Nothing Really Works

Of all the many techniques and perspectives I know to help us live healthy and meaningful lives, none of them really work. I mean none of them solve the basic conundrum in which we find ourselves: suffering and death are unavoidable. Our mortality and our discomfort are the background hum of our lives. No matter how busy or accomplished or distracted we are, we cannot outrun these inevitabilities.

All the spiritual teachings I know bring these realities to the forefront and include them as part of the path. The Tibetan Lojong teachings, a set of spiritual exercises developed in 12^th century Tibet, include these two inconvenient facts right at the outset. The first Lojong instruction is called ‘Training in the Preliminaries’. This is a set of four reminders that Norman Fischer translates in like this:

1. The rarity and preciousness of human life
2. The absolute inevitability of death
3. The awesome and indelible power of our actions
4. The inescapability of suffering

I find these reminders strangely comforting—some kind of middle way between fatalism (death and suffering) and pernicious positivism (precious and awesome). They create the possibility of including everything in a dynamic and stable foundation from which to live our lives.

The rarity and preciousness of human life reminds us of the multitude of other life forms that fill our world. Not just the animals, birds, fish and plants, but the vast microbial world of life that weaves us into ourselves and into the world itself. Out of all these possible life forms, we all find ourselves in this human form. Though being human can be difficult and confusing, it is also said that only in this human that we can wake up to the wonder and beauty of life. One teacher imagines throngs of unborn beings eagerly awaiting the opportunity of being incarnated as a human to be able to know and sing praises to the divine.

Remembering the absolute inevitability of death keeps everything in perspective. Knowing we have a finite amount of time before we disappear from this world can help us hold all the grand drama of our lives a little more lightly. The brevity of a life, even a life of ninety or a hundred years, can allow us to appreciate whatever is happening in this passing moment–even, perhaps, the difficult parts.

The awesome and indelible power of our actions reminds us that though we may feel powerless in the face of a world that is beyond our control, what we do, what we say and what we pay attention to has an impact beyond conception. This reminds us of the power and responsibility we have to participate in creating our lives and in helping to shape the world around us. The choices we make in response to what we encounter define the quality and form of our lives.

Calling to mind the inescapability of suffering allows us to relax. Our innate pursuit of comfort and avoidance of discomfort is ultimately exhausting. Of course it is good to take care of and to be kind to ourselves. But when we can be comfortable with being uncomfortable, life is much easier. We don’t have to wear ourselves out with worry and effort. Sometimes we feel good. Sometimes we feel bad. Through all the different internal weather patterns, we stay focused on what is most precious and important as best we can.

I suppose this too is a technique that won’t really ‘work’—won’t change the reality of suffering and death. But it is one of the many wisdom paths that can include and transform these existential problems into a foundation from which to build a life of meaning, purpose and joy.

Personal Practice – Write down these four phrases and hold them with you as you go through your day.  See which one is most resonant at any time.  Notice the impact of remembering these fundamental truths has on how you meet your day.  If this practice intrigues you, pick up Norman Fischer’s wonderful book TRAINING IN COMPASSION which is his Zen take on these Tibetan Buddhist Lojong teachings.