And so suffering is a fact of life, yes. It's ugly, yes.
But it's not worth obsessing over. You just do you, and do it as well as you can.
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I know there are Buddhist traditions that diverge from this pattern, of course. I know it's not suffering all the way down.
That's a big part of the reason why I preference, say, Zen over Mahayana.
A cosmology built ENTIRELY around removing suffering? Please. That's ridiculous.
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I am half-joking here, but if you combine Fenno-Ugric cultural mentality with Buddhim you get even more suffering for your suffering. :D
I have seen it happen...
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Really? Well, then.
I suppose in a lay context it would be just adding suffering as base reality for more areas of your life.
"Metaphysically, everything sucks...
... also, my life in particular sucks."
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The Lutheranism infused suffering mentality of the Buddhist groups in Finland kept me away from them quite a while; until I found my current Sangha (Aro gTer), and a couple of other groups.
But then again, Aro is mostly for fringe of the fringe. :D
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That said, Aro is relatively strong in Finland. Which I guess might relate to the fact that there are a lot of outdoor, in the woods or whatever, practices in Aro. Whereas many other groups only sit inside.
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I fullheartedly agree. I sometimes try to do that in the winter too. Although, now in Taiwan though I have somewhat inverse challenge with the elements. 🙃
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I can imagine. I can't even handle the Polish summer - and no wonder, with temperature highs of 35 degrees!
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Here it is now regular +35 with 90% humidity and there is a typhoon coming in ~3 days. :D
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Voi jumalauta saatanan perkeleen helvetin kuustoista ja vittujen kevät!
(Just teaching some profanities.) 😜