Finding a way out of suffering

The Buddha realised the gravity of human suffering and found the cause and a way out of it through his doctrine. This is expounded in the Four Noble Truths, Dukkha, Samudaya, Nirodha and Magga. Buddhists have a clear path to understand the nature of suffering, its causes and the way to end it. Perhaps not paying heed to the eternal truths in Buddhism, some philosophers have attempted to find a way out of suffering in novel ways.

Soren Aabye Kierkegaard (1813 - 1855) is one such philosopher who experimented with suffering and finding a way out of it. He was a Danish philosopher who is well known as the Father of Existentialism. Kierkegaard tried to experience human suffering in novel ways. For instance, he gave himself the maximum amount of suffering, probably thinking that he would find a way out of it.

Kierkegaard developed a positive mania for hurling himself against walls and getting up thoroughly bruised, stunned and bleeding. This is something the Buddha never advised his followers to do. However, simply because of his crazy experiments, we cannot conclude that he was incapable of assimilating elementary lessons in life. While others laughed at his “foolish behaviour”, Kierkegaard displayed a well-developed sardonic sense of humour.

Existentialism

Although Kierkegaard experimented with suffering at a superficial level, he developed his philosophical theory, Existentialism, from the dilemma Christianity posed for him. Just like the great Greek philosopher Socrates, Kierkegaard too launched a crusade against intellectual and spiritual bankruptcy. While Socrates “corrupted the youth” with his oratorical skills, Kierkegaard wrote a series of books which had a direct appeal to knowledge seekers.

Fearing the ethical commitment of  the institution of marriage, Kierkegaard remained a scholarly bachelor throughout his life.

During his short life-span, Kierkegaard explained three stages of human life. They were the aesthetic, ethical and religious components of life. His aesthetic way of life runs counter to Buddhist teaching. He believed in selfish hedonism or enjoying life to the full. His ethical ideal was the concept of duty towards one’s fellow human beings. His views on the religious aspect of life were somewhat inadequate.

Being a Christian, he believed in salvation through Jesus Christ. However, he had to deal with an enormous paradox. Every time he tried to envisage the problem, he became emotionally paralysed. Once he said, “My courage is not the courage of faith.” This shows that despite his penetrating flashes of insight, he never enjoyed a state of inner harmony.

Conflagration

It is tragic that Kierkegaard had to die fighting with himself and others. His last words were: “The bomb has exploded, the conflagration will follow.” Paradoxically, modern existentialists have lost Kierkegaard’s faith in God and have found nothing to put in its place. Today, existentialists believe in just existence in a world of extreme insecurity.

Modern existentialists seem to be feeling the way in the direction of Buddhist thought. From the Buddhist point of view, Kierkegaard’s philosophy had traces of frustration, inadequacy and deep awareness of the suffering of life. This comes very close to Dukkha in Buddhism. The Buddha said we wander ceaselessly in the Samsara not knowing the correct path to follow.

Once an aged Zen master lived in a tree. One day the provincial governor came to him and said, “What is the teaching of Buddhism?” The Zen master recited a stanza from the Dhammapada:

“Not to do any evil,
To cultivate the skilled,
To purify one’s own mind,
That’s the teaching of the Buddha.”
“Well, any child of three knows that,” the governor said.

“Any child of three may know it,” said the master, “But even an old man of eighty finds it difficult to perform.”

Buddhism

The Dhammapada spells out Buddhism in a nutshell. Whether you believe in Mahayana, Theravada or Zen, the Dhammapada applies to all. “Not doing any evil” means refraining from harming any sentient being, including yourself, by thought, word or deed. “To purify one’s own mind” is to cleanse one’s mind through mindfulness and concentration. When this is done, right understanding comes to fruition leading to enlightenment. Although ordinary people may not be interested in Kierkegaard or his Existentialism, there is an increasing interest in Zen Buddhism.

“Zen” is the Japanese form for Dhyana or meditation. Buddhists meditate to realise inwardly the essence of mind. Dhyana means to be free from attachment to all other objects. On the other hand, Samadhi means inner peace. Such a goal cannot be achieved through reasoning or intellectual gymnastics. Although Kierkegaard ended up with a paradox, he made a laughable attempt to understand the perturbed state of the human mind. Similarly, Zen Buddhism is not a soft option for Theravada because the latter has all the solutions to human suffering.