The Buddha famously said that the cause of suffering (dukkha) is clinging. In fact, it is the second of his Four Noble Truths. For most people this idea speaks to the things in our lives that we like and want to hold onto, and the things we do not like and we want to make go away. While there is truth in this view, it is nonetheless one step removed from the deeper truth that most fail to see. The attempt to identify everything that I like or don’t like and what I am holding onto or pushing away is difficult because there are so many. Yet that is how most of us begin our journey toward greater awareness. We attempt to pay attention to everything we are clinging to and try to be better at letting them go, and we pay attention to those things we dislike and try to be better at accepting them. Read More…
