1.1. Problems in human life

Never before human beings³ in the world have been in the great need to be free from problems of conflict, violence, earthquake, flood, drought, hurricane, global warming, climate change, and other crises. These problems have caused human life much insecurity. Here, the problem is the very suffering, when human beings say they have many serious problems, it implies that they are subject to sufferings not only both of 3 "Human being" means something of a totally different type. It means simply striving, persevering, working to get things one wants honestly and fairly, purchasing them with the sweat of one's brow. This is what it is to be a human being. In short the meaning of "human being" is fatigue, a condition of habitual fatigue. The term "human being" in this thesis implies fatigue, exhaustion, shedding sweat, hard work, trading sweat of one's brow for food and sensual pleasure. It has nothing to do with anxiety, delusion, or the others; it is the honest exchanging of the sweat of one's brow for things one wants. This is the meaning of the term "human beings". See the booklet, The Danger of "I" by Bhikkhu Buddhadasa, p. 20.

4 body but also of mind. Actually, more than twenty five centuries ago, Lord Buddha alone did the sole task: "This only do I teach: suffering and its end" (dukkha and dukkhanirodha). This means that He has warned us about the truth, that is, "life is suffering, its cause, its cease, and the way of leading to end it."4 It is not too strange or fresh in the face of such problems or sufferings. The matter is how to know the cause of these problems and the root cause of the basic problem. Men often feel fearful and worried about bad results or effects when they come beyond than the control of causes. All current human problems are results from the bad causes that have not been carefully controlled. Thus, the duty of a human being is to find out where the basic problem/cause is that will continue to bring pain to us. When one lives in fear and worry, he longs for peace and safety. Peace and safety are the common wishes of human beings in every age. The so-called "zenith of human civilization or that of technological and scientific progress" is regarded as human race's great achievement that is accumulated from very long time by the efforts and brainpower of the generations. The marvels of modern technology, to some extent which really satisfy human's needs of material life, have conquered some disasters. It still has not met man's demand for his really peaceful and safe life - the inner happiness or the spiritual life. Let us have a look back into the past. Though our ancestors belonged to a simple way of life and did not have modern industries and machines, they were safer and happier than we are. Why is it? Is there something wrong with the so-called zenith of human civilization? The straight answer is that the civilization of the twentieth century is based on the desire of competition. This desire is really dangerous because this competition itself is an effort of man who 4 S. V, 56.

5 desires to be stronger than others, while his main matter is how to be better than what he is now. Furthermore, the civilization, which is crucially concerned much about the development of economy, nuclear weapons, arms, i.e., concerned much about production and advantages as well as show of power of a country - and in the process is almost ignoring the development of the moral and spiritual way of life. This course of development relating to the craving (tanha) and grasping (upadana) of human beings has brought to human life the mass of problems that now have engrossed the whole world. 196 The term "problem" is defined as "something that causes difficulties, that happens in your life, that makes you feel worried, unhappy, or ill; or that stops you from making progress." In the current life of human beings, there are not only a few bad situations but also so many difficulties, which can be enumerated as follows: •The serious pollution of the air, the water, the soil, the environment. • Natural resources being degraded. • Rapid climate change and global warming. Population growth outstripping resources worldwide. • Unequal distribution of financial resources. • Nuclear weapons, the imminent danger of worldwide catastrophe. • Military means is a way of resolving political problems. • Cold and hot wars. • The situation of Racism and Genocides The increase in conflict and terrorism. Ethnic groups clinging to land, to resources, to sacred space. • Moral degeneration and misused intelligence. 5 Dhammapada verse No. 103. 6 ' DVD-ROOM, Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Language Activator, Pearson Longman, Software (C) IDM 2009.

6 • The crisis of society, confidence, school." From the above list of the "biggest problems," it is clear that the 'problems' discussed in "problems in human life" are not normal difficulties or worries such as sickness, unemployment, tension, health, and malnutrition, etc. They are the 'disasters' for the present and for the future if there are no positive found solutions for them. It can be guessed that human beings will encounter the danger of mass-destruction as warned by the contemporary educators, religious leaders, ecologists etc., all over the world. Extremely worrying events realted to these disasters can happen in the near future. Prof. S.K. Acharya and Dr. A.B. Sharangi, who have been working in the field of environmental science and disaster management in their book, have stated that: "Never before in the annals of human civilization disasters has been so much thought off and delved into as it is now. With the looming danger of global warming, climate change and social unrest, the context of disaster preponderance, disaster impact and disaster recurring have taken the present and future of civilization by sheer uncertainties and unfathomable holocaust. Disaster by becoming calamitous and instantaneous can shock the people and the animals by awe and thud."8 The above quotation is a recent warning, which indicates that great progress of science and technology cannot help the humankind to be free, or removed from serious problems. Science and technology both have failed to bring peace and happiness to our fellow beings. For this peril of those problems that haunt world today who is responsible? Maybe the answer is "no one" In fact, scientists, politicians, economists, and leaders 7 Source: http://www.mac.edu/faculty/richardpalmer/postmodern/application.htm. 8 S.K. Acharya, Disaster Management: Concept, People and Perception, Udaipur: Agrotech Publishing Academy, 2009, p. 4.

