The Third "Noble Truth"

 

Photo by Johannes Plenio on Unsplash
Isn't this a cool picture?

"Suffering can end!"  And that doesn't mean after we die.  "The misery can stop if life can be approached with wisdom instead of desire."  Of course, I happen to think we won't be 100 percent wise until we die, and maybe even a while after that, but we surely can suffer a lot less if we practice!  According to Buddah, the thing we need to do is to meditate.  This gives us an opportunity to untie "knots that have accumulated in your mind over a lifetime of experiences."  We also can change patterns of thinking that have been developed in our lifetime that may not be serving us.

So -- if we want to end suffering -- we need to learn to meditate (patiently), and we need to condition ourselves to use wisdom instead of desire in the choices we make.  This is very like pondering God's word, and taking time to pray and listen. I suspect we could all use a LOT of practice being still, and dealing with all of the thoughts and worries that show up in the stillness!

I'm sure that my explanation is very simplified, but it's the best I have today!