Unexpected Freedom

Unexpected FreedomFinding Comfort in the DhammaHow is the experience of religion comforting, or how shouldit be so? In the Buddhist scriptures as well as in everydayexperience we find that the impulse to engage with the innerlife, the spiritual life, is often prompted by suffering. Thiswas as true in the time of the Buddha as it is these days –dissatisfaction or unhappiness causes beings to look forsomething more than the happiness that comes with sensualgratification. We are told that it wasn’t pleasure that inspiredthe Buddha to take up the life of renunciation in pursuit ofliberation. It was the despair that arose out of seeing old age,sickness and death. Seeing these took the Buddha-to-be intoa state of despondency as he thought, ‘Are these things goingto happen to me too?’ And then inspiration and hope arosewhen the Buddha-to-be, the bodhisatta, saw a renunciate, aseeker, somebody engaged in a life concerned with seekingan alternative to pain and despair.It must be understood, however, that the reason the bodhisattawas able to embark on the arduous and lifethreateningtask of uncovering the path to liberation wasbecause he was ready to do so. In the records of the Buddha’sown comments on his path of practice we are told that hespent many lifetimes cultivating patience, loving-kindness,renunciation and many other virtues so he would have thestrength to take up this task. One of the things I take fromsuch stories is the encouragement to cultivate the necessarystrengths needed on the journey. Learning to be comfortablewith ourselves is one aspect of cultivating strength.Finding Comfort with FriendsToday a group of people came to the monastery to intersomeone’s ashes. There was great sadness because it was a102