[russianstallian]

Hi Nathan,

Why would one need to survive "in the wilderness" in order to understand dukkha ? It's right there with us in our minds, wherever we are, and Buddha taught us how to recognise and overcome this.

In 'Prison of Life' Ajahn Buddhadasa said :


Wherever there is upadana (clinging, attachment) right there is bondage. The bondage may be positive or negative; both are equally binding. By regarding things and clinging to them as "I" or "mine," bondage occurs. When bound to something, we get stuck in it, just like being stuck in prison.

All of the Dhamma principles of Buddhism can be summarized: upadana is the cause of dukkha(dissatisfaction, suffering); dukkha is born out of upadana. We all must understand this matter of upadana well. To make it easy to understand, we must see it clearly as being just like a prison -- a mental prison, a spiritual prison. We come to study Dhamma and develop samadhi (mental stability and calm) and vipassana (insight) in order to destroy upadana.

Or, if we speak metaphorically, we study Dhamma and develop the mind in order to destroy the prison that now traps us.

We're speaking about a mental or spiritual prison, but it has the same meaning as a concrete prison.


http://www.what-buddha-taught.net/Bo...on_of_Life.htm
Towards the end of the talk he says:

If you practice anapanasati (mindfulness with breathing in and out) correctly until truly successful in it -- real, not imagined success -- you will destroy all the prisons completely So as well as studying Dhamma, this type of Buddhist meditation is a key factor for our mental wellbeing - and we can practice it wherever we happen to be.


Be well and happy.

with kind wishes to you,

Aloka