my buddhist blog number 168

Hi Everybody,
beautiful spring we're having here in UK.
Right well we've launched out into this chapter called Buddhism and the Problem Paradox, and we've talked in 167 briefly about some of the strategies we normally employ towards problems in our lives, like ignoring them for example, very common. Or dumping them into someone else's lap, which again we all do a great deal. This isn't my problem we say, its theirs!!!

And if those strategies still don't block up all the crevices in our defences then we are often complicit in creating a kind of fiction that we are quite happy to share with one another. so although problems and crises and the anxieties and the suffering they bring, continue to swallow up a considerable portion of our energies, we make it quite clear to ourselves and everyone else that they are a completely abnormal exception to the normal flows and patterns of our life. No matter how frequently they occur or how disturbing they may be in derailing our lives, we persuade ourselves time and time again that as soon as this particular setback, hiccup, crisis or disaster has passed us by, our life will revert to its normal routine, untroubled state. Why? because the life state we've convinced ourselves we need to be happy, you know, the one without any hassle. you could say it is the idealised unreal life state that we're all pretty much addicted to.

:et's be clear, of course several of those strategies have their rightful place in our armoury. We haven't evolved them for nothing! No one for example would question the prudence of arranging whatever insulation we can, since we live in troubled times. and although the fiction strategy may not keep any actual problems at bay, it probably helps to lessen the anxiety those problems create. But the key question surely has to be, can this possibly be enough? Is this the best we can do?

And the reason that question is so relevant is that this is not some remote or theoretical issue is it? It is close up and very personal. We're talking about real life-time strategies here, that involve all of us, throughout all our lives. This is how we actually handle the daily detail of our lives. And we could certainly argue I think that learning how to deal with problems effectively has got to be one of the most important steps along the road to well-being. What can be more important? So we share a deep and common interest I suggest, in posing this question as to whether or not these strategies are adequate. Are they anywhere close to the best response that we can come up with? How in fact does Buddhism help us to answer that question?

Thanks for reading thus far.
See you next time.
Best wishes,
William
PS The Case for Buddhism is available from Amazon and as a download on kindle.