[teridbruse]

Material existence for me IS samsara

I understand sankhara as mental proliferation. Also, sankhara happens when we do not "see" or acknowledge that all conditioned things leads to Dukkha, because of its impermanent nature.

tjampel, I suggest to have a look to a series of different threads at the Theravada Buddhism Forum related to some fundamental issues about the teachings of Buddha and commented by Element in a very accessible way, here.

relying on "randomness of nature" is accepting materialism. I am stuck with that belief from early childhood. It's not what I wish to perpetuate. I don't know why "randomness of nature" is so hard to see. Humans can control some aspects of nature but a huge proportion of it can't be under absolute control.

Anyway, the issue of randomness can fit better in the tea room, tj.

What really matters is that Buddha taught about how to cope with life happenings. Things happen, things like: gain, loss, etc.,

Reasons are many but what is important is the mental state toward such happenings:

"His mind does not remain consumed with the gain. His mind does not remain consumed with the loss... with the status... the disgrace... the censure... the praise... the pleasure. His mind does not remain consumed with the pain.

"He does not welcome the arisen gain, or rebel against the arisen loss. He does not welcome the arisen status, or rebel against the arisen disgrace. He does not welcome the arisen praise, or rebel against the arisen censure. He does not welcome the arisen pleasure, or rebel against the arisen pain. As he thus abandons welcoming & rebelling, he is released from birth, aging, & death; from sorrows, lamentations, pains, distresses, & despairs. He is released, I tell you, from suffering & stress.

Lokavipatti Sutta
I need to have deeper realizations. Isn't the given quote a deeper realization?

Take care

tj Kind Wishes,