7 999 are now very much worried and they fear for the imminent disasters (coming). They have considered many solutions for global warming and rapid climate change. Most of them hold the same point of view, that is, "world problems need world cooperation to solve them. This can be a suitable idea for preventing those problems but it is hard to believe that the entire world will cooperate in harmony. Who can believe that all leaders of the countries in the world would sit together in harmony to make a decision for cooperation in stopping exploiting the natural resources, saving the planet as soon as possible, stopping the causes of all wars and conflicts, ending long standing hatred amongst one another, and even stopping development of science and technology? It is bringing in excesses to the living conditions of human. The ordinary common human beings who have been tied by ignorance, craving and worldly pleasures. On the other hand, different from these are the holy men who have been free from all pleasures, who have conquered themselves and who have enlightened the truth of life, such great holy men are the founders of religions. The enlightened Ones always pay attention to the spiritual life of human beings. However, human beings, especially scientists and leaders of countries, seem to ignore what they have taught. Now it is time to apply the system of the teachings of religions to solve the problems. One of the religions of the world, Buddhism is known as a religion of peace. What the Buddha taught can help human beings to solve all their problems. Therefore, in this thesis, the researcher will concentrate on the study of the Buddhist teachings. It is his hope to find out where the basic problem in the mass of problems is as what are the solutions for that basic problem of human life in general. 9 Source: http://www.angelfire.com/mac/egmatthews/worldinfo/problems/index.html.

8 10 Buddhism, according to the word of the Buddha in the Pali Canon, is unique in that it teaches an ethical system of self-development for human beings to be released from all sorts of problems, and become truly independent by not relying upon any forces from without. Indeed, in Buddhist view, all good or evil deed is the result of what we have thought, what is founded by our thoughts, and what is made by our thoughts. If a man speaks or acts with an evil thought, anguish follows him; if does it with pure a thought, happiness follows him." This is to say that happiness (sukkha) or pain (dukkha) is quite dependent upon deeds of man itself; God, Deity or Supreme Being will not bring it to him. Man experiences happiness and suffering through his body and mind. For this reason, the Blessed One always advises us to be mindful and aware of our deeds of body, speech, and thought. In addition, He reminds us to control our five sense organs (eye, ear, nose, tongue, body) because they are the main doors of our life that constantly produce the feelings of either joy or anguish when they come in contact with the external world (sight, sound, odor, taste, touch). According to the Buddha's advice, the main queries about human life are from where we can get true happiness and from where the suffering in life appears, are really resolved. However, human beings from the past till now have looked for happiness without guarding, controlling, and without minding their deeds and sense organs as well as their wishes or dreams of lives. Therefore, they are always subject to suffering. Therigatha they try to free from their sufferings by means of the acquisition of wealth, the competition of power, fame, and position. They do not know that in doing so, not only suffering is not reduced but is also Jayakar 10 "P. A. Payutto, The Pali Canon: What a Buddhist Must Know, Thailand: Superior Printing House Co. Ltd., 2007, p. 29. 11 Dhammapada , verses No. 01, 02. Knowledge Resource entro

9 increased. Why is it so? The so-called most precious wealth and fame of the worldly life and even the human civilization of great achievements are originated from the main roots of poisons (mula priyaya): attachment (lobha,) anger (dosa,) delusion (moha,) and grasping (upadana.) From now on man's mind, which is constantly obsessed and disturbed by these poisons, makes it become blind, not to know how to distinguish between right and wrong, good and evil. Its effect is that man's mind cannot realize what the truth of life is. For this reason, ignorance (avija) is known as the true nature of existence, of suffering, as cause of all diseases. However, the powerful and the rich, because of ignorance, do not believe that life is pain and constant changing. They try to hold the huge wealth of property in their hand, but they cannot realize that all things are changing and gradually leaving from them, even their bodies and dearest relatives. In order to help human beings to realize the truth of suffering and the way leading to cessation of suffering, Lord Buddha has presented his experience in many ways. For example, for a greedy person, He will teach greed is pain. For the persons who are looking for high position, He teaches that position is pain. If one attaches himself to desire, He will preach that desire is suffering. If one craves for many kinds of nourishment or food (ahara) and becomes immoderate in food, He will teach that nourishment is suffering. Generally, Lord Buddha has applied the different skilful ways to describe the Truth of life to human beings who are engulfed in passion and anguish. The studying of the Buddha's teaching is not to accumulate or to show off knowledge, but it is only for attaining the aim to be free from suffering and defilement of body and mind. In reality, besides the noble and philosophical doctrines of no self (anatta,) impermanence (anicca,)

10 dependent origination (paticcasamuppada,) Lord Buddha has taught us the basic teachings, which look easy, but they are extremely important because they relate directly to the entire life, death, and fate of all human beings. The basic teachings consist of a basic need of all human beings that is food or nutriment, way of eating, way of breathing, way of listening, way of looking, way of touching with external world, way of control of the inner feelings, way of nourishment of right wish, and way of purifying one's mind. The researcher believes that ahara is the ever-lastingly fascinating topic because it is a basic need of all human beings. Indeed, a so-called 'human' or 'being' is solely dependent on food for his existence "all beings subsist on food" (sabbe statta aharatthika.)¹² Therefore, in the researcher's opinion all human problems directly originate from food; in other words, ahara is regarded as main cause, which stimulates craving and hatred. In order to solve all our human problems, ahara is the central matter to be considered.