Dukkha
Dukkha
In traditional cultures religion connected each person to a purpose, and the people to a society. Can we rediscover religion in a new way – and have it connect us in a new way to our sense of purpose, and to each other? Can we conclude the "science vs. religion" strife, by allowing both to evolve further? Here is how a story version of an answer might begin: A young prince in India, 25 centuries ago, saw people suffer, and left the comfort of his castle to find a cure. After years of fasting and meditation he found the answer, and shared it in a sermon called "Four Noble Truths", the first of which was the truth called "suffering". Don't know about you – but to me this doesn't seem plausible (that a grownup man would be shocked to see suffering; and that he would make the obvious truth of suffering a key part of his message). All this changes dramatically when we replace the word "suffering" by the original keyword dukkha. But what is "dukkha"? It is a specific kind of suffering, which results from a curable defect in our psychological makeup. Dukkha is what makes us compete when we should collaborate. Dukkha marks our emotional life and our relationships in such a degree, that just seeing that (just understanding the meaning of the First Noble Truth of Buddhism) is a life-changing experience! This also happens to be the worst-kept secret of the spiritual traditions. To truly federate this insight would mean not only to bring it to public awareness – but also, and most importantly, to inscribe it in the systems in which we live and work. This federation challenge is the theme of the first book of Knowledge Federation Trilogy.
See also
- While the book is being written, you may connect the dots yourself by browsing through blog posts Science and Religion and The Garden of Liberation.