Expert: Justin Choo - 10/19/2011

Question
QUESTION: Hello,
I'm in grade 12 and I'm doing an assignment about Buddhism for religion. I have to compare Buddhist and Christian responses to the ultimate question of suffering. I know you don't specialise in Christianity, but a Buddhist response would be perfect :)

#1 Considering that Buddhists do not have a divine figure, what do they believe is the cause of their suffering?

#2 How does the concept of time influence Buddhist perspective on suffering? (e.g Christians have one life to escape suffering, but Buddhists have hundres of opportunities because of karma).

I hope you understand what I'm asking,
Thank you :)

ANSWER: Hi Jordan,

#1 Considering that Buddhists do not have a divine figure, what do they believe is the cause of their suffering?

Buddhists do not believe blindly in things.  They try to see things as they really are.  This is the way Buddhists have been taught to conduct their lives.  We try to figure out whether the Buddha's teachings do make sense.  If they do, then we agree with his thoughts, which you may say we then "believe".  

Suffering is a natural phenomenon in life and existence.  This is because all component things are not permanent. They are subject to change and in the end disintegrate.  By this very nature all things are unsatisfactory leading to suffering.  This is the first Noble Truth that the Buddha expounded.  Then he revealed the cause of this unsatisfactoriness under the second Noble Truth; why we keep on experiencing suffering life after life.  The reason or cause is our craving which gives rise to fresh rebirths encumbered with greed, hatred and delusion. Our craving for sensual gratification, craving for existence and even craving for self annihilation.  

If there is no such cravings, there will not be existence, and hence no more rebirth, no more suffering.  This is the third Noble Truth.  This is the big picture of suffering.

I know what you meant by suffering in your own perspective, or for that matter in most people's mind.  The suffering we see in our daily affairs of living.  People die of diseases, of accidents, in wars.  People being murdered. Human slavery and trafficking. We suffer when we get what we don't want.  We suffer when we don't get what we want. We suffer when we lose our loved ones. We suffer when we have to associate with those we don't like.  We suffer in almost everything in the final analysis.  In the end we die.  These are the little pictures most people perceive as suffering, and rightly so.  We may conclude then the cause of these sufferings is that we exist in this imperfect world.  It is the nature of this world that every living thing that exists will experience suffering.  The only way out is not to exist in this world.  It is just like asking why patients in hospital are always sick. If you are not sick, you won't be in the hospital.  Likewise, if you are not meant to suffer, you will not be born into this world.
   

#2 How does the concept of time influence Buddhist perspective on suffering? (e.g Christians have one life to escape suffering, but Buddhists have hundres of opportunities because of karma).

Life is not just a one-off affair.  Life is a series of existences.  A beginning is not to be found.  If you can satisfied with a beginning, then ask yourself what was before this beginning. Our perspective of time is for our conventional living.  In actual fact there is no such thing as time.  Existence just exists ad infinitum.  In reality time and distance are just illusions.  If you study the universe, you can't calculate accurately in terms of time and distance.  The whole existence is just space.  The vastness of space is beyong human comprehension.  It is limitless and timeless.

The phenomenon of existence lies in the concept of "cycles".  The cycle of creation, evolution, degeneration and destruction.  Then the cycle starts again, ad infinitum.  You can see this if you study the nature of the universe.  Life is no exception.  We have come from countless lives; and we will continue to exist in future lives, so long as we have this craving to delight, to hate and to exist.  The Buddhist concept of kamma is actually universal.  It does not belong only to Buddhists.  It does not affect only the Buddhists.  It is a universal truth, irrespective of who you are and what you want to believe.  This is the simple universal truth : good begets good, and bad begets bad.  The results may not be immediate, but they will manifest in due time, to all and sundry.

Hope this helps you to score high marks in your asignment, while learning a bit about Buddhism.  Take care.

Justin Choo



---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: I have another question :)
Why don't Buddhists have a response to theodicy? Is it because they don't have a God to blame, like Christians?

Thank you, again!

Answer
Hi Jordan,

Welcome back.

"Theodicy"? This is a new word to me.  At first I thought you have misspelt.  The dictionary confirmed there is such a word:

the·od·i·cy   
noun, plural -cies.
a vindication of the divine attributes, particularly holiness and justice, in establishing or allowing the existence of physical and moral evil.

I am sorry I don't fully understand your question:
"Why don't Buddhists have a response to theodicy?"  Is there anything to respond?  I don't get it.  

Maybe you may like to elaborate, and I shall respond.  Buddhists can respond to all questions.

I will just take a wild guess that you want me to respond to the statement that God has all the wisdom, holiness and justice to allow or even force us to suffer. Then I would just ask a counter question: would you like your father to be like this, and would you then praise your father as wise, holy, just and loving?

If I am on the wrong track, please elaborate in your return mail.

Take care.

Justin Choo