Nibbana — Extinguishing Suffering
Some thoughts, from a December talk, on whether the end of suffering is possible and how the letting go actually unfolds.
Some thoughts from the December talk.
Is Nibbana — or Nirvana — possible? Yes, it is, absolutely. But letting go of craving for things to be a certain way doesn't mean we continually let it go. This can be steady and stay, but nothing is guaranteed.
My understanding is this: it begins with a wise desire for the end of suffering about a particular thing or situation. Then the intention to comprehend the nature and source of the suffering — what do we want to be different, or to not change? Then begins the contemplation: what is beneath this? And we uncover and uncover. This may take a moment or a year; it all depends on the individual situation.
Eventually there is insight into the source of our difficulty. Once there is insight, we can then begin the letting go — often just the understanding of the source frees us. But without an understanding, what are we actually letting go of?
This talk by Buddhist teacher Joseph Goldstein is worth a listen or two.