The Root of All Suffering

The root of all suffering is striving For something we aren’t or don’t have. Desire per se isn’t the problem at all As it’s just a natural response to being alive, But attachment to that object of desire certainly is, And yet attachments can be good, Such as the attachment to being alive… But striving for something we aren’t or don’t have Implies a basic dissatisfaction With what we are or have, And this implies a basic misunderstanding About what we are and the nature of things in general. Things are just things They come and go, And obviously they don’t always come, But when they do, They also always go. Who we are is more of a mystery. And I wouldn’t want to spoil that mystery for you So I’ll leave it at that. But exploring and discovering more about it Is, needless to say, The sine qua non of being human, And yet all too many haven’t figured that out yet, Which is acceptable for children but not adults, And in fact may define what it means to be adult. So, Life; living, eating, drinking, breathing, reproducing These are the obvious givens, And yet the mystery of it all Remains hidden and illusive Waiting to be discovered in our own way On our own terms And thus remains always a mystery Always just beyond thought, A something that isn’t a thing, At the tip of our tongue, At the periphery of perception A Deja vu we have dreamt a million times And yet still can’t grasp. The solution? Obviously simple; Don’t think about it, Stay so busy you don’t have the time or energy to. In this way satisfaction comes effortlessly As the by product of simply staying alive. Work or play, what difference does it make? Not enough you say? Well then, enjoy your suffering! (8/7/25)