curious predicament faces human beings—a dilemma which is a predicament we usually consider part of being human, part of what characterizes humanity, and is the intimate personal experience of almost every individual.curious predicament faces human beings—a dilemma which is a predicament we usually consider part of being human, part of what characterizes humanity, and is the intimate personal experience of almost every individual.
This predicament is the paradoxical situation of every person: that we desire happiness, freedom, and release, and yet continue to suffer—physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually. We want happiness; we want release from our suffering and anguish. We are always seeking liberation from emotional and mental bondage, but we continue to suffer. Meaningless suffering abounds everywhere. In fact, it keeps accumulating. Even when our pain is diminished, the relief is small and transitory. Some people manage to accept suffering to some degree. This helps, but does not resolve the predicament.
Happiness keeps eluding us. Suffering and running from suffering are the permanent central preoccupation of the majority of people. In every person there lies buried deep in the heart, perhaps only faintly experienced, a desire for a certain sort of life: a life that is desired at the depth of man's heart, a life that is free and unencumbered, a life that is full of beauty, joy and fulfillment. But this life remains a dream, an inaccessable and distant ideal. When we feel joy, fulfillment and beauty, these experiences usually pass through us briefly, and leave behind them a deep longing and a sense of lack. Permanent and abiding fulfillment, a life of continuing beauty and expanding freedom, is rarely realized.
Our longing for the fulfilled life is increased by the fact that throughout the centuries, there have always been a few individuals who have made the ideal into a beautiful and living reality for themselves, and by the example of their own lives, have shown that it is possible, it is attainable.
Most spiritual teachers and spiritual movements have this ideal as their aim. Liberation and fulfillment are seen as the goal of inner work, whether they be psychological, spiritual, or essential. Throughout history, realized men have given humanity this hope, that liberation is possible and attainable. Buddha, for instance, emphasized enlightenment as the solution to man's suffering, and Christ taught freedom through truth and love. Many others have contributed to this hope, men who freed themselves and sought, out of compassion and love, to guide their fellow humans in their search for release from suffering.
Since the beginning of man's experience as a separate ego, and his resulting alienation from his true being, there have been teachers and religions whose purpose was to help people maintain a connection with or return to the essential Being. And in recent times, various kinds of psychologies and psychotherapies have been formulated to help alleviate man's most severe inner sufferings.
Many of us have benefited from these efforts, have felt our suffering decrease, and even found some peace and fulfillment. And humanity as a whole has benefited. However, this predicament—that man wishes to be free from suffering and yet continues to suffer—is very much present in the lives of all but a few unique individuals. Suffering abounds and is still the primary experience and the day-to-day reality of most people.
The existence of teachings about enlightenment, liberation, realization, fulfillment and the like make the situation even more curious. We find that very few individuals actually respond to these teachings. Many people are aware of their presence and their promise; still, only a few respond, and fewer still embark on the various paths. Many hear or read about the teachings; many believe in them, and see much truth in them, but few actually respond in terms of taking any action.
Teachers and religious leaders will explain this by saying that the people who don't respond are being blinded and held back by their greed, selfishness, attachments, fear, worldly concerns or desires, egotism, ignorance, and so on.
This is obviously true, but does not say anything useful. This attitude of blaming the student for the very thing which causes his suffering does not lead to any useful change. Why has there been no significant advance in solving this impasse? A teaching is useful only if it can reach people, only if it can reach them in a way that will enable them to respond effectively. To put the blame on the people themselves, to say they are ignorant and egoistic does not help, and the aim of a teaching is to help, not to explain or blame. A teaching is useful if it can help the individual attain liberation, but this is irrelevant if the individual does not take the initial steps toward liberation.
So, much of the message of the teachings has been seen as irrelevant or actively discouraging to most people. There seems to be little connection between the actual problems of one's life and the religious and spiritual teachings one encounters. There is, for example, the common idea that only those who leave their worldly problems, and become monks, nuns, yogis or saints, can attain a deep knowledge of true Being. So for most of human history, these teachings have failed to reach the common person.
