Buddha Dharma Part Eight - Eight Worldly Concerns

We all have concerns and this is just part of being human. But there are eight concerns that bring us unnecessary suffering because we become attached to them or are adverse to them. The ones we call desirable are gain, status, praise and pleasure. The four we call undesirables being loss, insignificance, blame and pain. It doesn’t matter if we see them as desirable or undesirable, they are all ultimately causes of our suffering.

Transcript

This episode is called Eight-wordly Concerns.

Nobody's life is perfect.

We all have good and bad days.

This is part and parcel of our worldly concerns.

Sometimes the world is like a rose,

All beautiful and fragrant.

Other times it's like the stem of a rose,

All thorny and prickly.

An optimist will see the world as rosy,

Whereas a pessimist sees it as thorny.

But realistically,

The world is both rosy and thorny.

A person who understands this point will not be seduced by the rose or become averse to the thorns.

Buddha taught that there are eight-wordly concerns,

And if we're a realist we'll understand that the pendulum swings both ways.

Sometimes they'll be under the sway of the four concerns we believe to be desirable,

And sometimes the four concerns we think of as undesirable.

We have to accept that these eight-wordly concerns are part of this human life.

So what are the eight-wordly concerns?

The ones we call desirable are gain,

Status,

Praise and pleasure.

And the four we call undesirable are loss,

Insignificance,

Blame and pain.

It doesn't matter if we see them as desirable or undesirable.

They are all ultimately causes of our suffering.

We're all subject to gain and loss,

Not only of material things such as our possessions,

But also of friends and family.

We may go out to buy a new phone and it makes us very happy until one day it is stolen.

We then become sad.

That's gain and loss.

You may have in the past met a wonderful person who you get on really well with,

But recently they left you or they died.

Again,

This is gain and loss.

If you're a businessman you suffer from gain and loss on a regular basis.

These are some examples of what we're subject to in our lives.

I'm sure you could think of hundreds more.

Before we move on I want you to pause a moment and do this reflection practice.

It's easy to see the suffering in loss,

But not so easy in gain.

Reflect on a time when you gained something you wanted,

But now you no longer have it.

Think of how you feel when you gained it and then think how you felt when you lost it.

Status and insignificance are another two worldly concerns that confront us in the course of our daily lives.

Status comes in various forms such as celebrities and politicians,

Or you may be highly regarded within your profession,

Or even a well-respected Buddhist teacher.

Whatever the status you can become attached to your public image and the prestige that goes with it.

Even if we do not want to be famous we still like to be looked upon in the best possible light.

I'm sure if we are honest we all like a bit of status because who wants to feel unimportant or overlooked.

I expect we have all dreamt of our 15 minutes of fame and we only need to look at reality TV to see that that's true.

Some people are world superstars and others are just well known in their own backyards,

But whatever your status it's important to see it as a fleeting thing.

Very few people stay famous all of their lives.

For most it's only a few years.

So to hold on to fame as though it's something tangible is going to bring you suffering.

Remember status is just someone's perspective.

You may feel a person is very highly regarded,

But for me I've never even heard of them.

So to cling on to the notion of being famous is a fool's game.

Once we have reached the top there is only one way to go.

Again pause here and do a reflection practice.

Reflect on your status.

Is it just a projection or is it something solid and permanent?

I'm sure you will see that it's a projection and nothing tangible,

So by holding on to it you're causing yourself emotional and psychological suffering.

The next two pairs of worldly concerns are praise and blame.

We all like to be told well done when we do something right.

It makes us feel happy and gives us a sense of pride.

Praise is like some sort of a drug we quite happily get addicted to,

Whereas no one enjoys being blamed even if they've done something wrong.

If we're able to face blame in their impassive way and remain calm even though people are saying some hurtful things about us,

Then we are dealing with this worldly concern in a constructive way.

If we give very little regard to whether we've been held in high esteem or thought of as a person of no influence,

Then we can be said to be rising above worldly attachments.

If we're able to keep our composure when we lose out or are glorified as being a very special talented person,

This will help reduce any pride,

Jealousy or emotional hurt,

Even though it's not always easy.

It's human nature to soak up praise and push away blame.

We're all desperately searching for happiness and running away from suffering.

I know when someone says something nice about me,

I feel happy and proud,

But if I'm blamed I can become all defensive and hurt.

So pause here for a reflection practice.

Reflect on these two states of mind and try to understand them as one of the same,

Impermanent and fleeting.

This will help you stop getting attached to praise and running away from blame.

The final pair are pleasure and pain.

This is where we're the same as animals.

We chase after pleasure and run away from pain.

I personally don't know anyone who prefers sorrow to laughter or harm to happiness.

This is just the way we are.

It's like a bond that ties us all together.

Watching pleasure and pain arise in the mind and remaining open to them without attaching or rejecting them enables us to let the concerns be,

Even in the most emotionally charged circumstances.

It's clear pleasure is what we aim for in life and not pain,

But they are both things that come into being for a short time and then disappear.

So in that respect they're no different.

Buddha's advice is to not welcome them or rebel against them,

Just let them come and go.

Allow the pleasure to arise and enjoy it while it's there,

But no,

It won't last.

The same for pain.

You may be hurting now,

But it won't last,

So don't get all emotionally tangled up in it.

So do this reflection practice.

Think about how you chase after pleasure and turn away from pain.

See that one can quite easily turn into the other.

One minute we're happy and the next we're sad and vice versa.

This will help you see the transient nature of them both and allow you to let them simply rise and fall away.

When we start seeing the eight worldly concerns for what they are,

Impermanent and fleeting,

And watching the mind's reaction to them,

We'll be able to prevent them from causing us to suffer.

This is not just a meditation practice,

We have to take it into our day to day lives.

We need to understand that life is full of gain,

Loss,

Status,

Obscurity,

Blame,

Praise,

Pleasure and pain.

Someone is always going to profit and someone else will lose out.

For every famous person,

There are hundreds of others who are unknown.

If one person is blamed,

Another will be praised.

And what gives one person pleasure will give another pain.

This is the way of the world.

It doesn't matter if you're skilled in Buddhist teachings or not.

You'll still be subject to the eight worldly concerns.

It's how you deal with these concerns that differentiate you from others.

So,

Don't see these worldly concerns as desirable or undesirable.

See them as things that come and go,

That are part and parcel of life.

Don't get attached to them or push them away.

Allow them to simply appear and then disappear.

Reviews

Accepting the Eight Worldly concerns whenever they arise and accepting and seeing their impermanence will lead to less suffering. A wise and worthy step in the Buddha Dharma. Thank you. Namaste. 🤓🙏🏻

Another interesting talk and I found the reflective practices very helpful in developing my understanding of suffering. Thanks 🙏

Wise words. A reminder to allow and not to attach 🙏

Great talk, and I love the course! I made it into a playlist so I can listen to it anytime!
Donna

Thank you for this clear and kind teaching about the 8 worldly winds.

Thank you. I love this series. So much to learn! It always gives me peace listening to these teachings. I understand more about my self! Thank you🙏🙏🙏