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8 EASTERN HORIZON | TEACHINGS

to material progress. However, even if you are encountering some method to remove mental problems.
the suffering encountered due physical uneasiness and suffering, Because of that, it is important to
to your mental attitude cannot but if you are mentally accepting know the methods and means by
be minimized by increasing your that situation, then you will be able which we can minimize and remove
material comfort. A clear example to tolerate that physical suffering. many of these mental problems.
is that we can see many wealthy Furthermore, when we talk about
people who have all the material Take for example a person that is these means and methods to
facilities at their disposal, but who totally committed to undertaking remove these mental problems, it is
nevertheless continue to experience some religious practice. Even important to know and to recognize
many types of mental suffering. This though, while pursuing that our inborn good human qualities.
is something we all can observe. religious practice, one may have
Thus, it is very clear that the to encounter many physical For example, I perceive it like
uneasiness, problems and sufferings hardships; nevertheless, because this: if you look carefully at this
that are purely a result of your of a sense of contentment and human society, you will find that
mental attitude can be minimized satisfaction, and because of having we are social animals. This means
and eliminated by changing your a clear sight of the goal one is that we live in a society and we
mental outlook and not through pursuing, that person would are totally dependent on each
external material facilities. see those hardships as a kind other. Right from the time when
of ornament rather than as we are born until the time when
To summarize this point, a difficulty. So, one is able to we become an adult and are able
when we talk about overpower those physical sufferings to look after ourselves, we need
experiencing happiness and through mental readiness to accept to depend on others’ kindness,
suffering, there are two ways of the situation by seeing greater even for our physical well-being.
experiencing them. One is very purposes. There are many examples This is so because of the very
much related to sensory experiences of how we are able to overpower structure of our biology, the very
– that means the pleasures and physical sufferings when we are structure of our body. The more
pains that we experience through working for a more important we show closeness and the more
the five sense faculties – and then purpose and goal. In such cases, we develop compassion and care
there is another level of experience although we encounter a lot of toward each other, the more we
of happiness and suffering, based physical problems, we treat those will be able to achieve peace
on our mind or mental attitude. physical problems with great delight, and happiness. Because of the
Of these two, the happiness and with great joy, and as an ornament. benefit of these fundamental
suffering that you experience human values, we can say that these
through the mind is much stronger To sum up this point, out of the two fundamental human values are
and much more powerful than what experiences that you encounter important, they are necessary, so
you experience through the senses. through your senses and through therefore they are required qualities.
your mind, the one that you
A clear example is that even if you encounter and experience through In the case of some other examples,
have all the material facilities at your mind is much more important. like the offspring of a butterfly,
your disposal and even if you may or the offspring of a tortoise, it
not have any types of physical When it comes to dealing with seems that there is not much
problems and sufferings, but still mental problems, as I said, with the dependence between the mother
when your mind is not at ease, problems that are purely the result and the offspring of the tortoise
when you are mentally suffering, of your mental attitude and mental and butterfly. For example, after
then these physical comforts are outlook, these can be minimized the eggs have been laid, in the case
not able to overcome the sufferings and eliminated by changing of the butterflies, the offspring is
that you are encountering at your your attitude. Therefore, there is a unable to meet their parents, and in
mental level. On the other hand, way, there is a means and there is a the case of the tortoise, they just lay