https://www.reddit.com/r/Buddhism/comments/1je7b58/currently_in_a_mental_mess_about_the_fact/
created by Fun_Ad4848 on 18/03/2025 at 15:14 UTC
4 upvotes, 8 top-level comments (showing 8)
The thought that every moment of beauty, happiness, love, everything, will be gone in a matter of moments, days, or years has ruined my mental health recently. It’s made good moments scarce, and when they do come they’re tinged with the depressing knowledge that they’ll soon be gone. It’s like i’ve finally realised there’s no “big day” waiting for me, other than the one where I die. That realisation makes me feel horrible.
I’m currently slipping into a bad place, desperately trying to cling onto the “good moments” when they appear, while knowing deep down how counterproductive that is. What should I read? Not expecting it to solve all my problems, but I need to be opened up to a new perspective at least.
Comment by mierecat at 18/03/2025 at 15:38 UTC
5 upvotes, 1 direct replies
I have no texts, but here a short story.
A zen master addressed his students. Holding up a tea cup, he said “This cup is already broken. Knowing this, I can enjoy my time with it to the fullest.”
You know that all things must end, but you haven’t yet accepted it. Let go of that need to cling onto the “good moments” and you’ll find that sadness that permeates them will begin to vanish.
Comment by AnticosmicKiwi3143 at 18/03/2025 at 15:27 UTC
3 upvotes, 0 direct replies
What you are describing is none other than the suffering born of upādāna (attachment), precisely the affliction that the Buddha sought to address through the proclamation of the Dhamma.
The mind possesses an innate will to live, clinging desperately to the things of this world under the illusion that they might provide lasting happiness. Yet all things in this world are dukkha (unsatisfactory). Nothing grants enduring bliss.
In light of this, it is beneficial to seek the extinguishing of avijjā (ignorance), from which arise the habitual reactions of attachment and aversion toward what appears pleasant or unpleasant to us, and to set forth toward that which never perishes—the other shore: Nibbāna.
To begin, you might consider reading the Dhammapada, a sort of compendium of the Dhamma found in the Pāli Canon, as well as a book on the life of the Buddha, Siddhattha Gotama, to better understand the reasons behind his resolve to transcend the world.
Then, you could establish a daily meditation practice. The Buddha expounded various meditative techniques based on the Four Foundations of Mindfulness, as presented in the Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta. If you have never practiced before, you may start with five minutes and gradually extend the duration over time. The purpose of Buddhist meditation is to train the mind to observe the arising and passing away of conditioned phenomena without reacting with lobha (craving) or dosa (aversion), but instead to comprehend their fleeting nature: there is nothing to grasp and nothing from which to flee.
If, for instance, you suffer upon recognizing this truth, you might turn your attention to the arising of suffering itself, investigate the causes of your attachment, and observe how the experience changes within moments. Do not react—simply observe.
Finally, you may explore the path of moral discipline (sīla). Morality is not only a solid foundation for practice, as it protects us from disgraceful actions, but it also enables us to take joy in aiding others. For in doing so, we come to understand that our suffering is not a mere personal misfortune but a condition shared by all sentient beings—interdependent and intimately connected.
Comment by Abducted_Cow456 at 18/03/2025 at 15:23 UTC
1 upvotes, 0 direct replies
I would start with The Fourth Nobles truth maybe. To grasp the basics teaching of the Buddah.
Comment by FieryResuscitation at 18/03/2025 at 15:47 UTC
1 upvotes, 0 direct replies
The Buddha realized that we all get old, get sick, and die. He did not like this realization. The feeling it caused him is called “Samvega,” which means “spiritual urgency.” He realized that he, too, would be subject to sickness, aging, and death, and sought out a path that would lead to freedom from the pain we experience in our lives. Fortunately, he found it. By studying The Buddha’s Teachings[1], we too can find freedom from that pain.
1: https://www.dhammatalks.org/books/BuddhasTeachings/Section0001.html
Be well.
Comment by TCNZ at 18/03/2025 at 16:20 UTC
1 upvotes, 0 direct replies
Nothing is eternal. This is the transient joy of fireworks, the passing enjoyment of watching a kitten or puppy learn new things. The beauty of sun through clouds on a windy day; it is there... and it is gone.
There is no meaning in things because meaning itself dissolves. When meanings around you pass away, observe what happens. Are you sad, fascinated? Do you want to stop what is happening?
But can you stop that which happens to everything?
This is why I suggest you examine the Heart Sutra. It doesn't need to be understood just yet. Sit with it and begin observing your reactions to what it says.
Ask yourself: Who is reacting?
Comment by entitysix at 18/03/2025 at 16:53 UTC
1 upvotes, 0 direct replies
Pick up a book by Thich Naht Hanh, The Heart of the Buddha's Teaching, or anything else from him that resonates with you. Should be a good fit for where you're at right now.
Comment by dhamma_rob at 18/03/2025 at 17:55 UTC
0 upvotes, 0 direct replies
The truth of impermanence was true before you were aware about it. Accordingly, it is your response to impermanence, that it is a bad thing, that is a source of stress. Since nothing changed about the outside world to make it impermanent, inner work is the only way to to be rid of the distress of change (Viparinama-dukkha).
The Eightfold Path is the means. Specifically, dispassion arising from wisdom as to the nature of things (insight into three marks, 5 aggregates, 6 sense bases, and dependent origination) will provide relief. When we no longer cling to constancy, change will no longer be a cause of distress.
Good luck!
Comment by dhamma_rob at 18/03/2025 at 17:55 UTC
0 upvotes, 0 direct replies
The truth of impermanence was true before you were aware about it. Accordingly, it is your response to impermanence, that it is a bad thing, that is a source of stress. Since nothing changed about the outside world to make it impermanent, inner work is the only way to end the distress of change (Viparinama-dukkha).
The Eightfold Path is the means. Specifically, dispassion arising from wisdom as to the nature of things (insight into three marks, 5 aggregates, 6 sense bases, and dependent origination) will provide relief. When we no longer cling to constancy, change will no longer be a cause of distress.
Good luck, Robert