Suffering and gratitude

What follows is copied from the Common Ground meditation Center's (in mpls) newsletter. In Buddhism, dukka (suffering) is accepted as a human condition and it is believed that we can overcome suffering by learning the various practices that help us to tune into our pure nature such as meditation and yoga And offering gratitude As students of the Buddha’s teachings, we learn to return over and over again to the direct immediate and intimate study of dukkha, the pervasive and inherent unsatisfactoriness of existence. This insight does not discount the many joyful and beautiful experiences in life, they are real, but they do not satisfy in a lasting way. As it turns out, understanding the underlying nature of dukkha is our most trustworthy, sobering, and ultimately liberating teacher. Although we will resist giving it the curious and careful attention that it deserves, the study of suffering and its release is the best use of this human life. When teaching about dukkha, Ajahn Chah