>> Living is suffering, self-realization dawned sometime before I learned >> that the Buddha's teachings are somewhat along the same line. But then >> again, I'm not the religious type.
> If living is suffering, you're doing it wrong. It seems to me that in some circumstances control over how to live life to optimize suffering-happiness is complicated by factors beyond the individual. Larger processes such as society, politics, history, the environment ... etc, etc seem like daunting factors to tweak the knobs on and surely also influence individual happiness. It always seemed to me that in 'the west', there is a far greater "sense of control" over how to live and enjoy living that certain individuals apparently enjoy. In India, at least, it seems like there is admittance that life, and the processes that affect it, is/are complex and so the way to deal with this is through internal mechanisms and mental adjustments. In other words - the line of instruction seems to be - life is suffering - but one has to deal with this reality through various mechanisms such as detachment, committment to certain kinds of action, compassion, etc etc ... and the multifold paths taught in various schools of life-practice ... I am not the religious type either - so while I'm happy seeking ways to be individually happy (and not socially irresponsible, in the bargain) - I am not sure that I will continue to enjoy such a sense of individual empowerment all the time and am not sure either that most people do. Vijay
