1. Buddhism and Other Responses to Suffering
A presentation by
Jeffrey L. Richey, Ph.D.
to the
Buddhist Student Association
Berea College
March 17, 2003

2. SUFFERING: THE BEGINNING AND END OF BUDDHISM
When asked what he taught, the Buddha said: “I teach suffering and the end of suffering.”
When asked if he was divine or human, the Buddha said: “I am awake.”
When asked to summarize his teaching, the Buddha said: “To avoid evil; to do good; to cleanse one’s mind.”

3. SHAKYAMUNI GAUTAMA SIDDARTHA (c. 550-450 BCE?)
Shakyamuni (Buddha: “awakened one”) inherited an ancient Indian worldview:
Cyclical existence of endless rebirth (samsara)
Conditioning of rebirth by moral results of one’s actions (karma)
Presumption of eternal self (atman) underlying transitory physical form

4. SUFFERING AND SELFHOOD
The Buddha taught that:
Although samsara can be pleasant and karma profitable, ultimately there is no satisfaction in either
Samsara and karma ultimately are illusions produced by attachment to false views of self (atman)
The self is impermanent (anatman, “no-self”)

5. UNDERSTANDING ANATMAN
The self is not a holistic, permanent entity
Instead, it is a composite entity, composed of five skandhas (“clusters”) or elements:
Physical body (outward, sensory form of self)
Emotions (raw responses to sensory data)
Ideas (processed responses to sensory data)
Biases (orientations produced by sensory data)
Consciousness (awareness of self and senses)
The self is interdependent & impermanent; no basis for ego
Realizing anatman =
Awakening to suffering
Compassion in suffering
Liberation from suffering

6. BUDDHISM AS A RESPONSE TO SUFFERING
Buddhists express their central insights into reality as the “Four Noble Truths”:
Life is suffering
Self-centered attachment is the root of suffering
Suffering can be ended
There is a path by which to end suffering
Each “Noble Truth” represents an imperative to respond to reality as it truly is:
Understand suffering
Let go of its origins
Realize its cessation (nirvana – “blowing out”)
Cultivate the path toward its cessation

7. WHAT ABOUT HINDUISM?

8. HINDUISM AS A RESPONSE TO SUFFERING
Hindus accept the worldview of samsara (cycle of birth and death), karma (ethical conditioning of rebirth), and atman (permanent essence or self) critiqued by Buddhists
For Hindus, there are many deities (polytheism), but ultimately only one absolute deity (monism) – Brahman, of which atman (and all) is a part
A Hindu thus must:
Understand that one is part of an eternal whole, life after life
Let go of alienating selfishness that causes suffering and rebirth
Realize one’s liberation from rebirth (moksha)
Cultivate the path toward moksha through study (jñana), devotion (bhakti), and/or action (karma)

9. WHAT ABOUT CHRISTIANITY?

10. CHRISTIANITY AS A RESPONSE TO SUFFERING
Christians affirm a very different worldview:
Life is linear and finite
One omnipotent and loving God created all life, giving humans free will
Human choices that prioritize self over God (sin) lead to alienation and suffering
God’s selflessness (in Jesus) overcomes human selfishness (in sin)
A Christian thus must:
Understand that one is made by God to know and enjoy God forever
Let go of selfishness that causes suffering & eternal separation from God
Realize one’s salvation by God’s love in Jesus
Cultivate the path to salvation by prayer, selfless love (agape), and thanksgiving

11. WHAT ABOUT ISLAM?

12. ISLAM AS A RESPONSE TO SUFFERING
Muslims assert that:
Life is linear and finite
One omnipotent and loving God (Allah) created all life, gave humans free will and revealed himself in Qur’an
Human refusal to submit to Allah leads to lawlessness and suffering
Submission (Islam) is the proper response to Allah and offers redemption
A Muslim thus must:
Understand that one is powerless before Allah
Let go of proud resistance to Allah by submitting
Realize one’s dependence on Allah’s mercy & power
Cultivate the path to submission through faith (shahada), prayer (shalat), charity (zakat), fasting (Ramadan), and pilgrimage (Hajj)

13. TYPES OF RESPONSES TO SUFFERING
Some responses are theistic (Christianity), while others are nontheistic (Buddhism)
Some responses are dualistic (humanity/God, self/other), while others are nondualistic (atman/Brahman, interdependence of self/other)
All responses profiled here call upon us to:
Understand suffering
Let go of its origins
Realize its cessation
Cultivate the path toward its cessation
And all identify:
A common curse (suffering)
A common cause (selfishness)
A common cure (selflessness)