Nobody Wants Suffering

  I came across the line in Santideva which reads, "If all beings find fulfillment according to their own wishes, then no one would suffer, for no one wishes to suffer." (Line 34, p. 65). This line precedes a line that is typical of Santideva's reasoning: "upon seeing a friend or an enemy committing a wrong deed, one should reflect, 'Such are his conditions' and be at ease" (Line 33, p.65). I think that what unifies these two verses is that idea that deep down inside, all people want to be happy and not to endure any painful states of being. Even someone who commits a crime or a wrong deed (as Santideva puts it) is really only trying to find happiness in their own way, even if it happens to be misguided. Much of this argument is somehow reminiscent of St Augustine, who had a similar understanding of the roots of evil. According to St. Augustine, one never wishes to do evil. Instead, one is simply trying to fulfill their deepest wishes through a purpose that is less than God's, or is off the direction toward God. One can see this as an instance of having the right intention and desire, but not having an adequate object to express or fulfil that desire. Similarly, with Santideva, there is always a wish to be relieved of suffering, but due to cause and conditions, people don't always understand how to do so. They end up attaching themselves to things which they sincerely believe will relieve suffering, even if it only creates short-term gains and might harm them in the long run. What's interesting is that Santideva exhorts his audience not to blame a person for having the wrong sorts of desires and fears. Rather, 'be at ease' is what Santideva exhorts us to do, and to not be disturbed by the other's conditions.
    I think that it can be a helpful practice to deeply meditate on the fact that all sentient beings have this one thing in common: none of us wants to suffer. Although there are variations in how we avoid suffering and seek after what we think is fulfilling, this common thread of avoiding suffering runs through all sentient beings. The only differences that separate beings are conditions that arise from cherishing certain chosen views and preferences in life. And what really separates each of us is clinging to our views and preferences, as though it were life and death to hold onto them. Once I start identifying with those views and preferences, it is as though the sense of who I am would disappear if they were supplanted in any way.
     When I reset back to the notion that all beings crave not to suffer, a feeling arises that I am not sure how to describe. That feeling is a kind of simplicity. As long as I know that nobody wants to suffer, I needn't get caught up in the details on how each individual in his or her own way attempts to avoid suffering. Rather, I see that it's really all the same, and preferences mark the only differences. I believe that this can be an expedient way to stop viewing ourselves as isolated individuals, and to start to see the entire universe as having the same wish: to go beyond suffering and embrace liberation.