The question of the strange failure of spiritual teachings to make possible actual liberation gets even more curious if we shift our attention to those who actually respond to a teaching and enter a path. Here the mystery deepens. We find that the great majority of these individuals do not attain realization. Those who do find freedom from their suffering by following one spiritual path or another are very few, a meager minority.
Some may certainly find a measure of peace, fulfillment or a degree of freedom. But this definitely falls short of their aim, and of what is possible. Isn't it curious that the sincerity of their efforts and the longing of their whole being, cannot accomplish what they wish?
Why is this? How can this be? Why is it that only a few attain the promise, only a few achieve a life of genuine fulfillment? The teachers of the various paths explain: Those people who fail are hampered by their egoism; they could not surrender their selfishness; their attachments interfered with their intentions.
And certainly this is true. But just as it is true that it is the student's responsibility to surrender attachments, to face his fear, his greed, his selfishness and go beyond these, it is the responsibility of the teacher to be accurate and effective in his communication with his student, and to use extraordinary skill and understanding.
We are interested in understanding why so few achieve the freedom they seek. Perhaps we can find some neglected gaps in the teachings, in their methods or their formulations, or in the way these are communicated. This may give us clues in dealing with this dilemma.
So we continue to ask: Why is it that the teachings do not work, except in a few isolated instances? Why is it that all these wonderful teachings and these various powerful methods touch only a few, a few of the many who actually practice these teachings? A realized teacher might have thousands of students but it is rare if even a handful of them actually attain liberation.
It is usually asserted then, as we have pointed out, that the student has failed, that his dedication or surrender was not complete or deep enough. This is true. But the responsibility does not end there. For it is also true that the teacher has failed: the teacher has not been able to penetrate the student's mind and heart. The inner endeavor is a conjoint one. Both teacher and student work together. When the endeavor fails the two of them have failed. And so has the teaching.
The student has, so far, borne the brunt of the blame for the failure. But we are saying here that there are more factors involved, and they are all responsible for the failure: the student, the teacher, the teaching and the methods. It is not a question of who or what is at fault. Useful understanding is what we need here.
It might be absolutely true that the student has not surrendered himself to the teaching, is not dedicated enough to the practice, is too identified with his ego or personality. But here it is valid to ask: Can anything be done in such a situation? Is it possible to communicate to such a student in a way that will penetrate his resistance, in a manner that will work for the liberation he wishes? Is there a truly effective method that will make the endeavor successful, or more successful?
In considering these questions, we are faced with the unchallenged belief that attaining liberation is so difficult that it is normal that so few manage to do it. Many teachers have asserted that achieving liberation and fulfillment is the most difficult task there is.
But we ask: Is it really the nature of this endeavor that it be so difficult and nearly impossible to complete? Is it the nature of the endeavor, or could it be that our understanding is not developed enough to make the achievement of liberation more within reach? And, aside from the question of complete liberation, is it possible for a greater number of people to arrive at a partial liberation, where their lives are governed by truth, love and joy?
Is it possible that there are gaps in our understanding? Is it possible that there is a specific kind of understanding that is not yet available? Is it possible that we are not yet applying some understanding that already exists?
If we believe that all the difficulty lies within the nature of the endeavor itself, then not much can be done and the situation is quite hopeless. But if that is not the case, if some of the difficulty or even a large part of it is due to other factors, then what are those factors and what exactly can be done?
It is our view that although the difficulty does lie somewhat in the nature of the task, it is also due to other factors—and these other factors can be recognized, isolated and dealt with. This will bring about a certain understanding that will lead to ways of dealing more effectively with the dilemma.
In the next chapter we will discuss some of the general factors we see contributing to the present situation in a way that will point to some solution. Then, in the final chapter we will discuss again, in a general way, some possible solutions for the predicament of human suffering, at least solutions for some of the factors contributing to this situation.