There are some who view the Buddha’s teaching as pessimistic. Why did the Buddha spend so much time talking about suffering? For his own part, the Buddha certainly did not try to pretend that he was doing otherwise. For example, he said, “Both formerly and now, monks, I declare only stress and the cessation of stress.” The answer to the question can be put back on the one who asks it. Is your life in the world so enjoyable that you do not need to find a way to a lasting peace?
If the answer to the second question is yes, then there is no need to continue reading or to pursue meditation. But if we are looking for peace then there is no other topic that we would have the Buddha address because there is nothing more important. Put another way, the reason that the Buddha needed to put so much emphasis on the question of suffering is because one of the underlying causes of suffering is our failure to admit to ourselves that it is happening.
Once we can admit that external sources of comfort are inherently unsatisfactory and risky, that will unlock a completely different and exciting prospect. If we do not need to depend on the whims of others or on getting on the upside of the ups and downs, then we can finally be at ease and peaceful. This is why the Buddha’s teaching, while it was centered on the problem of suffering, was not pessimistic — the cessation of stress can be had by everyone who seeks out the Buddha’s advice.
That advice can be summed up fairly succinctly, which is that we are called to train the mind to come back to the present moment. Even when we are in the midst of the more extreme forms of suffering such as the loss of a loved one, we can take refuge in the Buddha’s example, his teaching and those who are here to share it. When you join us to learn how to practice insight meditation, we are here to help you learn to live in the present moment and set yourself on the path to peace.