Dharma Talk: July 11th Craving

On Sunday July 11th, Hae Doh Sunim gave the following Dharma talk about craving:

From the Dhamapada: Chapter 24 on Craving or Thirst:

" The compulsive urges of the thoughtless grow like a creeper. They jump like a monkey from one life to another, looking for fruit in the forest.

When these urges drive us, sorrow spreads like wild grass. Conquer these fierce cravings and sorrow will fall away from your life like drops of water from a lotus leaf."

When I brought my first son Jeff on his 14th birthday to rehab at Brighton Hospital Adolescent Center, the parents had their own weekly sessions with the kids. Each would sit there and say "My name is...and my drug of choice is: ..." and then fill the end with Marijuana, alcohol, herion, etc...

People uses these substances as a way to "self-medicate", to escape the pain of reality or uncertainty of everyday living.

It was years later that I was also able to sit there and say "My name is Gary, and I am an alcoholic".

In the past weeks we have discussed dukkha, which is usually translated as "suffering". However a better description could be "dissatisfaction", "inadequacy" or "imperfection". It means life is never sufficient enough, not good enough.

According to the four noble truths, the second noble truth explains that "dukkha samudaya" or dukkha arises due to craving. To break down the word: "sam" means "with" and "udaya" means "to go up". So what arises with dukkha? Desire, thirst, craving for escape from dukkha. So the cause of dukkha is samudaya (craving) but also cause of craving is dukkha.

What is your drug of choice? What do you reach for to take away the emptiness, uncertainty, dissatisfaction? What is your salve for the wounds of life? What is it that makes you feel good about yourself again?

We all have a strategy, some kind of behaivor to feel good. Maybe its to be busy all the time; at home, with work, with school. Maybe its being tidy, shopping, gambling, eating, drinking, being co-dependent (caring for those who don't change).

Even meditation can be a form of drug to escape reality.

Only through the recognition of imperfection do we have that chance at salvation from our cravings.