have towards these things really comes from our lack of understanding of how strongly the mind can attach itself to such transient things. Hence, we suffer. Suffering is a direct result of our desires and how we choose to adhere or cling to them – the perception of them. We tend to be driven to suffering by our desires and by a hunger for fame as we pursue personal wealth and status. We then attach ourselves to these objects of our desire. After all, we have strived to attain them. Right? Well, not so fast. Remember, we asked ourselves where does suffering come from? Since these objects of our desires are temporary, it stands to reason that they will go away – we will lose them. Therefore, suffering will inevitably follow that loss. Another very important (in some cases the most important) thing or object of desire that can lead to suffering worth mentioning is our sense of self. How we view ourselves and our idea of self is merely a delusion since there is no such thing as a permanent sense of self. Our “Self” is nothing more than how we imagine ourselves to be. But, Self is always changing; in constant movement swinging on the path of our pendulum intersecting with others in the world around us.
Let’s face it, we all suffer. It is a natural part of life. The point I am trying to make is that suffering can be an extreme and is directly proportional to the perceptions we place on the things around us; and on our sense of self and how strongly we attach to those perceptions of our things – our possessions.
3. We can end suffering. The good part to know is that we can end suffering. We do this by removing our passion and our desire for things or objects. We also need to eliminate how deeply we attach ourselves to them. It is critical that we modifying our perception of these material things and objects by allowing a little bit of reality in when we view or attain these objects of our desire. This approach of reality should always include our sense of Self. Our goal is to eliminate all forms of desire (craving for) and attachment (clinging). This puts the power back in our hands. As we take the necessary actions to remove all that will cause us to suffer. We then can begin to end our suffering.
Ending suffering is a multi-level process that requires a commitment and dedication to removing desires and perceptual attachments. The process is more of a theoretical path that as we attain a higher levels of empowerment over our desires and attachments we eventually will attain a heightened state; or what Buddhists refer to as Nirvana. Nirvana is a freeing from the complexities of life. It is a freedom from all false ideas, worries, problems, troubles, and suffering. Nirvana is also the highest attainable state of mind for a Buddhist or for those that embrace such a philosophy. For me, Nirvana is simply a state of tranquil peace. The key is to maintain that state of tranquil peace – to stay on the path to Nirvana.
4. A path to ending suffering. Fortunately, there is a path to ending suffering in our lives. This path is again based on essential aspects of Buddhist thought, called the Eightfold Path that is the guide to Living in the middle – the Middle Way. Additionally, it is a guide for gradual self-improvement. A true pathway that will help to guide us on living in the middle between the two extremes; excessive self-gratification and excessive self-degradation. By staying on the (Middle Way) path we will slowly rid ourselves of the effects of ignorance, delusional perceptions, and extreme attachments. The path defines how we can progress in our lives and ultimately end our suffering in a very ethical way freeing ourselves from delusional entanglements. That is how we can obtain a real understanding of all things. This path to Nirvana works hand in hand with the Four Noble Truths.