Question

On the one hand we wish ourselves and others to be free of Dukkha, on the other hand we must see Dukkha in the world to progress in the practice, how to reconcile?

Answer

I don't thank that there will be any lack of Dukkha to see in the world so we can progress, because in Samsara or the cycle of birth and death, Dukkha is inherent. As there is impermanence, there will be Dukkha also. Wishing people to be free of Dukkha on the highest level is actually wishing for them to be free of returning to the cycle. Of course there's other degrees of wishing to be free of Dukkha, as well. I do not believe that when we're wishing for ourselves and others to be free of Dukkha that we're wishing that the world didn't have Dukkha. I don't know if that's possible, because Dukkha is inherent in the nature of the cycle of birth and death. When I am wishing for people to be free of Dukkha I'm wishing for their potential to be manifested, so they can transcend the Dukkha within themselves. So I don't think there's really a contradiction between these two things.

In order for ourselves and others to be free of Dukkha, we actually have to become aware that there is Dukkha. Otherwise we can't free ourselves from it, because we won't actually then know the true cause of it. So I think you've just put it out of order here. Think of the Four Noble Truths. The first Noble truth is that we must see Dukkha in the world in order to progress in the practice, that's the first Noble Truth. The second Noble Truth is learning to see how where it comes from. And when we wish ourselves and others to be free of Dukkha, we're wishing for the third and the fourth Noble Truths to be manifested in the place of Dukkha. That's how we see it. We wouldn't want to leave everybody in the first two Noble Truths, we would wish for them the third and the fourth. So I don't think there's any problem with that.

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