The Buddha’s Light
By: Prashant Fonseka
Tags: Reincarnation, Suffering, Buddhism

The Buddha’s Light

Buddhism posits that life is suffering and that we are trapped in this suffering through an infinite cycle of rebirth. The way to end this suffering is to achieve enlightenment, or Nirvana, which ends the cycle of the rebirth. Acknowledging that this is an extraordinary simplification of Buddhist theology, but also that this is a fair characterization of colloquially understood Buddhism coming from someone raised a Theravada Buddhist, a dilemma arises upon the consideration of whether or not we are reborn.

As I argued in an undergraduate paper over a decade ago, it would seem on the surface that Buddhist practices are predicated upon a belief in reincarnation, and that without such a belief they fall apart entirely. For if one does believe that life is suffering but does not believe in rebirth there are, darkly, far more efficient means by which one could end that suffering. At the time that I wrote that analysis I was interested in the theological, but not spiritual aspects of Buddhism. Though I continue to see no fault in my reasoning from the present vantage, I do now sense the shallowness in my conclusions. I put forth an alternate understanding of the Buddhist view that life is suffering which reconciles Buddhist teachings with contemporary, fluid views on rebirth.

While many Buddhists assert that life is suffering, I argue that this should not be understood to mean that the true of nature of life is suffering. While it is easily observable that the common conscious experience of life is a series of sufferings, I put forth that that true nature of life is actually bliss. This isn’t entirely incompatible with the Buddhist doctrine.

Through a modern evolutionary lens, it is clear that our default mental states are oriented towards survival; the passing of our evolutionary gems, and litle more. The mind’s consciousness evolved with only this aim, so it is easy to see how misery and discontentment are our defaults. Indeed, as fun as bliss may be, the image of a starved but blissed-out guru sitting under a tree evokes much, but certainly not a confidence in generational confidence. If anything, it seems enlightenment of that sort if an evolutionary dead end and if Buddhism’s prosperity as an organized religion is any indicator, history confirms that. But the persistence of suffering is not inevitable; our discontented defaults need not be the final state for this life we are currently living.

Through meditative and other spiritual techniques, one is able to, at least episodically, access what Biet Simkin describes as a state of “blissed-out neutrality.” In this state one sees that consciousness, stripped bare, is actually a very happy, and not miserable place. The beauty of such states is that one can access them without a complete departure from the modern life. Once one learns to enter these states, Buddhism’s mapping of different types of suffering becomes tremendously valuable.

Buddhism correctly assesses that attachment and wants, which are very natural in the human condition because they can be evolutionary valuable, are leading causes of suffering, and its various doctrines prescribe a variety of rituals and practices for battling those. The richest of these are meditative techniques far too vast to capture well here, but including basic precepts and pillars like the loving kindness meditation. One need not worry about rebirth or achieving enlightenment to benefit from these tools and the clarity afforded in recognizing simple truths regarding the nature of our being.

It is far too easy to understand Buddhism darkly if not adhering to a strict belief in rebirth. As real and universal as human suffering is, Buddhist doctrine should not be understood as an assertion that suffering is the true nature of life. Instead, a critical examination and experience of spiritual practices suggests the very opposite; that, in fact, life is in its essence bliss, and an aim ought to be minimize the noise that is suffering to reveal this true state. To this end, Buddhism’s sophisticated mapping of suffering is invaluable and compatible with a positive, light, and life-affirming interpretation of the Buddha’s teachings.